China is accusing Canada of hypocrisy for criticizing BeijingSA国际影视传媒檚 human-rights record, pointing to issues faced by Indigenous Peoples.
The blowback comes after Ottawa sanctioned eight Chinese officials it accuses of SA国际影视传媒済rave human rights violationsSA国际影视传媒� against ethnic and religious minorities, and voiced concern about democracy in Hong Kong.
Ottawa issued a statement last month that cited reports of arbitrary and violent detainment of Uyghur people, as well as repression toward Tibetans and Falun Gong practitioners.
Global Affairs Canada also says it SA国际影视传媒渄eploresSA国际影视传媒� that authorities are issuing international bounties for Hong Kong democracy activists and former lawmakers from the territory, including Canadians.
Beijing says those claims are baseless and it has sanctioned groups and activists in Canada who advocate for minorities in China, barring citizens from certain interactions with these activists.
Since then, ChinaSA国际影视传媒檚 state media has repeatedly called out Canada over its treatment of Indigenous Peoples, claiming Ottawa is being hypocritical.
SA国际影视传媒淐anada is in no position to lecture others on human rights,SA国际影视传媒� Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a Dec. 11 press conference, according to an official translation.
SA国际影视传媒淓ven today, CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 Indigenous people still face systemic racial discrimination and unfair treatment. Instead of dealing with it, Canada chooses to smear and vilify other countries.SA国际影视传媒�
Mao added that SA国际影视传媒淐hina has achieved enormous progress in human rightsSA国际影视传媒� that SA国际影视传媒渘o one without bias can deny.SA国际影视传媒�
A day later, she added that SA国际影视传媒渢he whole thing is an ugly, hypocritical political stunt done by some Canadian political figures under the pretext of human rights, to serve an unspeakable agenda and please the U.S.SA国际影视传媒�
ChinaSA国际影视传媒檚 embassy in Ottawa has been amplifying those messages on social media, including a political cartoon from a state-run media outlet CGTN showing a beaver with a tattered home telling a panda with an immaculate house that it has some cracks.
SA国际影视传媒淐anada turns a blind eye to the systematic racism and unfair treatment that the Indigenous people face, yet fabricates accusations and smears ChinaSA国际影视传媒檚 human-rights progress,SA国际影视传媒� reads the cartoon caption. SA国际影视传媒淚ts constant political manipulation on human-rights issues is nothing more than a hypocritical farce of double standards.SA国际影视传媒�
In a recurring assessment of human-rights issues in Canada, the United Nations noted progress had been made in Indigenous rights and housing, while urging more be done.
The November 2023 assessment asked Canadian governments to stop human-rights abuses by Canadian mining corporations abroad and the overrepresentation of minorities in prison and child welfare. It also asked Canada to better respect Indigenous PeoplesSA国际影视传媒� rights to free, prior and informed consent.
The same bodySA国际影视传媒檚 assessment of China in January 2024 noted the country had improved its policies for women and children, but urged the government act to SA国际影视传媒渆nsure that all detainees are formally accounted for, granted access to their families and held in officially recognized places of detention.SA国际影视传媒�
It urged China SA国际影视传媒渞espect the rights to freedom of religion or belief, opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and culture, including for Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other minoritiesSA国际影视传媒� and said counter-terrorism laws are not SA国际影视传媒渋n compliance with international human-rights law and standards,SA国际影视传媒� including in Hong Kong.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2025.
Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
