He Li-zhi is a slight man. His glasses dominate his round face.

The 44-year-old Invista Canada worker is a civil engineer and was once a senior engineer for China's construction ministry. That was until the government for which he worked threw him in prison for more than three years because of his religious beliefs.

He is a Falun Gong practitioner, a religious practice that China has demonized and whose followers it has imprisoned.

On Sunday, He stood in the park by Confederation Basin and told a story of how for more than 1,200 days he was tortured, beaten and put to slave labour because of his belief in Falun Gong. His speech was one of several during a demonstration about human rights violations in China.

He said he hoped people who heard his story would walk away with a better idea of human rights abuses in China.

"I'm part of it because I am a victim ... and a torture survivor," He said. "The Olympics and crimes against humanity cannot co-exist in China."

Signs denouncing China's human rights record blanketed Confederation Park during the demonstration. Displays lined Ontario Street and showed what protesters described as examples of torture techniques in China: Burning prisoner's genitals, sexual abuse and forcing prisoners to stand outside in cold winter weather with no warm clothes on.

The event on Sunday was part of the Global Human Rights Torch Relay, a series of events that has taken place in 115 cities across five continents. Kingston was the latest city to host the event organized by the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong.

Speakers from different national and ethnic backgrounds spoke at the event, which attracted a handful of pedestrians who sat down and listened to the speeches and music in the park.

"We chose to be here today because we have the freedom to exercise our own judgment," said Randy Hillier, MPP for Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington. The event, Hillier said, was designed to bring attention to the lack of freedom for people in countries that violate basic human rights.

"There's no doubt that the worst of these countries is communist China," said Hillier.

Hillier said the province should speak out against China instead of staying silent over fears of damaging trade ties.

Rabbi Daniel Elkin, from Kingston's Beth Israel Synagogue, told the crowd that too few speak out against oppression.

"We talk about the global village, but we don't act upon that concept," Elkin said. "Today is not a time to be silent."

Local organizer Jiang Tao said the group wanted to stage an event in Kingston to educate residents. Jiang, originally from China, said most people in Kingston and Canada have an idea of what goes on in China but don't have a clear understanding of the extent to which it happens.

"I know the persecution is going on and people here in Kingston should know [about] that," Jiang said.

A rally and hearing speakers such as He tell stories of imprisonment gave residents a primary and personal source of information, Jiang said.

"It's more powerful," he said.

He said Chinese security agents arrested him on July 21, 2000. He had sent letters to colleagues and friends to explain Falun Gong and why it wasn't as bad as Chinese state media made it out to be. Authorities had monitored He's activities and took him to a prison. For months, no one knew where He was and many presumed him missing or dead. He was eventually released and fulfilled his plans to immigrate to Canada.

During his more than three years in custody, He said he was tortured "to the point of death."

"I survived the torture, but many did not," He said.

What is Falun Gong?

A spiritual belief system and practice that emphasizes that its practitioners be virtuous, compassionate and truthful.

Introduced to China in 1992 it has since grown in following around the world.

Meditation and slow-motion, Tai-chi like exercises make up the backbone of practises for followers.

Some call Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, a cult while others call it a religion.

China's government outlawed Falun Gong in 1999 when it claimed that followers were spreading lies and fallacies.