Canada and Tibet

Kudos go to Conservative MP David Sweet and all members of the House of Commons for their motion to grant honourary Canadian citizenship to the Dalai Lama. Prime Minister Stephen Harper must heed to his promise of promoting democratic ideals and human rights on the international stage, and increase ties with the Dalai Lama and his representatives.

The Dalai Lama is the true representative of the interests of the Tibetan people. Canada must clearly state its objection to the continuing occupation of Tibet by the Chinese communists, and Mr. Harper must show that he will stand up for the right of the Tibetan people.

China's arms exports threaten world peace

The following is an Amnesty International Press Release:

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE


AI Index: ASA 17/033/2006 (Public)
News Service No: 143
11 June 2006

Embargo Date: 11 June 2006 21:00 GMT

China: Secretive arms exports stoking conflict and repression

China is fast emerging as one of the world’s biggest, most secretive and irresponsible arms exporters, according to a new report issued today by Amnesty International.

The report shows how Chinese weapons have helped sustain brutal conflicts, criminal violence and other grave human rights violations in countries such as Sudan, Nepal, Myanmar and South Africa. It also reveals the possible involvement of Western companies in the manufacture of some of these weapons.

“China describes its approach to arms export licensing as `cautious and responsible`, yet the reality couldn‘t be further from the truth. China is the only major arms exporting power that has not signed up to any multilateral agreements with criteria to prevent arms exports likely to be used for serious human rights violations,” said Helen Hughes, Amnesty International’s arms control researcher.

China’s arms exports, estimated to be in excess of US$1 billion a year, often involve the exchange of weapons for raw materials to fuel the country’s rapid economic growth. But it is a trade shrouded in secrecy; Beijing does not publish any information about arms transfers abroad and hasn’t submitted any data to the UN Register on Conventional Arms in the last eight years.

Amnesty Internationals report, China: Sustaining conflict and human rights abuses, includes several examples of irresponsible Chinese arms exports.

The report’s main findings include:

• More than 200 Chinese military trucks -- normally fitted with US Cummins diesel engines -- shipped to Sudan in August 2005, despite a US arms embargo on both countries and the involvement of similar vehicles in the killing and abduction of civilians in Darfur;
• Regular Chinese military shipments to Myanmar, including the supply in August 2005 of 400 military trucks to the Burmese army despite its involvement in the torture, killing and forced eviction of hundreds of thousands of civilians;
• Chinese military exports to Nepal in 2005 and early 2006, including a deal to supply nearly 25 thousand Chinese-made rifles and 18,000 grenades to Nepalese security forces, at the time involved in the brutal repression of thousands of civilian demonstrators;
• An increasingly illicit trade in Chinese-made Norinco pistols in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand and particularly South Africa, where they are commonly used for robbery, rape and other crimes.

“As a major arms exporter and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, it is high time that the Chinese authorities live up to their obligations under international law. They must introduce effective laws and regulations banning all arms transfers that could be used for serious human rights violations or breaches in international humanitarian law,” said Helen Hughes

Amnesty International is also calling on China to report annually and publicly on all arms export licences and deliveries and to support a tough, comprehensive and enforceable international Arms Trade Treaty.

As long as China continues to allow arms supplies to the perpetrators of gross human rights violations, the international community must redouble its regulation of joint ventures involving military and dual-use technology in China and must strengthen the application of arms embargoes on China such as those imposed by the European Union and the USA.

For after copy of the report, China: Sustaining conflict and human rights abuses,please see: http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engasa170302006

In memory of the Tiananmen Square Massacre victims

A very nice song by Joan Baez commemorating the victims of June 4, 1989 (Tiananmen Square Massacre). Let us never forget the self-sacrifice of those who fight for freedom against tyranny.

CHINA
(Words and Music by Joan Baez)

In the month of May, in the glory of the day
Came the descendants of a hundred flowers
And their fight it did begin with the aging Mandarin
And they fought with an extraordinary power
Everyone was smiling, their hearts were one
In Tiananmen Square

But it seems that the Spring this year in Beijing
Came just before the Fall
There was no summer at all
In Tiananmen Square
China... China

There's peace in the emerald fields, there's mist upon the lakes
But something is afoot in the People's Hall
The spirit of Chu Ping is alive in young Chai Ling
And the Emperor has his back against the wall
Black sun rising over Tiananmen Square
Over Tiananmen Square

But it seems that the Spring this year in Beijing
Came just before the Fall
There was no summer at all
In Tiananmen Square
China... China

In the month of June, in the darkness of the moon
Went the descendants of a hundred flowers
And time may never tell how many of them fell
Like the petals of a rose in some satanic shower
Everyone was weeping in all of China
And Tiananmen Square

But it seems that the Spring this year in Beijing
Came just before the Fall
There was no summer at all
In Tiananmen Square
China... China

And even the moon on the fourth day of June
Hid her face and did not see
Black sun rising over Tiananmen Square

And Wang Wei Lin, you remember him
All alone he stood before the tanks
A shadow of forgotten ancestors in Tiananmen Square

And my blue-eyed son, you had no one
You could call a hero of your age
You have the rainbow warriors of Tiananmen Square, singing
China Shall Be Free
China Shall Be Free
China Shall Be Free

Lu Decheng and other Democracy Pioneers

Canada is honoured to have Lu Decheng on our soil.

Here is a great quote from him:
"In a repressive dictatorship, if no one has a spirit of sacrifice, we will never achieve democracy. This is China's tragedy."

So true, so true.

Those that sacrificed their own well-being, their own safety, their own careers for the betterment of all need to be saluted. Lu Decheng is a true hero, and may his spirit live with current democracy pioneers that are striving to confront a brutal dictatorship. Cheers to you Mr. Lu, and also to people like Wang Dan who showed courage in the face of brutality.

Taiwan has its own heroes as well who need to be saluted:
Huang Hsin-Chieh
Lin Yi-Hsiung
Annette Lu
and their Tangwai/Formosa Magazine colleagues.

Taiwan owes you a great debt for helping create a free, democratic, and prosperous society.

And we all need to remember that "freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it."

Canada needs to press for Suu Kyi release

Okay, this post has nothing to do with Taiwan, but is entirely consistent with this blog's pro-democracy, pro-human rights, pro-freedom stance.

Democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest by Myanmar's disgusting military dictatorship for 10 of the last 16 years. Even UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is pleading for her release to the Myanmar military junta. As Myanmar has official diplomatic relations with Canada, Mr. MacKay can signal Canada's strong support for democracy and its opposition to this brutal dictatorship. The Conservatives have shown that they are capable of making principled choices. These principles need to be applied to all parts of the world.

China's tactics endangering the world

With the H5N1 avain flu virus causing large concern in the global health community, the WHO has raised alarm at China's ability to contain this virus. As in the SARS outbreak of 2003, China is a weak link in combating such potential pandemics.

However, it is not only China's medical logistics that are threatening the world, but the political tactics that China keeps insisting upon. In the SARS outbreak, China deliberately obstructed WHO officials from investigating the seriousness of the virus in Southeast China, with government officials covering up the number of SARS cases. China still continues to obscure its health data, denying international organizations full access to the festering H5N1 avain flu outbreaks in rural areas.

In addition, China managed to exclude Taiwan once again from the WHO as an observer. With Taiwan being a large trading nation, such exclusion creates a loophole in the global response system to epidemics and viruses. This also inhibits Taiwan's well-established medical community from contributing to global efforts to fight the spread of diseases, and denies Taiwan crucial access to WHO resources. During the SARS outbreak, China's political obstruction blocked WHO experts from assessing the situation in Taiwan for 7 whole weeks, despite Taiwan's prompt request for aid.

With the scope of globalization increasing daily, the world cannot afford to have China's political games sabatoge international efforts to fight the spread of these deadly diseases.

MPs of the month

This month's honours (May) go to two MPs who made a motion in the Foreign Affairs parliamentary committee to support Taiwan's entry to the World Health Organization.

This motion was passed unanimously!


















MPs for the month of May

• Bernard Patry, Liberal, member for Pierrefonds-Dollard
• Dean Allison, Conservative, member for Niagara West-Glanbrook
  

WHO contradicts its own constitution

The WHO Constitution states:

• The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being
• The health of all peoples is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security and is dependent upon the fullest cooperation of individuals and states

By excluding Taiwan from WHO ranks, the WHO is contradicting its own constitution. Taiwan remains outside the international health community, unable to access WHO resources in a timely fashion.

You would think that the 2003 SARS outbreak would convince people that pandemics are a serious matter in a world of increasing globalization, with the spread of diseases not respecting any national boundries. But still, due to some countries kowtowing to China's political games (like Pakistan and Cuba), Taiwan cannot access or be a part of response mechanisms or emergency alerts to epidemics.

Sad to see that China makes the health of 23 million Taiwanese citizens into a political issue.

L'Union de la Solidarité Taiwanaise

Si vous êtes vraiment déçu par le Parti Democrate Progressiste (PDP), ce n'est pas necessaire de soutenir le Parti Nationaliste. Le Parti Nationaliste n'est pas une opposition responsable. Il toujours empêche les initiatives du gouvernement qui ont de sens. Il oppose avec aucun but que l'opposition.

Alors, si vous voulez soutenir un parti autrement que le PDP, pensez à l'Union de la Solidarité Taïwanaise. Elle ne compromet pas la securité et la souverainété de Taïwan. Elle est vraiment une opposition responsable!

Conservative Government moving towards more principled foreign policy

Thus far, I'm quite impressed with the Conservative government foreign policy. In contrast to the Liberals, it seems to able to make foreign policy decisions based on principles of democracy, human rights, and freedom. Chretien and Martin, all too often, shied away from tough policy choices, for fear of alienating a political base, or kowtowing to larger powers. But we're seeing a nice shift towards doing the right thing under Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Foreign Minister Peter MacKay.



Amongst the welcome new shifts include:

• a ban on the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist organization
• end to funding for the Hamas-led Palestinian government
• concern for Chinese espionage on Canadian soil infringing upon Canadian sovereignty
  

But the Conservative party pledged to: articulate Canada's core values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and compassion for the less fortunate on the international stage. Harper himself pledged in his acceptance speech to promote Canada's democratic ideals.

For the Conservatives to live up to their promises, its necessary for them to support Taiwan, a thriving demcracy which is under threat by the Chinese dictatorship. The first such test will be during the WHA this week. We will see if Canada supports Taiwan's bid for entry to the World Health Organization. If this government truly values freedom, democracy, human rights, health, and inclusiveness, then there is no choice but to support Taiwan, a democratic ally and fight for its entry to the WHO. This government has shown that it can make principled decisions. Its time for it to ignore the irrational objections of China, and stand up for what is right. It's time for Canada to fully support Taiwan's entry to the WHO.

UN hypocrisy just saddening

Well, the UN is just hopeless sometimes when it comes to doing the right thing. Taiwanese journalists seeking to cover the World Health Assembly starting May 22 were denied accreditation by the UN office in Geneva.

But UN itself states in its declaration of universal rights:
Everyone has the right … to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Apparently, the UN violates its own declaration. Its truly unfortunate when the UN itself is the obstacle to allowing freedom of the press and information to occur. It's policy of non-discrimination is actually actively discriminating against Taiwan. When will the UN acquire some backbone and stand up to the irrational objections of the brutal Chinese dictatorship?

UN fails human rights again

The United Nations is becoming a joke. Nations like China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Cuba are admitted onto the human rights council. Ha ha ha, how can we take the UN seriously?

And of course, a democratic nation like Taiwan can't even participate in the UN due to objections from China. Talk about hypocrisy! No wonder so many are losing faith in the UN. A nation that respects human rights like Taiwan remains excluded despite its annual attempts to gain membership. Of course China, with its destruction of Tibetan and Uyghur culture, its refusal to allow democracy to take hold in Hong Kong, its constant censureship of the internet and its torturing of Falun Dafa adherents should be on the UN human rights council? Come on, give me a break....

And the UN loses credibility yet again...

Pourquoi la France veut-elle s'incliner devant la Chine?

Le président de la France, Jacques Chirac toujours s'incline devant la Chine? C'est très dommage, parce que la France avait été un pays dont on associe avec la démocratie. Mais maintenant, monsieur Chirac aime les dictateurs brutals. Il aime Hu Jintao, et il aime Robert Mugabe aussi.

Alors, il obséde à enlever l'embargo d'armes sur la Chine. Mais il oublie la raison pour cet embargo. L'embargo est établi en 1989 parce que la Chine a tué beaucoup de pauvres étudiants qui a manifesté pour la démocratie et la liberté. Monsieur Chirac doit se souvenir que la Chine ne s'est pas améliorer, mais elle continue à être un régime brutal.

Alors Monsieur Chirac, ne fait pas s'incliner la France devant la Chine....si vous le continuez, la France perdra sa dignité.

Aren't Communists supposed to be Atheists?

So guess what....the Chinese dictatorship wants to pick its Catholic bishops. But isn't the Communist party officially atheist? Why does China want a say over the Catholic religion then? Shouldn't an officially atheist organization wash its hands of religion?

Good for the Vatican, excommunicating these two phony bishops who are just going to be Communist mouthpieces. But the Vatican needs to go further and stop trying to establish ties with such a brutal dictatorship.

Doesn't the Vatican, as the head of the Catholic church value human rights and oppose oppression from ruthless regimes? Then keep your ties with democratic Taiwan and just forget about establishing ties with communist China.

KMT blocks human rights progress yet again

For those that say that Ma Ying-jeou is different from the KMT authoritarian regime, they need to look again. Once again, the KMT has blocked a human rights initiative in the legislature.

A legislative motion that would have asked the UN and other organizations to investigate China's brutal treatment of Falun Dafa practicioners has been blocked by the KMT. In fact, even the PFP threw its support behind this motion.

Why is the KMT bending over backwards to spare the dictatorship in Beijing its due scrutiny? Why is the KMT so intent on embarassing the DPP, but yet not willing to oppose the terrible human rights record of the Chinese government?

Mr. Ma, if you truly do believe in human rights, its certainly hard to tell.....after all, you did oppose the constitutional reforms in the 1990s that gave Taiwanese the right to directly elect their president.

Don't be fooled by Hu

As Chinese President Hu Jintao meets with George Bush this week, he will attempt to assuage US fears that China is a threat to peace, democratization, and security. Hu will also try to portray China as a staunch ally in the war on terror, and focus the discussion on growing trade ties between the two nations.

But President Bush needs to see past the empty rhetoric of Hu, and understand that the Chinese agenda runs counter not only to the universal values of freedom and democracy, but also to US national interests. In the United Nations, China has stymied US initiatives to counter the genocide in Darfur and to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions. In addition, China also openly supports ruthless dictatorships in Zimbabwe, Myanmar, and Uzbekistan. Its offer to contain North Korea's military threats is half-hearted at best. Finally, China's military spending threatens traditional US allies such as Taiwan and Japan.

Even on issues such as trade, China's record is spotty. China deliberately undervalues its currency to inflate its trade surplus, flouts World Trade Organization regulations, and allows intellectual piracy and copyright infringement to flourish.

Mr. Hu may portray China's influence as benign to US interests. But if Mr. Bush can see past the empty rhetoric, he will see that the Chinese agenda is hinders the spread of democracy and freedom worldwide.

Surprise! Russia, China refuse to oppose genocide in Darfur

Well, well, our anti-democratic friends, Russia and China have once again opposed sanctions against officials responsible for the genocide in Darfur.

Genocide in Darfur has been occurring for about 3 years already, with the Sudanese government arming militia that drive black Africans from their homes. Over 2 million Africans have been displaced.

Of course, this genocide has not gone on long enough for China, since their envoy to the UN has said that the time is not right to impose sanctions. When is the right time? Never! China has trade links with Sudan, so of course they won't impose sanctions, no matter what atrocities occur. After all, for China, 3 years of killing innocent people is not nearly enough!

Ah, China, once again supporting a brutal dictatorship, with no regard or value for human life.

Conservatives win freedom of Chinese dissident

More kudos to the Conservative government. Apparently, behind the scenes maneuvering were able to free Lu Decheng, who spent 9 years in prison for splotching paint on a Mao Tse-Tung portrait. Lu was also a protester during the 1989 Tiananmen square massacre.

Lu had been held in detention in Thailand as the Chinese government put pressure to keep him in captivity. But credit the Canadian Conservative government for placing human rights as a priority in their foreign policy. (Much more than the Liberals did!) They also put pressure to secure the release of this dissident.

Hopefully Lu can continue to shed light on the human rights abuses of China right here in Canada.

KMT likes CCP more than DPP

One thing that I was always mystified with is the antipathy that the KMT has for the DPP. Well, sure it may make sense, after all, the KMT is an opposition party, so their job is to oppose the DPP when they deem it should be opposed.

That's fine, that's how politics works. But what I don't understand then is the love affair between the KMT and the CCP. It seems that KMT leadership is much more opposed to the DPP than the CCP.

But the CCP is the one responsible for aiming 800 missiles at Taiwan. The CCP is responsible for obstructing Taiwan from crucial NGO's like the World Health Organization. The CCP has one of the worst human rights records on the planet. The CCP continues to persecute Falun Dafa practitioners and democracy activists.

The KMT's job may indeed be to oppose the DPP, but clearly, there's no reason to suck up so much to the Chinese Communist Party.

The DPP respects the freedom and fundamental rights of Taiwanese citizens. It is a party that helped establish democracy on Taiwan. The CCP's values are anti-freedom, anti-rights, and anti-democracy. Why fall in love with them?

Unless of course, these KMT leaders share the same values as the CCP? This explains why Taiwan suffered for over 40 years under a KMT dictatorship....

Lien Chan kisses Ass once again...

Well it looks as if Lien Chan and his KMT cronies are going to go kiss Hu Jintao's ass once again. They didn't get enough of it last year!

They're going to meet in Shanghai. Do you think Lien will raise the issue of human rights? Noooo..... Do you think Lien will raise the issue of China's missiles pointed at Taiwan? Noooo....
Do you think Lien will stand up for the rights of Taiwanese? Noooo.....

Which begs more questions to you Lien Chan:
Didn't you lose two presidential elections?
Aren't you responsible for the KMT's poor electoral showing?
Then why are you still doing what you're doing?

The Island Nation

The island nation lies silent, quietly it mourns,
Formosans with bowed heads, and hearts that are torn,
They weep for the memory of those that fell,
And for those who witnessed that dreadful hell.

Though many years past, the hurt does not fade,
The bloodshed and sufferings cannot be unmade.
So many killed, so many families destroyed,
The cries of the victims, they could not avoid
The death that came to them and their friends,
From a stubborn regime that just wouldn't bend.

From the streets of Taipei, to the farms in Chia-Yi,
The gunshots rang steadily, as loud as can be.
The slaughter continued on its merciless path,
Murdering political dissidents with its angry wrath.

The death of so many will not be in vain.
Neither will be their families' anguish and pain,
We remember these victims with saddened sorrow,
But we still retain hope for a better tomorrow.

For freedom has its price, it does not come cheap,
The victims have sacrificed, they have earned their keep,
But we must go on, our mission is not done,
Until the fight for freedom has truly been won.
We will not let them down, the ghosts of the past,
Their cause of yesteryear is our greatest task,
We strive for the freedom of Formosans today,
To our compatriots, have faith, rest in peace you may.

In memory of the victims of the February 28 1947 Massacre

Wen Jiabao and Lien Chan the same person?

Ha ha ha, just look at these two clowns....don't they look the same?
















Well, I guess its not really a surprise, seeing how last
year, Lien Chan went to kiss the asses of Hu Jintao and
Wen Jiabao. Yeah, well I guess if Lien Chan could, he would want
to be Wen Jiabao, the premier of China. After all, it doesn't matter how many human rights abuses China commits, Lien Chan loves China!

By the way, KMT supporters seem to be more opposed to the DPP than the CCP. I guess they just can't stand an administration that values freedom, democracy, and human rights! That's why they're in cahoots with the Communist dictatorship!

Tibet and Hamas

Well, while the democratic world chastises Hamas for its refusal to recognize the right of Israel to exist, and its terrorist actions, China is welcoming it with open arms! Hamas leaders are going to China for high-level diplomatic talks.

Indeed, the Chinese representative for the West Bank and Gaza has said, "We have explained the Chinese position that supports the Palestinian people in their just struggle to regain their national rights and occupied land."

Well, I support the creation of a Palestinian state, co-existing peacefully with Israel. I'm not okay with terrorist actions and the killing of innocent Jews, thus Hamas should be isolated.

But the irony of all this is that China should apply their own words to Tibet! Don't Tibetans have the right to regain their national rights and occupied land? I think China should put its money where its mouth is! That means granting Tibet real autonomy and ceasing the destruction of the unique Tibet culture.

The difference between Tibet and Hamas? The Tibetan independence movement has been a peaceful one, whereas Hamas resorts to violence against innocents. Hmm, I'm okay with Tibet, but not with Hamas. China? Well, they're okay with the slaughter of innocents, but they're not even willing to allow Tibetans the freedom of speech to speak out against the cruel, brutal, and illegal occupation of Tibet by the Chinese government. Kinda makes you wonder, eh?

Mr. Ma still doesn't get democracy

Well, what a surprise. KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou still doesn't get democracy. During his summit with President Chen Shui-bian, Mr. Ma called on the president to agree to the 1992 "one China consensus".

I guess Mr. Ma is still living in the fantasy world of 1947. This so-called "consensus" has never been agreed to by the Taiwanese people - it was an agreement between the authoritarian Chinese Communist party and the authoritarian Kuomintang.

Besides, this "one China" that Mr. Ma clings to, is it the Republic of China that still rules over the mainland and Mongolia? Is it the "one China" that pretends the People's Republic of China doesn't exist? It seems that Mr. Ma needs a reality check: Taiwan and China are two separate nations, with distinct cultures and vastly different national structures. Why force unification between them?

If Chairman Ma really believed in democracy, then he would realize that the Taiwanese people never consented to a "one China" policy, and that the future of Taiwan belongs in the hands of the Taiwanese people - not the KMT old guard.

Is Taiwan equal to Hamas?

Well, the new Conservative government announced that it was going to cut funding to the Palestinian Authority due to Hamas' refusal to renounce violence and recognize the right of Israel's existence. Good for them....Canada finally has taken a leadership position in the world on something. Peter MacKay said that Canada will not have official contacts between the government of Canada and the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority. Good for you Mr. MacKay! Its a strong signal that Canada will not tolerate terrorist organizations.

But don't forget that Canada does not have official contacts with Taiwan! Does Canada deem Taiwan to be a terrorist organization? Why isolate a democratic country that shares Canadian values of human rights and democracy? Let's hope Mr. MacKay shows leadership in both the Middle East and East Asia. Canada should shut off contact with the terrorist Hamas organization, while opening diplomatic channels with democratic Taiwan.

Stephen Harper said in his acceptance speech as Prime Minister designate that he would work for promoting Canadian democratic ideals on the international stage. This requires cutting of the flow of money to terrorist organizations, but this also requires support for democratic nations like Taiwan. Will the new Conservative government finally end its shabby treatment of a democratic ally?