Toronto Star (Ontario, Canada): The China boomerang

Letter

04/25/2003

The economic impact of SARS is the price we pay for staying silent about corruption, rights abuses. Travel alert sparks fury

April 24.

I don't think Toronto should point the finger at the World Health Organization for putting a travel ban on the city. Canada continues to avoid publicly condemning China for its irresponsibility, its corruption and its blatant disregard for basic human standards.

We are not ignorant about the lies spread from the regime to hide its corruption or its terrifying human rights record, like the documented killing of hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners or its lies about SARS.

However, it seems we are afraid to confront China on these so-called "internal issues" because of losing business contracts.

And since China is so far away, what do these issues have to do with us? Well, now one of China's so-called "internal issues" has killed 16 of our Canadians and it seems that we're experiencing some kind of ironic economic retribution, with millions of dollars in trade deals with China being offset by hundreds of millions of dollars lost in the travel industry, the decline in business and money spent to manufacture a SARS drug.

I think SARS is a big wake-up call. There is more to governing people than just worrying about money. I think it's time we stop kowtowing to China by continuing closed-door talks and speak out strongly to stop this kind of disaster from ever happening again.

This is in our best interest and in the best interest of the people of China.

Joel Chipkar