URAP ENDORSES THE RELEASE OF THE RESEARCH ON THE TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION AND FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN CANADA
Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project (URAP) welcomes the release of an unprecedented comprehensive report of transnational repression and foreign interference perpetrated on Canadian soil by overseas actors. The co-authors of this research are Sarah Teich, David Matas, both of whom serve as legal counsel for URAP, and Hannah Taylor.
On September 18, 2023, the Human Rights Action Group (HRAG) released its study, “Combatting transnational repression and foreign interference in Canada”. HRAG noted the People’s Republic of China and other foreign powers’ campaign to intimidate, harass and silence its critics, notably Uyghur, Tibetan, and Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, all of whom are staunch opponents of the Communist Party.
The authors presented extensive evidence and analyses of the transnational repression faced by the various communities and proposed an exhaustive list of thirty-seven concrete and pointed suggestions to address the challenges of transnational repression and foreign interference.
URAP’s Executive Director, Mehmet Tohti’s personal testimonies were cited in this study including the complete incommunicado for decades with 37 direct members of his extended family. His story is in no way an exceptional case since virtually all Uyghur Canadians are deprived of basic rights such as the ability to freely contact their loved ones. The frequent occurrences of intimidation, harassment and even death threats are a common practice experienced by many Uyghurs in Canada. These tactics are weaponized by the Chinese Communist Party to limit free expression and civil rights in the Canadian democratic state. These repressive strategies pose significant challenges and impose a heavy cost that activists and innocent citizens must pay for their right to campaign and exercise awareness-raising initiatives.
In anticipation of the Transnational Repression Report, Mehmet Tohti noted, “Uyghurs have been a prime target of China’s systemic transnational repression extended beyond its borders. The protection of human rights and safeguarding of the rights of vulnerable communities need a unified action with firm commitment. URAP will remind our government and legislators about the fate of Huseyin Celil, a Uyghur Canadian who was detained in Uzbekistan and smuggled into China in 2006 subsequently ended up in life imprisonment, as a first victim of China’s transnational repression.”
URAP endorses the release of this timely and necessary research which coincides with the re-opening of the Canadian Parliament after the summer recess. The adaptation and swift implementation of the Foreign Interference Registry Act or its equivalent, should be the priority for the Government of Canada this fall session to implement. The long-awaited appointment of the Head to lead the public inquiry into foreign interference is a welcoming sign that the Committee will quickly investigate the alleged espionage by China on diaspora members and our elected officials to regain confidence in our democracy.