URAP Updates from February & March 2023
News:
M-62
History was repeated once again in Canada. The vote on motion M-62 (sponsored by MP Sameer Zuberi) was unanimously supported by 322 MPs, with no opposition. The historic vote by the Canadian government set a precedent for the first ever government sponsored legislation supporting the resettlement of Uyghur refugees. URAP was able to work behind the scenes to ensure the cabinet, including PM Justin Trudeau, would vote for this motion.
Joining us in Ottawa for this historic event was a high-level delegation of World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) representatives from Germany and the US. Chairs Dolkun Isa (WUC) and Omer Kanat (UHRP) along with URAP’s Executive Director Mehmet Tohti watched the debates and vote on M-62 live. The Uyghur delegation was greeted by a standing ovation in the House of Commons and later received by the PM Justin Trudeau.
Left to Right: MP Sameer Zuberi, Omer Kanat (UHRP), Dolkun Isa (WUC), Mehmet Tohti (URAP) and Minister of Transportation MP Omar Alghabra.
The Uyghur delegation’s week-long itinerary continued with events in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto:
Parliamentary Reception held by MP Zuberi’s office, URAP, ETAC and the Ottawa Uyghur community. Close to sixty MPs, among them many Cabinet Ministers, attended this joyful event celebrating the passing of M-62.
Dolkun Isa and Mehmet Tohti participated in a panel discussion at Concordia University led by the Montreal Genocide Research Institute on February 3. Opening remarks by its Director Kyle Matthews.
The esteemed delegation visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Montreal where discussions on future cooperation between civil society organizations were held.
McGill University’s Law Faculty hosted the delegation for its Seminar on the Uyghur Genocide and Canada’s international legal obligations.
The National Council for Canadian Muslims held an evening talk at Universite de Montreal, and welcomed Dolkun Isa and Mehmet Tohti to the stage to answer questions about Uyghurs to 250 students in attendance.
Toronto protest rally on February 3, 2023 to commemorate the 1997 Gulja massacre.
Some coverage of M-62 in Canadian and International media:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo9tyQDtYBw
- CBC Radio https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-2-as-it-happens
- Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies - "The Uyghur Human Rights Crisis: What Should Canadians Do? " https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiPJFW7dTdA-
- WUC TV channel on Montreal, Toronto WUC delegation visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ost5S_DbO5M-The leading International Media outlets reported on Canada’s initiative to resettle 10 thousand Uyghur Refugees https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/02/canada-uyghur-refugees-resettle-china/
- Ottawa’s decision to resettle Uyghur refugees stranded in the third-party states provoked strong condemnation by China and resulted in accusations of “political manipulation” by Beijing https://www.prpeak.com/asia-pacific/china-accuses-canada-of-politically-manipulating-with-uyghur-refugee-vote-6475278
ETHI Testimony
On March 10, URAP’s Executive Director Mehmet Tohti testified before the ETHI committee (Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics) on the subject of “Foreign Interference and Threats to the Integrity of Democratic Institutions, Intellectual Property and the Canadian State.” The full presentation followed by Q&A session can be viewed here.
Following the CSIS leakage to the media on Chinese interference during the Federal Elections in 2019 and 2021, the Canadian public has turned its attention toward the PRC’s orchestrated campaigns of intimidation and harassment, and this interference has been subject to very high-level public scrutiny. For years, URAP along with many other NGOs, notably the Canada-Hong Kong Alliance have advocated for the adaptation of FIRA (Foreign Influence Registration Act). URAP was contacted by multiple English and French-speaking Canadian news outlets to explain its position on FIRA, such as https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2023/03/06/chinese-interference-in-canada-chinese-canadians-say-they-reported-it-for-years-and-were-ignored.html. “‘Of course, the CSIS leaks aren’t surprising. We’ve spent years sharing information to Parliament,’ said Uyghur Canadian human-rights advocate Mehmet Tohti.”
On March 8, URAP, the Canada-Hong-Kong Alliance, East European Coalition Group, Tibetans, and Toronto Democratic Alliance hosted a press conference on FIRA and the need for its rapid adaptation by the Parliament. Due to increased public pressure and criticism from the opposition, Public Safety Minister Mendecino pledged his will to adapt such a bill.
Upcoming Events:
Please join us for this special interfaith demonstration in support of the Uyghurs on Monday, April 3, from 3 to 4 PM on St. Patrick Street, opposite the Chinese embassy in Ottawa!
URAP’s team extends its best wishes for upcoming Ramadan which will start on March 23rd.
Ramadan Mubarak!