SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 78

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 31, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 78 - May/31/22
Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, CPC)
  • May/31/22 6:59:27 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, last Tuesday, May 24, was the global day of prayer for China. It was also Cardinal Joseph Zen's day in court in Hong Kong on charges of “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” for his work with a fund established to provide legal aid to democracy protesters facing prosecution. These charges are arbitrary and political. Cardinal Bo, the Myanmar president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, said it best: “In any system where the rule of law exists, providing assistance to help people facing prosecution meet their legal fees is a proper and accepted right. How can it be a crime to help accused persons have legal defense and representation?” The night after his court appearance, Cardinal Zen offered mass. He prayed for Christians in mainland China who were facing persecution at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. Religious communities in China have been facing persecution since the CCP took power, from strict laws restricting religious practice and the arbitrary detention of believers, to altering holy texts, to efforts to co-opt and control religious bodies. Under the premise of public health restrictions, now the Chinese government has cracked down on people's right to leave their home for any reason, including for religious worship. The last time I asked the parliamentary secretary about this matter, he told me that as his government engages in Canada's relationship with China, “there are no more important issues than Canadian values and Canadian rights”. He did not, however, specifically address the arrest of Cardinal Zen or the cases of those arrested along with him. Sometimes it is easier for the government to talk about talking about human rights than to actually talk about human rights directly, so I hope that tonight we will hear clear and specific support for Cardinal Zen and condemnation of his arrest. Cardinal Zen embodies virtues that Canadians of all backgrounds hold dear. He is a fearless advocate not only for religious freedom in China, but also for political freedom. He has been a champion of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong for decades and an unwavering defender of truth, freedom and justice. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, democratic rights and political rights are all concepts that Canadians, of course, hold in high esteem. The situation in Hong Kong has been deteriorating since 1997, but the past three years have shown us the lengths that the CCP will go in order to suppress dissenting voices, which is in violation of the explicit commitments that it made in the context of the handover. Cardinal Zen embodies values that Canadians hold dear and that the CCP seeks to quash. This 90-year-old is still deemed a threat to the CPP. He continues to inspire and give hope to Hong Kongers during some of their darkest days. It was an honour for me to meet Cardinal Zen in 2017, along with Jimmy Lai, Anson Chan, Martin Lee, Joshua Wong and many of Hong Kong's other heroes. They continue to inspire me every day. Tonight, I hope to hear the government express its clear support for Cardinal Zen, Denise Ho and others facing arbitrary detention, and hope to see it clearly stand up for human rights in Hong Kong and beyond.
554 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border