OTTAWA—Organizers and fans of Shen Yun Performing Arts’ shows held a protest outside the Chinese embassy in Ottawa on Sunday after it was learned that members of one of the company’s touring groups had been denied entry to Hong Kong.
“Shen Yun Performing Arts regrets to inform that seven sold-out shows in Hong Kong have been cancelled due to Hong Kong authorities’ last-minute denial of entry visas to several of our key production staff,” the performing arts company said in a statement.
The shows were scheduled to play at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts’ Lyric Theatre Jan. 27-31. But on Jan. 21, the Hong Kong Immigration Department refused to grant entry visas to seven core members of the production team.
“The reason given by Hong Kong immigration is that these production jobs could be filled locally,” the statement said.
Shen Yun Performing Arts is a New York-based company that has been reviving China’s artistic traditions and spiritual heritage that were almost wiped out by the Chinese Communist Party’s Great Cultural Revolution that started in 1966 and lasted for more than 10 years.
It was the first time that Shen Yun, which is currently on an extensive world tour, would have brought its show to Hong Kong. All seven scheduled shows were sold out about a week after the tickets became available.
“It is a very, very sad day for the residents of Hong Kong. They have been known around the world as believers in the rule of law and democracy and respect for people. This decision to deny the visas shows that it’s the party state in Beijing that is running the affairs in Hong Kong,” said David Kilgour, a former MP and Secretary of State for Asia Pacific.
“I have been to Hong Kong many times and have met with the officials of the government of Hong Kong and I suspect that most of them are as dismayed about this decision as are most of the people who have heard of it around the world. It’s appalling.”
He went on to say that Beijing’s actions, “send the message that they want people to forget about the cultural history of China and they don’t want to see the more wholesome, the more traditional side of China’s culture. They don’t want to see the historical side of China that reflects the values that most Chinese, I think, hold.”
Show organizers in various countries have said that agents of the Chinese regime have for years tried to interfere with the group’s performances by pressuring officials to not attend the shows as well as pressuring theatres to cancel scheduled shows.
Maggie Hou, who attended the rally on Sunday, came to Canada from China about six months ago. As a human rights defender she says life was difficult for her in China. She is now a visiting professor who teaches a course on the state of human rights in China at Ottawa University.
“We are disappointed with what the Hong Kong government did. The Hong Kong Government seems to have lost its independence. The Hong Kong Government, to a certain extent, has become a puppet of the Chinese Communist Party. We condemn what the Hong Kong Government has done to the group, and also hope that they will make reparations,” she said.
Several speeches were made in Chinese that condemned the actions of the Chinese regime and the Hong Kong government.
Shizhong Lei, who spoke in English, said: “Shen Yun Performing Arts is an authentic experience of consummate beauty and goodness that endeavours to renew a largely lost cultural tradition and honours timeless virtues and human dignity.”
He said that Shen Yun has been targeted by the Chinese regime because it “represents the true Chinese culture and goodness. The communist ideology opposes traditional Chinese culture and only wants to maintain control of the Chinese people.
“I condemn the wrongdoing by the Hong Kong government and request the Hong Kong government to reverse the decision and invite the Shen Yun Performing Arts to Hong Kong. I also condemn the Chinese government for sabotaging the Chinese culture and values and depriving the freedom of the Hong Kong people to see the Shen Yun show.”
“Shen Yun Performing Arts regrets to inform that seven sold-out shows in Hong Kong have been cancelled due to Hong Kong authorities’ last-minute denial of entry visas to several of our key production staff,” the performing arts company said in a statement.
The shows were scheduled to play at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts’ Lyric Theatre Jan. 27-31. But on Jan. 21, the Hong Kong Immigration Department refused to grant entry visas to seven core members of the production team.
“The reason given by Hong Kong immigration is that these production jobs could be filled locally,” the statement said.
Shen Yun Performing Arts is a New York-based company that has been reviving China’s artistic traditions and spiritual heritage that were almost wiped out by the Chinese Communist Party’s Great Cultural Revolution that started in 1966 and lasted for more than 10 years.
It was the first time that Shen Yun, which is currently on an extensive world tour, would have brought its show to Hong Kong. All seven scheduled shows were sold out about a week after the tickets became available.
“It is a very, very sad day for the residents of Hong Kong. They have been known around the world as believers in the rule of law and democracy and respect for people. This decision to deny the visas shows that it’s the party state in Beijing that is running the affairs in Hong Kong,” said David Kilgour, a former MP and Secretary of State for Asia Pacific.
“I have been to Hong Kong many times and have met with the officials of the government of Hong Kong and I suspect that most of them are as dismayed about this decision as are most of the people who have heard of it around the world. It’s appalling.”
He went on to say that Beijing’s actions, “send the message that they want people to forget about the cultural history of China and they don’t want to see the more wholesome, the more traditional side of China’s culture. They don’t want to see the historical side of China that reflects the values that most Chinese, I think, hold.”
Show organizers in various countries have said that agents of the Chinese regime have for years tried to interfere with the group’s performances by pressuring officials to not attend the shows as well as pressuring theatres to cancel scheduled shows.
Maggie Hou, who attended the rally on Sunday, came to Canada from China about six months ago. As a human rights defender she says life was difficult for her in China. She is now a visiting professor who teaches a course on the state of human rights in China at Ottawa University.
“We are disappointed with what the Hong Kong government did. The Hong Kong Government seems to have lost its independence. The Hong Kong Government, to a certain extent, has become a puppet of the Chinese Communist Party. We condemn what the Hong Kong Government has done to the group, and also hope that they will make reparations,” she said.
Several speeches were made in Chinese that condemned the actions of the Chinese regime and the Hong Kong government.
Shizhong Lei, who spoke in English, said: “Shen Yun Performing Arts is an authentic experience of consummate beauty and goodness that endeavours to renew a largely lost cultural tradition and honours timeless virtues and human dignity.”
He said that Shen Yun has been targeted by the Chinese regime because it “represents the true Chinese culture and goodness. The communist ideology opposes traditional Chinese culture and only wants to maintain control of the Chinese people.
“I condemn the wrongdoing by the Hong Kong government and request the Hong Kong government to reverse the decision and invite the Shen Yun Performing Arts to Hong Kong. I also condemn the Chinese government for sabotaging the Chinese culture and values and depriving the freedom of the Hong Kong people to see the Shen Yun show.”
