Ottawa, ON – In response to a Liberal MP casting doubt on Uyghur forced labour at the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology yesterday, the Hon. Michael Chong, Conservative Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney calling on him to clarify his position:
Dear Prime Minister,
“Open and Accountable Government, 2015” is a foundational document of the government found at www.pm.gc.ca. It states, “As head of government, the Prime Minister has special responsibilities for national security, federal-provincial-territorial relations and the conduct of international affairs.”
In your capacity as head of government with a special responsibility for the conduct of international affairs, your position on the forced labour of Uyghurs in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) requires urgent clarification.
Yesterday, at a meeting of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, a Liberal MP, the same one who accompanied you on the recent visit to the PRC, intimated that the forced labour of Uyghurs has not taken place in the PRC. This occurred while questioning Ms. Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a senior fellow at the University of Ottawa and former official in the Privy Council Office (PCO), on your recent decision to open the Canadian market to PRC-manufactured electric vehicles (EVs).
This intimation took place even though numerous bodies have concluded that a genocide, including forced labour, is taking place against the Uyghurs in the PRC, including the adoption of a motion in the House of Commons in 2021 recognizing the Uyghur genocide. In response to the adoption of the motion, the Government of Canada imposed sanctions on one PRC entity and four PRC officials in Xinjiang for gross human rights violations, sanctions which remain in force today.
It is also to be noted that on the topic of international human rights, two weeks ago, the PCO tabled a document in Parliament in reply to an order paper question that stated, “Topics of human rights and foreign interference were not brought up proactively by the Canadian Prime Minister” while meeting officials from the PRC. Your office then claimed there was an error in the PCO’s document and that the PCO would “retable” the document.
That revised document stated, “While in Beijing, Canada’s position on areas of concern, including human rights, were raised proactively at multiple levels, including by the Prime Minister with his counterparts.” The differing accounts of what was discussed during your meetings with PRC officials have not been satisfactorily resolved.
These recent statements, both from a Liberal MP and your office, regarding human rights in the PRC raise a legitimate question about what the position of the Liberal government actually is on the forced labour of Uyghurs.
This is a serious question, the answer to which has significant consequences, not only on Canada’s position on international human rights, but also on Canada’s international trade.
Canada is bound by international treaties to combat forced labour, including obligations under trade agreements, that, if Canada is found to be in violation of, could jeopardize access to the markets of our most important trading partners.
Your position on this matter also directly affects those here at home. Canadians in the Chinese community have been subject to threats and intimidation from the PRC for the simple act of speaking out on these very issues. Many also worry about families still in the PRC who may face consequences or punishment from the government of the PRC.
In light of all of this and in view of your special responsibility for the conduct of international affairs, your position on the forced labour of Uyghurs in the PRC requires urgent clarification. Do you assess that Uyghur forced labour has and is being used in the PRC? Did you proactively raise the issue of human rights with PRC officials during your recent visit? Are you committed to upholding the rules-based international order, including our trade agreements, which requires that the government prevent the importation of products produced using forced labour?
These important questions concerning the conduct of international affairs require urgent clarification.