Open Letter to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien by Canadian NGOs

March 29, 2000

The Right Honourable Jean Chrétiená
Prime Minister of Canadaá
Ottawa (Ontario)

Mister Prime Minister,

In 1997, Canada and other countries entered into a bilateral human rights dialogue with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). In doing so, they moved scrutiny of China's human rights record away from public view and into backroom discussions which have no clear objectives or markers for measuring progress. In the meantime there have been persistent and credible reports of increasing human rights violations in China and Tibet. In view of these reports, we believe the time is right to return to the Commission on Human Rights as an appropriate forum to apply additional pressure on China.

As you know, the United States has circulated a draft text for a resolution on China. Non-governmental organisations in Canada are concerned that the issue of human rights in China not be reduced to a matter of US-China relations. We believe it is essential, especially for countries engaged in a human rights dialogue with China, to support a multilateral approach to the promotion and protection of human rights. We believe the best way to do this is to co-sponsor the China resolution and to encourage other countries to do the same. Co-sponsorship will be a clear indication to Chinese authorities that the establishment of bilateral human rights dialogues will not replace pressure in international fora. It will also re-assure Canadians that our government has not forsaken human rights in its relations with China.

In the past, introduction of a China resolution at the UN Commission on Human Rights has always provided a key focus for the debate about human rights in China and Tibet. This debate has exerted important pressure on Chinese authorities. We have seen the sensitivity of the Chinese to censure at the Commission and we have seen the increase of rights abuses since that pressure was abandoned. We therefore urge you in th4e strongest terms to co-sponsor the China resolution at the UN Commission on Human Rights.

Sincerely,

All Democracies must include Taiwan Foundation (Victoria)á
Amnesty International / English-speaking section Canada (Ottawa)á
Amnesty Internationale / Francophone section Canada (Montreal)á
Anglican Diocese of Huron (Huron, ON)á
Biotech Action Montreal (Montreal)á
British Colombia Council for International Cooperation (Victoria)á
Canada Tibet Committee / National Office (Montreal)á
Canadian Council for International Cooperation (Ottawa)á
Canadian Friends of Burma (Ottawa)á
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (Toronto)á
Canadian Labour Congress (Ottawa)á
Democracy China Ottawa (Ottawa)á
International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Montreal)á
Karuna Community Services (Buddhist Communities of Greater Toronto)
Maquila Solidarity Network (Toronto)á
MiningWatch Canada (Ottawa)á
Movement for Democracy in China (Calgary)á
PEN Canada (Toronto)á
Refugee Support Centre (St. John)á
Students for Free Tibet / Canada (Sherbrooke)á
Toronto Association for Democracy in China (Toronto)á
Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement in China (Vancouver)á
Victoria International Development Education (Victoria)á
Vietnamese Canadian Federation (Montreal)