Rights Advocacy Group Unassuaged by Foreign Interference Commissioner’s Proposed Protections

A human rights group involved in the public inquiry into foreign interference said that the security measures proposed by the commissioner did not ease their concerns about several politicians accused of links to the Chinese regime having the right to cross-examine witnesses during the hearing.

“I don’t want to be questioned or examined by those people who are allegedly linked to Chinese Communist Party [CCP],” Mehmet Tohti, executive director of the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project (URAP), told The Epoch Times on Jan. 30.

“That is a principled stand. It is not about my safety and security,” he added.

Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue has granted two politicians the power to cross-examine witnesses during the public inquiry. This includes Han Dong, former Liberal MP now sitting as an independent for the Don Valley North riding in Ontario, and Michael Chan, former Ontario cabinet minister now serving as the deputy mayor of Markham, Ont. They are subjects of allegations related to Chinese interference. Both have denied any inappropriate ties to the Chinese regime and its consulate in Canada.

Additionally, Ms. Hogue granted Sen. Yuen Pau Woo the right to make oral or written submissions and access exhibits entered into evidence during the inquiry. Mr. Woo, who had sparked concerns among the Chinese diaspora for remarks and actions deemed favourable to Beijing, also rejected the allegations against him.

“The fact that Human Rights groups can assert publicly that I have links to the CCP without any evidence underscores the risk that foreign interference claims can lead to a witch hunt and exposes the fundamentally illiberal and censorious attitudes of these groups,” he said in an email statement to The Epoch Times on Jan. 30.

Mr. Woo confirmed to The Epoch Times that he assisted in drafting a citizen petition last year. The petition opposed the creation of a foreign agent registry in Canada, despite public calls for this tool to enhance transparency related to the activities of individuals in the country working on behalf of foreign entities. He also led a demonstration on Parliament Hill last June. The protest, while advertised as opposing anti-Chinese racism, encouraged members of the Chinese communities in Canada to oppose the foreign registry.

Withdrawal

A coalition of human-rights groups, including URAP, representing ethnic and religious communities targeted by the CCP, earlier urged Justice Hogue to reconsider her decision to include these three politicians. They asked to restrict the politicians from the hearings beyond the scope of their specified allegations and to limit their ability to interrogate witnesses.

In a Dec. 22, 2023 decision, Justice Hogue acknowledged the coalition’s claim that certain individuals expressed “concerns about being questioned by Mr. Dong and Mr. Chan,” but stuck to her decision.

A day before the inquiry commenced, Mr. Tohti indicated the coalition’s potential withdrawal from the hearing during an interview with the Globe and Mail, expressing pessimism about the inquiry.

“Canada must address the persistent hostile interference and potential threats to our democracy with a greater sense of urgency. Business as usual is not an option anymore,” he wrote on the social media platform X.

On Jan. 29, the opening day of the public inquiry, Justice Hogue mentioned the possibility of introducing measures to protect individuals worried about politicians with alleged CCP ties interrogating them and accessing their information.

“It is also possible that certain persons called upon to testify before the commission, who fear for their safety or the safety of members of their family, request that their identity be protected or certain information provided be kept confidential. Such requests may lead to the need for in-camera hearings,” she said.

Despite the commissioner’s comment, Mr. Tohti expressed ongoing concerns, stating, “I don’t see that [the commissioner’s] comment is just to address my request.” The URAP will decide on Jan. 31 whether to proceed with their commitment to withdraw from the inquiry, depending on the commissioner adjusting her decision, he said.

Foreign Interference

Launched last September, the public inquiry aims to probe foreign interference in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections. This initiative follows extensive reports about the CCP’s alleged meddling in Canadian elections and other espionage and interference activities.

Mr. Dong resigned from the Liberal caucus to sit as an Independent MP in March 2023 after a Global News report, citing anonymous national security sources, accused him of inappropriate ties to the Chinese consulate in Toronto.

The report said that in February 2021, Mr. Dong allegedly advised Han Tao, then-Chinese consul general in Toronto, that Beijing should delay releasing Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who had been arbitrarily imprisoned in China for over two years at the time. Mr. Dong rejected the allegations and started legal proceedings against Global News in April.

Mr. Chan is also facing allegations of engaging in improper activities related to the 2019 and 2021 general elections. Citing national security sources, The Globe and Mail reported last February that Canadian intelligence had warned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and senior aides in 2021 about Mr. Chan’s alleged association with Zhao Wei, a Chinese envoy who had previously worked at the Chinese consulate in Toronto.

Mr. Zhao was expelled last May over allegations of attempting to intimidate Conservative MP Michael Chong for criticizing Beijing’s treatment of Uyghurs. Mr. Chan denies any ties to the Chinese official.

Mr. Dong and Mr. Chan didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment from The Epoch Times.

Canada News

Rights Advocacy Group Unassuaged by Foreign Interference Commissioner’s Proposed Protections

Withdrawal

Foreign Interference

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