In the House of Commons, debate on China is frequent. Most recently in Canada-China relations, the shocking treatment of one million Uyghurs and other Muslims in China is at the forefront. The federal Conservatives have asked Parliament to recognize that China is currently committing genocide against the Uyghur minority through internment camps and forced population control. The Conservatives have put a motion forward that was debated last week. The motion will be voted on today after Question Period.
This would ultimately declare that Beijing’s persecution constitutes genocide – and calls for the House of Commons to recognize that the People’s Republic of China has engaged in actions consistent with the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 260, commonly known as the Genocide Convention. The motion also calls for the Government of Canada, much like Canadian allies, to recognize the issue as a genocide – such as the United States. Both the administrations of President Biden and former President Trump have said the treatment of the Uyghur and other Muslim populations in China meets the definition of genocide. Prime Minister Trudeau, however, has been hesitant to define this human rights issue saying last Tuesday that “the international community, in general, takes very, very seriously, the label of genocide and needs to ensure that when it is used, it is clearly and properly justified.”
His response followed Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole’s comments urging for the government to call on the International Olympic Committee to relocate the 2022 Winter Games outside of China. “No one wants the athletes to pay the price, but we would sully the value of this important global event by turning a blind eye to the genocide in Xinjiang by the Communist regime.” O’Toole shared in an op-ed published last week. This aligns with the NDP and Green Party also expressing that they would support relocation of the 2022 Winter Games and are pleading for Canada to not be complicit – and evidently show support for China in their Olympic endeavour.Aligning with those views, during today’s vote, it is assumed that the NDP, the Bloc Quebecois and Green Party will be in support. Last week, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he clearly defines this issue as genocide. While the Prime Minister has been reluctant to put a label on the ongoing violations in China, it is known that the Canadian government is still working to get Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor released from Chinese incarceration. They have been detained for over two years and their arrests have been widely seen as retaliation from the Chinese government for the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, at Vancouver International Airport in December 2018. Although the Prime Minister facespressure on many fronts in Canada-China relations, today’s vote could expose some fractures in a Liberal united front. Last fall, the House of Commons Parliamentary Subcommittee on International Human Rights, which consisted of mostly Liberal Members, declared China’s actions constitute genocide as laid out in the Genocide Convention. A number of Liberal MPs have already indicated they will support the motion, including the outspoken Nathaniel Erskine-Smith. Whatever the outcome of today’s vote, Canadians will be watching as Trudeau “continues to work with the international community and move forward on making the right determinations based on facts and evidence as appropriate.”
