On Monday, Canadian Parliament voted unanimously to declare the actions of China against a minority group of Muslim people as a "cultural genocide." (Image Credit: CNN)

By Chad Klassen

CULTURAL GENOCIDE IN CHINA

Political experts in Kamloops feel Canada needs more allies in fight against cultural genocide in China

Feb 23, 2021 | 4:38 PM

KAMLOOPS — The atrocities happening in China are finally coming to light after Canadian parliament declared the treatment of the Uyhurs — a minority group of Muslims in the northwest province of Xinjiang — as “cultural genocide.”

“By international law definition, I think there is a legitimate case to argue this is genocide,” said Kamloops human rights lawyer Bill Sundhu.

For the past decade, about a million Uyghurs have been detained and sent to concentration camps where they’re separated from their family and tortured. Since 2016, the Chinese government has ramped up its re-education programs, which have become more known around the world.

“Serious violations of human rights ought to offend the conscience of the world. There are many things going on there that are crimes against humanity,” said Sundhu, who’s also one of few Canadian lawyers on the List of Council of the International Criminal Court. “If we look at the forced imprisonment of persons, sterilization, torture, destruction of religious places, forced abortion and rape. Those are serious crimes against humanity, and in international law they’re both equally punishable.”

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Even though the Chinese government denies any wrongdoing, the Canadian government on Monday (Feb. 22) acknowledged the need for action with a 266-0 vote. However, noticeably absent from the vote was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and much of his cabinet.

“I’ve never seen anything like it in my 12 years (as an MP),” said Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod. “I think it showed a lack of courage to stand up, vote and be counted. That is what parliament is all about, but it’s sort of a pattern of this government in terms of their relationship with China.”

Experts like Robert Hanlon, a TRU political science professor who specializes in China, know Canada is in a difficult position with its relationship with the Chinese government.

“The Canada-China relationship is at a historical low right now,” he said. “The Liberals, I think, got backed into a corner here where on the one hand they can’t deny the extreme violence happening in Xinjiang, but I think they’re trying to navigate the complicated relationship, not only trade relationship but also the detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor who are still in Chinese prison.”

China is Canada’s second largest trading partner at $98 billion in 2019. So what can Canada do about the claim of genocide? Experts say the government needs backing from other countries, namely the U.S.

“One thing we have learned about dictators and authoritarian regimes — they are concerned about their image,” said Hanlon, “and if there’s a collective global action by our allies — substantial countries in the world — it will embarrass China because China wants to be respected as a world power.”