Peter Li performs the Falun Gong meditation exercise.
Peter Li’s steadfast efforts to help stop one of the most brutal persecutions in history: The persecution of Falun Gong
Peter was born in Beijing in 1998 and immigrated to Canada when he was six years old. He and his mother practice Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice that has been persecuted in China for more than 24 years.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a self-cultivation practice of the Buddha school consisting of a series of meditation exercises and spiritual teachings focused on moral improvement. Introduced to the public in China in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi – a four-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee – the practice spread rapidly by word of mouth, with more than 100 million citizens having adopted it by 1999.
The growing popularity of the practice was perceived by the then Communist leader, Jiang Zemin, as a threat to the Party's power. Thus, on July 20, 1999, Jiang ordered a Cultural-Revolution style crackdown to eradicate the spiritual group.
He ordered Chinese authorities to “Defame their reputations, bankrupt them financially, and destroy them physically.” He also said, “It is not a crime to beat a Falun Gong practitioner to death. If a Falun Gong practitioner is beaten to death, it is counted as a suicide.” This marked the beginning of one of the largest and most violent persecutions in history.
Peter distributes flyers in front of the Chinese Consulate in Calgary to tell people about the persecution and the crimes being committed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
According to international research, forced organ harvesting is a state-sanctioned activity practiced in numerous Chinese hospitals. A study published on April 2, 2022 by the American Journal of Transplantation titled "Execution by Organ Procurement: Breaching the Dead Donor Rule in China," found that in 71 papers published in China between 1980 and 2015, many donors were not brain dead when their organs were removed. Human rights organizations have found that Falun Gong adherents, underground Christians, and more recently, Uyghur Muslims, are the main targets of forced organ harvesting.
Every July 20, millions of Falun Gong practitioners in more than 130 countries hold peaceful appeals, rallies and parades to raise awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, the only country where it is banned. Despite the cruel methods used in the persecution, Falun Gong practitioners continue to adhere to non-violent methods of resistance.
Peter gathers with other Falun Dafa practitioners in front of the Chinese Consulate in Calgary.
Every Saturday, practitioners perform the Falun Dafa meditative exercises in front of the Chinese consulate in Calgary to raise awareness of the persecution and forced organ harvesting happening in China today.
Peter participates in car parades in Banff to raise awareness of the dangers of Communism and the crimes committed by the CCP. Falun Dafa practitioners usually hold these car parades twice a month in Calgary and neighbouring cities.
Peter (in purple t-shirt in bottom left picture) joins practitioners in Banff to contribute to their awareness efforts.
Peter Li works as a civil engineer in Wood, one of the world's leading consulting and engineering companies. Peter graduated from University of Calgary in 2021. In his daily life, he strives to act in accordance with the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance, the tenets of Falun Dafa. He does his best to do his job well and help his colleagues when they need it.
Peter is always greeted by his mother, Jennifer Su, when he arrives from work in the afternoon.
Peter and his mother go grocery shopping. Since Peter's mother is not fluent in English, he kindly and patiently serves as her interpreter and translator when necessary. Peter never lets his mother carry anything heavy. He always takes the initiative to do the heavy work.
Peter performs with the Tian Guo Marching Band at a Stampede breakfast in Calgary.
The Tian Guo (Heavenly Kingdom) Marching Band, is an international phenomenon with groups in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and Europe.
Peter has been playing the saxophone since he was in junior high.
Every year, Peter performs at various Stampede events with the Tian Guo Marching Band. This group aims to portray the beauty of 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture, in which their spiritual practice, Falun Dafa, is rooted.
Tian Guo's band members come from all walks of life and have different ethnic backgrounds. However, they have one thing in common: they all practice Falun Dafa and abide by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance in their daily lives.
Peter's mother videotapes her son performing with the band.
Peter often prepares materials to share information about Falun Dafa and raise awareness of the persecution.
These materials often include brochures and handmade keepsakes. Making a single keepsake can take over an hour.
Lotus flowers are a common motif in Falun Dafa keepsakes, as they have long been revered as a symbol of purity and grace. The keepsake held by Peter contains an origami flower carefully crafted by his mother.
Each Falun Dafa keepsake displays the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance. Practitioners gift these keepsakes to people when they talk about the practice and clarify the truth about the persecution in China.
Peter shares information about Falun Dafa in Banff.
Practitioners often go to Banff to teach the meditation practice for free and collect signatures for petitions to end the persecution. Falun Dafa keepsakes are believed to bring good fortune to the recipient, and practitioners wholeheartedly give them away with a smile.
Peter’s shirt reads "Falun Dafa is good," a phrase contrary to the defamatory propaganda that the Chinese Communist Party spreads through its state-run media.
Peter hands a brochure and keepsake to a tourist in Banff.
Although the persecution has been going on for 24 years, practitioners’ constant efforts to raise awareness herald the hope that one day people will have freedom of belief in China.
Every day, after significant efforts to balance his personal life and his awareness-raising work, Peter spends quality time with his family. In traditional Chinese culture, harmonious families are the key to a stable society. Peter always tries to cultivate filial piety and be a good son to his parents.