Dear Friends,
Following France's withdrawal of suppport for the China resolution at the
Commission on Human Rights last week, Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd
Axworthy announced in Beijing on Thursday that Canada is "reconsidering" its
support for the resolution as well. Attached is a joint-letter forwarded to
the Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday, April 4, asking the Canadian
government to honour its commitment to the resolution.
Carole Samdup
CTC
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Ottawa, April 4, 1997
CANADA SHOULD SUPPORT UN RESOLUTION ON CHINA
We, the undersigned Canadian non-governmental human rights organizations
strongly oppose Canada's retreat from its long standing position on human
rights violations in China. We particularly oppose the retreat from a clear
commitment to support a resolution on China at the U.N. Commission on Human
Rights now meeting in Geneva.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Lloyd Axworthy, was quoted in the
Globe and Mail yesterday as saying change should come from "within China",
and that pressure from the outside in the form of confrontation is
counter-productive.
In our view, Canada has not been confrontational to China for the past seven
years. Our government has repeatedly assured us that pressure has been
applied quietly and privately. No tangible results have been achieved by
this tactic. Clearly it is international pressure that is causing the
Chinese government to consider signing the two UN human rights covenants.
But China's promises are not enough. It is important not to give up the
pressure until real improvement happens in China.
1996 was a particularly severe year for human rights violations in China.
Wang Dan was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Beijing has taken no action to
release a significant number of imprisoned political, religious and labour
activists or Tibetans. The Chinese government refuses to open Tibet or
Xinjiang to international human rights observers.
We cannot ignore the 5,000 demonstrators in Geneva this March 10 who showed
their outrage about the ongoing human rights violations in China and Tibet.
This past January, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
held its annual human rights consultation with the Canadian NGO community.
These consultations are presented as an opportunity for NGOs to participate
in the decision-making process regarding the Canadian government's position
in Geneva. At the China Roundtable, all participating NGOs strongly urged
the government to support the resolution on China at the UN Commission on
Human Rights in Geneva and not to engage in deal-making with China. False
statements of positive changes in China and the lure of commercial contracts
should not take precedence over the respect for human rights in China and
Tibet.
The Canadian government must now show leadership by co-sponsoring a
resolution on China in Geneva. At the Consultations in Ottawa, we clearly
understood that Canada would deliver in Geneva.
While the Commission meets in Geneva and Minister Axworthy visits Beijing to
"talk" with his Chinese counterparts, human rights abuses continue to be
reported in China and Tibet.
Signed:
Amnesty International
Canada Tibet Committee
Canadian Labour Congress
Chinese Alliance for Democracy-Canada
Chinese Association for a Democratic China
Chinese Professional and Business Peoples Association of Montreal
Democracy China Ottawa
Federation for a Democratic China
June 4th Massacre Investigation
Toronto Association for a Democratic China
Vancouver Society in Support of the Democratic Movement
