Sanctions and protections for Falun Gong
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to demand China cease persecution of Falun Gong, pursue sanctions and accountability for responsible CCP actors, and strengthen protections for Falun Gong here. The government responds it already raises these concerns and has imposed sanctions.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would increase diplomatic pressure on China to stop abuses, aligning Canada’s actions with its human-rights commitments.
- Maintaining and expanding targeted sanctions and accountability can punish perpetrators and may deter future abuses without broad punitive measures.
- Strengthening protections in Canada would help prevent transnational repression and protect vulnerable Falun Gong community members from intimidation.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Targeted measures could escalate diplomatic tensions with China, risking economic or security consequences that affect broader Canadian interests.
- Sanctions and public denunciations may have limited impact on state behaviour and can be largely symbolic without multilateral coordination.
- Resources might be better used on multilateral mechanisms, intelligence-sharing and law‑enforcement actions that more practically address transnational repression.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WHEREAS: The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has engaged in a 26-year campaign of eradication against Falun Gong practitioners, who follow the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance; Falun Gong practitioners in China have suffered severe human rights abuses, including mass arbitrary detention, torture, killing, and forced organ harvesting on a large scale; In Canada, Falun Gong adherents have been subjected to transnational repression and foreign interference by the CCP, including harassment, surveillance, intimidation, disinformation, and other forms of sabotage; Recent incidents include bomb and shooting threats targeting Shen Yun, a classical Chinese dance and music performance presented globally by the Falun Gong community that showcases China before communism; The G7 leaders have condemned transnational repression as a serious threat to fundamental rights and freedoms, national security, and state sovereignty. THEREFORE, we, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to proactively deploy all possible avenues to: 1. Publicly call on the Chinese regime to end its persecution of Falun Gong in China and transnational repression abroad; 2. Continue to impose sanctions on and pursue accountability for CCP officials and proxies responsible for these human rights violations; 3. Take stronger measures to protect the Falun Gong community targeted by foreign repression.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Signed by Rob Oliphant The promotion and protection of human rights is a core element of Canadian foreign policy and an important part of Canada’s engagement with China. Canada consistently calls on China to respect, protect, and promote freedom of expression, assembly, association, and religion or belief – obligations that all States must fulfill. Canada has publicly voiced concern about the intimidation and repression of, inter alia, religious groups in China, including Falun Gong practitioners, and raises its concerns privately with relevant Chinese authorities whenever possible. During the 2024 Universal Periodic Review of China at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Canada specifically referenced Falun Gong practitioners when calling on China to end all forms of enforced disappearances. In order to hold those who commit human rights violations to account, on December 10, 2024, Canada invoked the Special Economic Measures Act to impose sanctions on eight current and former People’s Republic of China officials for their respective roles in grave human rights violations, including those committed against Falun Gong practitioners. Most recently on November 11, 2025, the Minister of Foreign Affairs personally raised the situation of human rights in China, including the plight of Falun Gong practitioners, directly with her Chinese counterpart, Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi. Global Affairs Canada is aware of the very troubling bombing and mass shooting threats that targeted Shen Yun dance performances across Canada. Officials from Global Affairs Canada contacted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Public Safety Canada immediately upon learning of these threats, and were notified that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had already been notified and that and that an investigation was already underway. Canada will never tolerate acts of foreign interference or transnational repression against our citizens or those in Canada. Canada has made countering transnational repression a priority of its G7 Presidency and did so to raise awareness of these malign tactics and to advance a coordinated international response. Transnational repression – which is the use of threats, intimidation, or coercion by a state or its proxies against individuals or communities beyond its borders to intimidate, coerce and ultimately silence political opposition abroad – is often employed against groups such as Falun Gong practitioners. At the June 2025 G7 Summit in Kananaskis, leaders issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over acts of transnational repression committed by authoritarian states or their proxies. As part of its commitment to counter transnational repression, Canada continues to engage with, support and protect vulnerable communities, including Falun Gong practitioners, to defend Canadian sovereignty and uphold the universality of human rights including freedom of religion or belief. The Government of Canada shares the concern of all parliamentarians regarding human rights violations that restrict freedom of religion or belief. Canada will always support the rights of Canadians to express themselves freely and peacefully and continues to work internationally, including at the United Nations, to ensure that these universal rights are protected everywhere.