China's United Front Work Department, Canada
"We support the rule of law and stability in Hong Kong, oppose the violent acts of a small number of extremists, oppose any Hong Kong independence movement ... and support the Hong Kong government maintaining law and order."
"Hong Kong is China's inalienable sovereign territory; Hong Kong's affairs are China's internal affairs; and we oppose any foreign interference."
Letter signed by over 200 Chinese-Canadian groups, published in Ming Pao newspaper
"These are basically fake organizations ... They are what I call the mouthpieces of the Chinese consulate."
"This is a very clearly United Front effort by the Chinese government ... If it's not instituted directly, then indirectly."
Cheuk Kwan, Toronto Association for Democracy in China
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| Several hundred protesters demonstrated at the Consulate General of of the People’s Republic of China in Vancouver, BC Saturday, June 15, 2019. The protest was a reaction to controversial legislation in Hong Kong that allows extraditions to Mainland China. The proposed extradition bill has led to mass demonstrations in Hong Kong. |
For months mass demonstrations have taken place in Hong Kong with hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong Chinese residents rallying in protests against a proposed new extradition law making it mandatory that anyone in the semi-autonomous Hong Kong wanted in China for any presumed 'crime' would be handed over to Beijing, bypassing Hong Kong's own system of justice. Although the proposed law has now been put to a final rest, the island state's population remains restive.
The extradition law itself was seen, along with previous moves that also elicited mass protests, as China's closer grip on Hong Kong, despite an agreement when Britain released its former colony back to China, that it would retain all its independent features for a 50-year period and not be forced to integrate completely with China, under direct government rule from Beijing.
Official Canada and its intelligence agencies are well aware that Beijing emissaries have infiltrated the country for the purpose of re-instilling in former Chinese nationals and Canadian citizens of Chinese heritage, an obligation to fully support the Chinese regime. Working to influence the diaspora to report to Chinese consulates whatever they glean about Canada that might be useful to China, including reporting on other Chinese.
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While effort is made to appeal to the ethnic identity of Chinese-Canadians, persuading them to write local letters to the editor in support of China's authority over Hong Kong, and decrying the violence on the streets of the city by a veritable handful of discontents, what is playing out on those streets of Hong Kong is giant masses of residents assembling to declare their rejection of Chinese authority. As many as an estimated million people turning out for a few of the protests.
The protesters fear such legislation could be the thin edge of the wedge, helping Beijing to rid itself of its enemies with the use of a legal system controlled by the Communist Party. Incidental to the main purpose of the massed protests are complaints by Hong Kongers of the difficulty in finding an affordable place to live in the city, priced out of the league of ordinary working people, giving a double thrust to the impetus of their anger.
Although Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam -- who carries out instructions from Beijing -- attempted to quiet the storm of discontent announcing the extradition law scrubbed as a "total failure", most people don't believe that will be the end of it. As a result there seems to be no end in sight of ongoing mass protests. And yet here in Canada where Chinese-Canadians make up a large demographic there is harsh criticism from groups purporting to support Beijing's control of Hong Kong.
Like any other group of people who migrated from their original homes there will always be a sense of loyalty to their roots, and most particularly when there is an ethnic, cultural, historical component involved. There will be some who support their former government and at least an equal number who will not. Chinese have been citizens of Canada for a hundred years. Canada is a democracy and everyone living in Canada has the assurance of equality and a blindfolded system of justice.
According to a spokeswoman for Vancouver's Friends of Hong Kong, the "linguistic craftiness" of the letter appears typical of the United Front. Statements, pointed out Fenella Sung, that Chinese Canadians are "all sons of China and members of the Chinese people", and "blood is thicker than water", resonate with United Front messages. She pointed out that "not a word about being Canadians, as if they have nothing to do with Canada. The text of the ad could be used anywhere in the world".
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| Protesters march on a street during a rally against China’s extradition law proposal on Sunday, June 9, 2019 in Hong Kong. |
Labels: Canada, China, Chinese-Canadians, Hong Kong, Protests
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, July 11, 2019
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