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Canadian MP Svend J Robinson Writes to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Calling for the Canadian Government to Oppose Article 23 December 12, 2002
Honourable Bill Graham, PC, MP
Dear Bill, I have recently been contacted by a number of Falun Gong practitioners and
other concerned Canadians regarding the proposed enactment of "Article 23,"
also known as the "anti-subversion" law, in Hong Kong. As noted by Amnesty
International and others, the proposed legislation, if passed into law,
would seriously compromise the human rights and civil liberties enjoyed by
the people of Hong Kong. The Government of Hong Kong, in its proposals for legislation under Article
23, appears to be moving away from international human rights law, and
threatening groups who would exercise their fundamental rights to freedom of
thought, conscience, religion, and peaceful association with possible
imprisonment. As you are aware, when Hong Kong was returned to Chinese authority in 1997,
it was with the assurance that it would retain considerable political
autonomy under the "One Country, Two Systems" plan. Unfortunately, the
proposed legislation under Article 23 would dramatically undermine this
plan, by outlawing in Hong Kong groups that are outlawed under the People's
Republic of China Central Government. This threat to civil liberties in
Hong Kong is of legitimate concern to political and religious groups in that
territory and around the world. I would urge you to investigate this matter immediately, and to communicate
to the Government of Hong Kong the deep concerns of the Canadian people for
the protection of the democratic freedoms of all people in Hong Kong. I look forward to your earliest possible reply to this important matter. Sincerely yours,
Svend J Robinson, MP
SJR/drf Posting date: 12/14/2002 |