關慧貞向國會遞交人權聯盟簽名 促聯邦盡快立法外國代理人登記

[emily]

Wall Street, [Nov 21, 2023 at 1:07:06 PM]:
...關慧貞向國會遞交人權聯盟簽名
促聯邦盡快立法外國代理人登記

由多個民運和人權關注組織所發動的簽名運動，要求聯邦政府盡快就中國干預進行公共調查聆訊和訂立外國代理人登記法。由國會議員關慧貞支持，來自溫哥華、卡加里和多倫多的社區組織在國會網頁上推出請願行動，讓市民可以表達支持。

在為期兩個月的收集時間裡，合共收到超過5799位市民的支持。這個數目比反對訂立外國代理人登記法的親中團隊所收集的超過一倍。國會議員關慧貞今日(21日)在國會遞交這批請願書。

人權聯盟成員溫哥華支援民主運動聯合會主席李美寶表示，能夠在短時間收到比對方多一倍的市民支持表示欣慰。對方以三個月時間收集，卻只有2千多人願意以真實姓名參與，顯示對方的主張不得人心。參議員胡元豹等人以一百年前的排華法來比較外國代理人登記，這樣離譜的話都能夠公開說，偏護中共到這種程度，讓加拿大人更加了解立法的需要。

另一聯盟成員卡加利中國民主促進會主席湯般若指出，那些支持中共的社區組織平日以其團體和會員的數目來為中國說項，口口聲聲說有數以萬計的支持者。但今次簽名運動的結果顯示，反對設立外國代理人登記的人其實佔少數。

多倫多支持中國民運會共同主席關卓中說，日前國會委員會就外國干預進行聆訊後發表報告，報告建議聯邦政府盡快設立外國代理人登記制度，就所有外國干預的行動包括騷擾和恐嚇等行為訂立新的刑事法，以及向發放虛假訊息的網上平台進行問責等建議。關卓中說雖然保守黨反對最後一項，但他認為都是對抗外國干預的有效方法。

就這次請願行動，關慧貞感謝聯盟團體及其義工的努力。她說：「對那些關注和公開批評人權侵犯、維吾爾人種族滅絕、侵蝕香港一國兩制及實施國家安全法的人們來說，我們必須警惕外國勢力的企圖，他們試圖採用不同的方法如脅迫、合作、重新定位、中和及噤聲等方式來壓制我們的聲音。我們不能讓外國干涉的威脅阻止我們為那些沒有享受基本人權的人發聲和奮鬥。自由黨政府必須在今年秋季通過外國代理人登記制度。外國干預是真實存在的，我們必須採取一切行動來應對它。」

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圖片：國會議員關慧貞與溫哥華支援民主運動聯合會李美寶和多倫多支持中國民運會吳溫溫8月在多倫多召開記者會發動簽名運動。




Media Release
21.11.2023

MP Jenny Kwan tables petition e-4534 Parliament, urging the federal government to expedite legislation on foreign agent registration

A petition campaign initiated by multiple pro-democracy and human rights groups calls for the Liberal government to launch an independent public inquiry on foreign interference and establish a foreign agent registration law. Supported by Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan, community groups from Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto started a petition on the Parliament website to allow citizens to express their support.

Over two months, a total of 5,799 citizens threw their support behind this call for action. This is more than double the number of signatures that oppose the establishment of a foreign agent registration law.

Mabel Tung, Chairperson of the Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movements, expressed satisfaction with receiving twice the number of citizen support in such a short period of time. She noted that the opposing team collected signatures for three months but only managed to gain the participation of over 2,000 people reflects the lack of public support for their stance. Tung believes that the public statement expressed by Senator Yuen Pau Woo and others, in their misplaced bid to show support for the Chinese Community Party, that the passage of Foreign Influence and Transparency Registry legislation is akin to the Chinese Exclusion Act from a hundred years ago is not only absurd, but also helped Canadians to better understand the need for legislation.

Teacher Tong, Chairperson of Calgary’s Movement for Democracy in China, pointed out that those community groups supporting the Chinese Communist Party often boast about their high number of supporters. When compared to support for petition e-4534, however, the much lower number of signatures on the petition that opposes a foreign agent registry law shows that opposition to the legislation is not so widespread.

Cheuk Kwan is Co-Chairperson of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China. Kwan stated that the Parliamentary Committee recently released a report after conducting hearings on foreign interference, recommending the federal government to promptly establish a foreign agent registry. The report suggested implementing new criminal law for all foreign interference actions, including harassment and intimidation, as well as holding online platforms accountable for disseminating false information. Even though the Conservative Party of Canada opposes the last recommendation, Cheuk Kwan believes they are all effective measures against foreign interference.

Regarding this petition campaign, MP Jenny Kwan expresses gratitude to the organizations and their volunteers for their dedication and efforts. She said, "For those who openly criticize human rights violations, and are concerned about the genocide of Uyghurs, erosion of the 'One Country, Two Systems' policy in Hong Kong, and the implementation of the Hong Kong national security law, we must be vigilant and be on guard about such foreign forces.

Foreign actors will try to coerce, co-op, reorient, neutralize, or even silence our voices. We must not allow foreign interference to suppress our voices and deter us from fighting for those who do not enjoy basic human rights. The Liberal government must table and pass Foreign Interference and Transparency Registration legislation this fall. Foreign interference is real, and we must take all necessary actions to address it."

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Attached photos taken in August at the press conference launching the petition in Toronto with MP Jenny Kwan, VSSDM Mabel Tung and TADC Winnie Ng