Organ Harvesting: Kilgour-Matas' response to Communist China Statement

UPDATE: Listen to a great coverage by Australia ABC Michael Edwards who comments on the report MP3 (Report alleges Chinese Govt harvesting body organs of political prisoners).

MEDIA ADVISORY

The Government of China released a statement in response to our report titled 'Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China' dated July 6, 2006. The statement can be found here. We have these reactions to this statement:

1. The statement of the Government of China was released the same day as our Report. The statement of the Government of China dismisses our Report out of hand. We view this reaction is unconsidered. It means that the Government of China has engaged in no investigations to determine whether or not what the report contains is true.

2. The statement of the Government of China begins with the phrase--"In order to extricate itself from an awkward position after its lie about "Sujiatun Concentration Camp" has been laid bare, Falun Gong has shifted..."

This phrase is incorrect in a number of different ways. First, it suggests that our Report is a Falun Gong report. Yet, it is not. We are not Falun Gong practitioners. We did this report as volunteers and were not paid for this report by Falun Gong or anyone. Our report represents our own judgment. We have not acted on the instructions of Falun Gong or anyone else in coming to the conclusions we did.

3. The assertions about Sujiatun Concentration Camp to which the Chinese statement refers originated from the ex-wife of a surgeon at Sujiatun Hospital. This person is not a Falun Gong practitioner. This person has not changed or shifted her story at any time. David Kilgour interviewed her. An excerpt of the interview can be found at Appendix 13 of our report.

4. It is our own opinion, expressed in our report, that this woman was not lying. We concluded that she was credible.

5. In our report we did not rely on this witness alone to come to our conclusions. In our report, this is what we said about the testimony of this witness:

"The testimony of the wife of the surgeon allegedly complicit in Falun Gong organ harvesting seemed credible to us, partly because of its extreme detail. However, that detail also posed a problem for us, because it provided a good deal of information which it was impossible to corroborate independently. We were reluctant to base our findings on sole source information. So, in the end, we relied on the testimony of this witness only where it was corroborative and consistent with other evidence, rather than as sole source information."

Our report is not a shift from what this witness says, but rather an expansion, with a larger focus than just Sujiatun Hospital.

6. The Chinese statement then says:

"It is obvious that their purpose is to smear China's image." We reply that we have no wish to smear China's image. Our sole concerns are respect for the truth and human rights.

7. The Chinese statement then says:

"China has consistently abided by the relevant guiding principles of the World Health Organization endorsed in 1991, prohibiting the sale of human organs and stipulating that donors' written consent must be obtained beforehand and donors are entitled to refuse the donation at last minute."

This statement that China made is denied by the facts. The China International Transplantation Network Assistance Centre Website until April of this year set out a price list for transplants. The price list was removed from the website in April, but is still archived. To see the web site now, go here. To see the archived site, go here. As well, many individuals can attest to paying for organ transplants in China.

8. The statement that China has consistently abided by the principle stipulating that donors' written consent must be obtained beforehand is also belied by the facts. Human Rights Watch has reported that consent is obtained from executed prisoners in only a minority of cases. The organization writes that even in this minority of cases "the abusive circumstances of detention and incarceration in China, from the time a person is first accused of a capital offense until the moment of his or her execution, are such as to render absurd any notion of "free and voluntary consent."

*Organ Procurement and Judicial Execution in China*, August 1994

9. The China statement goes on to say:

"China has issued a regulation on human organ transplants, explicitly banning the sale of organs and introducing a set of medical standards for organ transplants in an effort to guarantee medical safety and the health of patients. The regulation requires medical institution which is qualified for practising human organ transplant to register at provincial level health department. Unregistered medical institutions are forbidden to practice human organ transplant. If the government finds any registered institution violating the regulation, it will cancel the registration and punish the people responsible."

We acknowledge that this is so, and wrote about it in our Report. We also noted that this legislation came into force only a few days ago on July 1st. It is not an answer to our findings about what happened before that date. Moreover, in China, there is a huge gap between enacting legislation and enforcing it.

10. The Government of China then writes:

"It is very clear that Falun Gong's rumour has ulterior political motives."

None of our findings are based on rumour. Every finding we make is sourced and independently verifiable.

11. The China statement then says:

"Therefore, the so called "independent investigation report" made by a few Canadians based on rumours and false allegations is groundless and biased. We do believe that lies are always lame, and will never become the truth even if being repeated 1000 times. We hope that the Canadian people will not be deceived by the disguise of the Falun Gong, and more people will be aware of the nature of "Falun Gong" as an evil cult."

This conclusion is an attack both on us and Falun Gong. The Report has to be judged on its merits. Attacking its authors is not an appropriate response.

Secondly calling the Falun Gong an evil cult exemplifies the vilification heaped on the Falun Gong. It is this sort of slander which, in China, depersonalizes and dehumanizes the Falun Gong and makes possible the violation of their basic human rights.

Calling a group of innocent civilians an "evil cult" is a form of incitement to hatred, unacceptable in Canada. It is an abuse of their diplomatic presence in China for China to engage in this form of incitement.

For more information, please contact:

David Kilgour: (613) 747-7854 David Matas: (204) 944-1831

2008 Beijing Olympics--why bother?

In light of the latest Canadian report revealing China’s involvement in illegal mass-scale organ harvesting from the Falun Gong (watch video here), my question is: Does Communist China still deserve to host the 2008 Olympics? --Matas called the practice a shocking new form of evil on this planet (CBC and Epoch Times). Listen to a great coverage by Australia ABC Michael Edwards who comments on the report MP3 (Report alleges Chinese Govt harvesting body organs of political prisoners). Highlights of the report can be found here.

Take a look at some of the comments collected so far and go here for more on this issue. Scroll down to the end to sign the China Support Network (CSN) petition and look here for their insightful viewpoints.

But first, here’s the buzz from the Falun Gong:

Clearwisdom editors sound the alarm by stressing that Beijing's current persecution of Falun Gong violates the spirit of humanity, peace, and human dignity that the Olympic Games promotes. (Reuters/FDI) "We hope that China will not see winning the Olympics as a license to kill," Falun Gong spokesman Erping Zhang... "History has shown us that the Jiang Zemin regime has taken advantage of every major international event to silence all dissenting voices, and Falun Gong practitioners will most likely continue to bear the brunt of such political campaigns," the statement said.

But, warning signs have surfaced in recent months that the persecution is getting worse by the minute and with new laws to stifle freedom of the press—tension is very high among human rights activists and dissidents.

Last June (2005) CCP authorities reportedly held a “crisis meeting” in which China’s deputy minister of Public Security, Liu Jing, was assigned the job of “stamping out” Falun Gong “before the Olympic Games in 2008,” according to the Paris-based Intelligence Online. Several reports have stated that authorities wish to use the Olympics as a pretext to deepen their assault on the Falun Gong.

This past January Chinese officials similarly announced a “new campaign” that would supposedly “sabotage activities of cult organizations” as part of a “complex struggle against enemies,” according to a Reuters report. Past campaigns to “strike hard” have resulted in upwards of 10,000-plus executions in a single year, say human rights groups.

Word of concentration camps for Falun Gong practitioners has circulated for several years. An October 1, 2000, report by Agence France Presse told of two concentration camps having been recently built, both specifically for Falun Gong detainees. The camps were said to have been built in northwest and northeast China, and been capable of each holding up to 50,000 persons.

The Falun Gong are certainly not the only ones that are persecuted in China these days. Christians, Muslims, Tibetans, liberal scholars, human rights lawyers and activists, bloggers, journalists and dissidents all have morbid stories to tell about their mistreatment at the hands of the CCP. All of this put together has the same flavour as the Cultural Revolution.

EU Vice-President Edward McMillan-Scott and member of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) has a lot to say about this:

(Epoch Times) McMillan-Scott said he was in a state of shock after his meetings in Beijing with people, ‘whose relations are in detention in China, and who are Falun Gong practitioners, who are beaten and tortured”. Once the world know what has been going on, I cannot see how the Olympics can take place in China and that China can change fundamentally by 2008,”he told Gao (Zhisheng). McMillan-Scott explained, “The reports of organ harvesting of (the Falun Gong) prisoners, that is to day, the reverse matching of organs and tissues, which in my view amounts to genocide.”

(Clearwisdom) Mr. McMillan-Scott has demanded an urgent meeting with the Chinese ambassador to the EU saying "According to the many diplomats, journalists and other observers I met, it is not just Falun Gong, but other Buddhists - especially Tibetans - Christians and Muslims who are being persecuted. "If people in Beijing think this is the way to prepare for the Olympics they have made the wrong call."

(Epoch Times) McMillan hopes that human rights organizations around the world can unite to focus on China in advance of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He said, "It (CCP) is after all the biggest and most repressive regime left on earth."

(ClearHarmony) Mr. McMillan-Scott concluded his speech by saying that the CCP should follow the international covenants it signed, as the 2008 Olympics are approaching. Once the reports are issued, especially those about persecuting Falun Gong, and the organ removal from living practitioners, and tortures being confirmed by investigators, they will affect the decision of the international society on whether the Olympics should be allowed to be hosted by China.

For the latest reports on organ harvesting labour camps look here.

Epoch Times: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher: This is gruesome and clearly beyond the moral standards of almost every country that I know. It's time for the civilized world to say "no" to the monsters that are tearing apart people in China and enriching themselves from others' bodies. We, as legislators, as statesmen and Americans, must not also become complicit in these crimes by keeping silent. History cares not whether we have inked another trade deal or helped sell another Boeing 747, but history will judge us if we choose to look the other way when faced with truly indescribable human suffering on this scale.

SMC: The Party is not over until we say Briefing the visiting International Olympic Committee last month on preparations for the 2008 Games here, the Beijing party chief, Liu Qi, said the Games would reflect a "harmonious society", code words for the dissentless orthodoxy that Hu, who is also Chinese President, is making the hallmark of his leadership. We can expect Chinese protesters to be swept out of sight.

***Pay attention to this***

THE MOVEMENT TO BOYCOTT THE BERLIN OLYMPICS OF 1936

For two weeks in August 1936, Adolf Hitler's Nazi dictatorship camouflaged its racist, militaristic character while hosting the Summer Olympics. Softpedaling its antisemitic agenda and plans for territorial expansion, the regime exploited the Games to bedazzle many foreign spectators and journalists with an image of a peaceful, tolerant Germany. Having rejected a proposed boycott of the 1936 Olympics, the United States and other western democracies missed the opportunity to take a stand that--some observers at the time claimed--might have given Hitler pause and bolstered international resistance to Nazi tyranny. With the conclusion of the Games, Germany's expansionist policies and the persecution of Jews and other "enemies of the state" accelerated, culminating in World War II and the Holocaust.

Epoch Times: The Timetable of the Entire Fascist Strategy: Professor Yuan stated that the CCP’s entire Fascist strategy would proceed through the following stages:

1. Before the 2008 Olympic Games

During this period of time, the CCP primarily proposes to instigate and propel nationalism. At the same time, it will try hard to ensure a relatively stable social climate and maintain the present state so that it can push fanatical nationalism to a climax using the competitive environment of the Olympic Games.

2. For Two Years After the 2008 Olympic Games

The CCP will eliminate opposing voices inside its system. The CCP will solve its political crisis through severe political pressure. It will comprehensively oppress opposing groups, defined by the CCP as Falun Gong, political dissidents, and underground Christians.

Epoch Times: T Kumar, Amnesty International USA Advocacy Director for Asia and the Pacific, noted that "in spite of promises to improve human rights, China continues to account for upwards of 80% of all executions in the world," and on a large scale uses their organs for sale. "At this rate, the only world record China is guaranteed to earn at the 2008 games will be for the world's champion of executions," said T. Kumar, Amnesty International USA Advocacy Director for Asia and the Pacific

DJ McGuire and China e-Lobby:

First among them (engagement theories) is the notion that the 2008 Olympics will make Communist China a better-behaved power in the world. The plan makes clear the Olympics have one purpose: “to further arouse Chinese people’s patriotism and prepare for attacking Taiwan.” Clearly, any nation who participates in the 2008 Games will repeat the same mistakes as the participants of the 1936 Berlin Games—they will hand a criminal, despotic regime a propaganda gold mine to justify unleashing the dogs of war. Any nation planning to send athletes to Beijing in 2008 should, if they love liberty, announce immediately that, painful as it may be, their athletes will stay home. Sign the petition here.

Congressman Chris Smith:

“We say to Beijing, if you want to be part of the civilized world and join the nations in that world community and be partners with the world, stop repressing, stop torturing, and let the Falun Gong live in peace.” Congressman Chris Smith, NJ

Eric Walton, Foreign Affairs Critc for the Canadian Green Party: “My feeling is that this is so serious that it would require all levels of Canadian response. By that I mean diplomatic, but also commercial and even—I know this would upset some people—but I think we would even call into question Canada’s participation in the Olympic Games".

It costs money to change human rights violations by Chriz Miller, Calgary Herald

Unfortunate for the thousands of political prisoners suffering under the autocratic rule of the communist regime, it's doubtful China will make more than symbolic changes in its undemocratic repression and human rights abuses.

That should be alarming--China is fast becoming a global superpower, with a economy growing so quickly that half of the world's construction cranes are on its soil. It also has the dubious reputation of being home to 16 of the world's top 20 most polluted cities, according to the World Bank. Far from creating a Taiwanese democracy, China still locks up political objectors in asylums for speaking out against the state. Is this the kind of superpower we want to be bargaining with?

There is a chance for the western world have an affect on the Asian power while the dragon is still growing. Hu has been talking about creating a harmonious world. The country is becoming engaged in international diplomacy and international trade in a way it has never done before in its millenniums-old history.

Hu says China won't take lessons from U.S. on human rights

China will make its own decisions on political freedom and human rights and not copy the model of western countries, Chinese President Hu Jintao said Friday as he wound up his U.S. tour. But when asked whether his country's restrictions on political expression would cause unrest and hinder its economic growth, he said China is committed to democracy but has no plans to import other countries' policies.

"On one hand, we are ready and willing to draw on the useful experience of foreign countries into political involvement,'' he said.

"On the other hand, we will not simply copy the political models of other countries.''

A statement from Religious Deterioration is Reason to Reject China's Olympic Bid, States Freedom House

"Memories of the Olympics in Nazi Berlin continue to cast a shadow over the Games. The Olympics would again be dishonored by the scandal of holding the prestigious events in a country where "unapproved" houses of worship are routinely bulldozed, grandmothers and priests are bludgeoned to death for religious practices, and religious people are sent to labor camp by the tens of thousands," said Center director Nina Shea, referring to the destruction of thousands of churches, temples and shrines in Wenzhou in the weeks before Christmas and the fact that mass numbers of religious believers, especially Falun Gong practitioners, are being arrested and persecuted.

John Derbyshire's predictions came true:

“Following I.O.C. approval of Beijing’s bid, the following thing will happen daily in camps and prisons all over China and the territories China has occupied: Starved, ragged prisoners will be beaten by guards who, as they swing the clubs, will jeer: “See how much the world cares about you? They don’t give a damn! They’ve awarded us the Olympics! We can do as we please with you — nothing will happen to us! The world loves us, and you are ON YOUR OWN!”

Sir Paul McCartney has vowed never to perform in China after seeing horrific undercover footage of dogs and cats being killed for their fur. The former Beatle also said he would boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics after viewing the footage taken in a fur market in Guangzhou, southern China.

Does Beijing play by the rules? Robert Fulford explains:

Any Olympic bid naturally involves a contradiction: it combines implausible braggadocio with humiliating genuflection. The city that wants to become the site of the Olympics must boast and beg at the same time. It must claim to be a metropolis of the highest class while simultaneously abasing itself to seduce a committee of suspicious strangers -- in this case a committee whose recent history is itself gravely stained by scandal.

Here is one example of the cadres’corruption. Sacked Olympics chief had 'pleasure palace' full of concubines.

It’s time to resurrect one of my favourite pieces on the Communist Olympics with a special twist a la Fulford --

Imagine a campaign for world democracy by Robert Fulford

The National Post, 13 December 2003 - The government in Beijing wants the 2008 Olympics to do for China what the 1964 Olympics did for Japan: Display the country's best qualities and prove that it deserves a place in the family of nations. This means that the Olympics offer a once-in-a-century opportunity to anyone hoping to nudge China toward freedom. Assuming that Chinese human rights remain at their present level, international activists could make the Olympics an occasion to reveal all the grim details. Or perhaps, by simply making a credible threat to humiliate China in 2008, they could encourage long-term improvements.

Members of Falun Gong are the most famous among the several classes of officially persecuted Chinese. The government has made their spiritual practice illegal, on the dubious grounds that they constitute a dangerous, superstition-spreading cult that jeopardizes social stability. Translated, this means Chinese leaders can't live with an organization, however innocent, that's beyond political control. Falun Gong members have been beaten, tortured, sent to work camps, and imprisoned in mental hospitals. All over the world they stand silently outside Chinese consulates and embassies, living symbols of opposition to a regime that smugly believes it can get away forever with arbitrary cruelty. In their vigils the Falun Gong beg, peacefully, for help from the part of humanity that's free.

They deserve support. Why shouldn't the athletes of the world, who will probably contribute to China's prestige in 2008, adopt the Falun Gong as their personal cause? They could begin by indicating sympathy through frequent visits to Falun Gong vigils. They could write letters of support to members imprisoned in China, request talks on the Falun Gong with every Chinese diplomat in the world, and raise the subject whenever meeting Chinese officials for any reason.

They could announce that if China doesn't change its ways, they'll march into the Beijing Olympic Stadium on opening day in 2008, congregate on the field, and perform slow-movement meditation in the style of Falun Gong while several billion TV viewers look on. (They could start practising it at athletic meets right now, as a sign of solidarity.) To do all this they wouldn't need permission from their governments, just silent assent.

That's not one of Mark Palmer's plans, but it's the sort of thing that danced through my mind as I read his remarkable how-to book on the expansion of democracy, a brisk and concise work that's unfortunately lumbered with a clumsy title, Breaking the Real Axis of Evil: How to Oust the World's Last Dictators by 2025 (Rowman & Littlefield). Palmer spent 26 years in the U.S. State Department, four as ambassador to Hungary. Since 1990 he's been running broadcasting systems in the former Soviet empire while campaigning for democracy. His book proposes that the free peoples of the world commit themselves to abolishing dictatorship in the next 22 years.

Tyranny has been slowly disappearing for decades, but there remain 45 dictatorships in the world, from Than Shwe in Burma to the princes of Saudi Arabia. While making the lives of their people wretched, they remain capable of starting many more bloody wars before they finally disappear.

How to unseat them? First, Palmer argues, the democratic world must decide that it wants them gone and governments must publicly articulate this goal. Diplomats and business executives, accustomed to flattering tyrants, will object, but Palmer believes public opinion can wear down diplomatic and economic arguments. He wants dictatorship declared a crime against humanity, punishable like other such crimes.

World democracy, he argues, is a critical security goal for everyone, in matters of health and business as much as in questions of terrorism. A democratic China almost certainly would have handled SARS with some honesty and efficiency rather than the mendacity and incompetence it displayed, and Canada might well have been spared a tragedy.

Palmer thinks that military action against dictators will sometimes be necessary, but he favours non-violent struggles, like the one he watched (and abetted) in Hungary in the 1980s and the recent displacement of Eduard Shevardnadze in Georgia. He provides a tool-kit of ways to fight tyranny, with detailed instructions for 198 forms of non-violent action (23 kinds of strike, 25 forms of economic boycott). He imagines campaigns run by private citizens all over the world but acknowledges that governments will necessarily be involved. Why is there no democratic caucus at the UN? And why didn't the democracies boycott the UN Human Rights Commission when Libya was made chair? (There are many reasons, of course, all of them shameful.) How many foreign governments offered words of support for the highly unusual pro-democracy protest in Riyadh this October? Palmer considers it outrageous that his old State Department colleagues were silent.

He wants to make the transition to democracy a concern of the whole world, not a few politicians and a few organized civil libertarians. His views have a Utopian sound, but perhaps there are times when it's appropriate to re-introduce elements of Utopian thinking into the bloodstream of politics. Better than a moon landing, a campaign for world democracy could turn out to be the great project of the next two decades.

And the award for the best petition goes to:

China Support Network(CSN) Olympics Petition; go here

Wouldn't it be ironic for the Olympic torch to promote not international brotherhood, but a cruel totalitarian regime that tortures dissidents and bombards its population with nationalist propaganda? That's exactly what will take place in 2008 if the world community stands by and lets it happen. Tell the International Olympics Committee that this is not acceptable by signing our petition to move the Games to a free city.

Related Articles and links to this post: here and here

Intelligence Center for Olympics By Intelligence Online February 24, 2006

Enslaved Falun Dafa Practitioners Forced to Work on Preparations for 2008 Olympic Games

US State Department 2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Chinese Communist Regime Continues to Persecute Falun Gong

Olympic Watch

China's Human Rights Record and Falun Gong

fidh.org / Networking for Human Rights Defenders

Why we are boycotting Beijing 2008 ?

No Olympics in China Until Tibet is Free" - TYC led Indefinite Hunger Strike

Human Rights Watch

Canadian report confirms China's involvement in harvesting organs of Falun Gong

UPDATE: The report shows evidence of China's organ harvesting scheme targeted at Falun Gong; watch video here and take a look a the report here. Matas called the practice a shocking new form of evil on the planet. (CBC and Epoch Times). Listen to a great coverage by Australia ABC Michael Edwards who comments on the report: MP3 (Report alleges Chinese Govt harvesting body organs of political prisoners).

CTV.ca: by News Staff With a report from CTV's Roger Smith - Updated Mon. Jul. 3 2006 11:43 PM ET - A Canadian report, set for release Thursday, will support accusations that China is harvesting the vital organs of imprisoned Falun Gong dissidents, CTV News has learned.

Siding with critics of the Chinese government, former Liberal MP David Kilgour is now convinced that controversial allegations of organ harvesting are true.

"They take both kidneys, then the heart and the skin and the corneas and the liver, and your body is then thrown in the incinerator," Kilgour said.

Falun Gong, a quasi-religious movement that's outlawed in China, claims thousands of their imprisoned members have been murdered with their vital organs taken out to supply a booming trade in transplants.

Backed by MPs from all parties, Kilgour and human rights lawyer David Matas agreed to investigate the allegations in May.

"I don't think anyone can have any doubt that this unbelievable practice is continuing," Kilgour said of his findings.

As evidence, the former MP points to transcripts of phone calls to Chinese doctors, with Falun Gong supporters posing as rich foreigners looking for a transplant.

One transcript reads:

"Do you have Falun Gong organ suppliers?"

"We used to have, yes."

"What about now?"

"Yes."

Kilgour outlined how much the organs can fetch on the black market.

"$62,000 for a kidney, $98,000 to $130,000 for a liver," he said.

The Chinese deny the allegations, insisting that Kilgour has been duped by Falun Gong.

"These allegations are based on lies," Chinese diplomat Zhang Weidong said.

The UN and Amnesty International are also investigating but neither has come up with enough solid evidence to reach the same conclusion as Kilgour.

"Right now, it's insufficient (the evidence) for us to confirm or deny these allegations," said Amnesty International's Alain Roy.

At the launch of the investigation last May, Matas said the plan was to "interview personally whatever witnesses are available in North America," and to ask the Chinese government to grant Kilgour and him visas so that they could investigate in China.

It is unclear if they actually visited China as their initial request did not garner a response by the Chinese embassy.

Kilgour and Matas plan to hand their report to the government on Thursday along with recommendations for diplomatic pressure and sanctions on China.

Related Articles:

Organs harvested from Falun Gong prisoners, Kilgour says 'Wait to be butchered for highest bidder'

Vancouver World Peace Forum, Communist China, Organ Harvesting, and Falun Gong

Why Wang Wenyi was shouting

Canadian Team to Investigate Live Organ Harvesting in China

Gao Zhisheng Invites Investigators to Inspect Persecution of Falun Gong

Essential Information on Organ Harvesting from Falun Gong Practitioners in China

Letter of Vice president of EU, Edward McMillan-Scott

Going Public About Communist Concentration Camps

Sujiatun is merely one of 36 concentration camps for Falun Gong in China

Military Doctor Reveals Process of CCP's Organ Harvesting

Chinese lawyer Gao Zhisheng's open letter

Hong Kong pro-democracy groups emboldened

Nine years later, about 60,000 demonstrators took to the street demanding full democracy on July 1st. The success for Saturday's 'harmonious' march is partly due to the involvement of well-known democrat Anson Chan.

Taipei Times/AFP: (Hong Kong) July 03, 2006 - Emboldened by a strong turnout for their annual protest rally, Hong Kong's democracy campaigners yesterday sought to consolidate rejuvenated support for their struggle for universal suffrage.

One of their aims is to form an alliance with popular former deputy leader Anson Chan , whose presence at Saturday's street rally sparked a media blitz and is credited with boosting attendance.

Organizers estimated that 58,000 people braved soaring temperatures to join the annual rally calling for full democracy in the territory.

Although police put the figure much lower at 28,000, all estimates were higher than the estimated 20,000 marchers who attended last year's rally and exceeded most pundits' expectations.

"It shows that there is still enormous demand for universal suffrage," outspoken lawmaker Emily Lau said. "This was a good turnout."

Political watchers had been pessimistic about this year's rally, which marked the ninth anniversary of the day the former British colony was handed over to Chinese rule.

The pro-democracy camp once had huge support for its campaign to see the implementation of universal suffrage, as promised in the city's Basic Law constitution. Since Britain ceded control of Hong Kong in 1997, it has waged a bitter feud with government officials for the reform of an electoral system that sees leaders selected by a cabal of 800 China-backed elites.

The struggle has brought pro-democracy leaders in conflict with the ruling Chinese Communist Party, which is opposed to sudden reforms in China's richest city for fear it may destabilize the economy and spark calls for change in other parts of the country.

However, democrats have seen their support base dwindle in the past year as a booming economy and popular new China-backed Chief Exective Donald Tsang have swayed the agenda.

Democratic legislators' rejection of a government bill to introduce limited political reform last year also cast the movement as belligerent and an obstacle to economic development.

The decline in its fortunes was seen in falling attendances for the annual July 1 rally, which in 2003 and 2004 attracted more than half a million people.

The success of Saturday's demonstration has been partly accredited to Chan, who remains one of the city's most popular figures despite leaving government five years ago.

Chan emerged as a democrat last year when she joined a rally to gather support against the government's reform proposals, sparking suggestions she would challenge Tsang for the top spot.

So far she has acted without the backing of the mainstream pro-democracy movement, whose leaders have kept the former chief secretary at arm's length, fearing her celebrity would overwhelm their message.

However, such was the reception she received on Saturday that the heads of the democratic groups in the legislature have invited Chan to join them.

"We have asked her for a meeting to see what we could do together," said Lau, who was among several pro-democracy leaders Chan called yesterday to offer thanks for their support.

"She said she would consider it," Lau added.

Hong Kong government officials responded to Saturday's strong rally showing with a statement saying it took the calls for universal suffrage seriously and all options were open to discussion.

Echoing repeated calls by Chinese leaders not to upset social harmony in Hong Kong, Constitutional Affairs Secretary Stephen Lam yesterday urged all sides to set aside their differences and seek common ground.

Related Article:

Beijing pressures Hong Kong to outlaw Falun Gong

Taiwan: Democracy a slap in the face for the power mad

An insightful expose of Taiwan's cultural villainy by Chang Cheng-shuh, a former deputy secretary-general of the Taiwan Association of University Professors.

Taipei Times: Tuesday, Jun 27, 2006 - 1949, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Mainlanders who emigrated from China to Taiwan ruled over the Taiwanese majority. The party maintained power by uniting Mainlanders and isolating them from the Taiwanese who already lived here, separating them into an official class.

This segregation policy adopted by the KMT aimed to divide the Taiwanese people based on a good-bad dichotomy: Those who opposed the KMT were labeled villains, Taiwanese independence activists or even followers of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), while those who chose to cooperate with the KMT were treated as their servants.

The most important tools for implementing this segregation policy were the educational system and the media, which were used to teach the Taiwanese obedience and smear the images of those who opposed the KMT.

With the passage of time, and as a result of social changes, the Mainlanders living in Taiwan have become divided into two groups, "Taiwanese Main-landers" who identify with Taiwan, and "Chinese living in Taiwan" who do not identify with Taiwan. The longstanding policy to create an official class of Mainlanders produced a cultural and political phenomenon unique to the group of Chinese living in Taiwan.

Many people from this group believe they are the natural ruling class of Taiwan. They feel that they are wiser than the Taiwanese people, are an enlightened official class and are the teachers that should reform the Taiwanese people, who naturally should be obedient to their rule.

When former president Chiang Ching-kuo passed away, this group of Chinese living in Taiwan lost their ruling position, but having internalized the culture of the official class, they felt a sense of crisis and were unable to adapt to the changes brought by democracy. Unable to maintain face and keep up the false dignity of the official class, they turned to organized cultural villainy.

Through their own privileged media outlets, they have resorted to reporting using double standards, insults and prejudice. While they only spent a few days reporting on the source of Ma's fortune, worth NT$80 million (US$2.45 million), they are offering around-the-clock coverage of the scandal surrounding President Chen Shui-bian's son-in-law Chao Chien-ming .

When Ma goes jogging every morning he becomes an advocate for exercise for everyman, while Chen's inspection tours of southern Taiwan are construed as dereliction of duty.

Examples of how Taiwanese are insulted and discriminated against in the media abound. This is not enough, however, and they have announced that they will join hands with their old enemy the CCP to speed up the exodus of Taiwanese capital to China and hollow out Taiwan. They are even promoting Taiwanese agricultural exports to China to erode the DPP's stronghold in southern Taiwan.

Their goal is to help China annex Taiwan, whether they are in power or not. To them, Taiwan's democracy is but a symbol of their shameful loss of power. They cannot understand what democracy means to the Chinese people who live under the rule of the CCP. The official class cannot bear that its servants have stood up and wrested power from them. This also explains why pro-China media outlets led by the group of Chinese living in Taiwan are acting with the deadly frenzy of a pack of crazed dogs.

Related Articles:

The CCP Is Willing to Attack Taiwan and Implement Fascism to Protect Its Political Power

Taiwan 2012: What the Communist Invasion Plan Says About Communist China

CCP remains greedy and violent

CRTC: Say no to CCP-controlled hate channels

It will soon be a crime in Communist China to report on disasters: (WSJ Chinese Journalists Condemn Planned Disaster Reporting Law) ... The measure is part of a bill being considered by China's parliament on how to respond to emergencies such as natural disasters, industrial accidents and health and security hazards. News media "making reports on the handling of and status of public emergencies without approval" or "issuing false reports" would be fined between 50,000 yuan and 100,000 yuan ($6,250 and $12,500), the official Xinhua news ...

Why would we, or anyone, be interested in having the Communist state-controlled channels air their fairy tales and hate propaganda on our airwaves? The Coalition against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Infiltration sounds the alarm. Take a look at some of the worthy reasons they have to offer. Of course, Rogers doesn't necessarily agree with that! Comments filed at CRTC can be viewed here--Oops, they've vanished--PN 2005-124, 2004-96 have been removed folks! How strange...is something fishy going on...paging the Honourable Bev Oda!

Coalition against the CCP's Infiltration sent message to the CRTC, "Don't let the CCP's hate TV into Canada."

Photo: Coalition Protests Proposal to Bring CCTV to Canada

(Clearwisdom.net) 30 June 2006 - On the afternoon of June, 28, 2006, the Coalition against the CCP's Infiltration, formed with twenty-eight organizations, rallied to protest in front of the headquarters of the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in Ottawa. To carry out the persecution of Falun Gong, the CCP and its state-controlled media have coerced Ms. Jin Jin and her family to take a stand against their will and utilized it to mislead the public and to incite hatred. Ms. Jin Jin, a software engineer who has immigrated to Toronto, talked about her bitter experience at the rally.

The organizer of the activity said the rally was protesting against Rogers Cable's proposal to bring nine channels of CCTV to Canada. They called for the CRTC to take responsibility for blocking out hate propaganda and safeguarding Canadian values.

Witness Exposed How the Mouthpiece of the CCP Fabricated Stories to Mislead the Audience

Ms. Jin Jin, Falun Gong practitioner and software engineer in Toronto, talked about her experience in China. After the CCP launched the persecution of Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, Jin and her family were forced to a brainwashing center. During one of the sessions, CCTV asked the Party Secretary in Jin's workplace to pressure Jin and her family for an interview. Under the threat of losing their jobs and education, Jin and her family were forced to declare their opposition to Falun Gong.

Jin found out later that their interview was not only broadcast around the nation, but also sent overseas. Jin said, "The end of the program said that this family started their happy lives after (they gave up the belief). As a matter of fact, in the two years following the interview, my husband was detained for 15 days for appealing for Falun Gong and was fired. My job contract was stopped during my pregnancy because I refused to give up my belief. My brother was sent for forced labor camp for a year and half. My whole family was under strict monitoring around the holidays. Is this what they called 'happy lives?'"

Jin said, "The CCTV personnel called my interview 'voluntary.' I am the one who is most clear about whether it was voluntary. I would like to ask them, are my words under brainwashing, coercion and pressure are more voluntary, or are my words from the bottom of my heart on a free land more voluntary?"

Hate Propaganda Rejected by the Canadian People

Non-governmental organizations provided CRTC with 24 videos as evidence of how the CCP had incited hatred with CCTV programs. One Canadian TV station that broadcasted one of the videos was punished by the CBSC.

A letter of protest signed by 1,282 individuals prompted the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council on August 16, 2002, to announce a decision concerning a rebroadcast from CCTV by Talentvision, a Canadian Chinese-language TV station. The CBSC decision stated that Talentvision's broadcasting the CCTV news program, the "Fu Yi-bin murder case" on December 16, 2001, had breached four articles of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Code of Ethics and Violence Code and the Radio and Television News Directors Code of (Journalistic) Ethics. Talentvision was directed to air this decision twice within seven days.

"The panel found that the references to Falun Gong in the news report constituted unfair comment, on one hand, and that the repetition of the violent video clips was excessive, on the other. It found no fault with the broadcaster, however, in airing a newscast originating with the state-run television organ, CCTV." (CBSC Decision 01/02-0416+)

To Resist the CCP's Mouthpiece TV Station Is Not an Issue of Freedom of Speech, But an Issue of Responsibility

CCTV (Its subsidiary CTITVC) and Rogers Cable jointly wrote a letter to CRTC on May 26 to refute the Coalition against CCP's Infiltration and attacked the coalition and other organizations. However, they couldn't respond to the charge of inciting hatred, nor could they deny the hateful nature of the CCTV programs.

Dr. Zhu Xueye, a Falun Gong practitioner from Montreal, said the CCP's media can't be called true media. Jiang Zemin himself called the media the CCP's mouthpiece at an overseas interview. The Chinese people's freedom of speech and freedom of belief are trampled upon because of the two means of the CCP, violence and lies. The CCP-controlled media promote these lies.

Dr. Zhu mentioned the draft law regarding sudden events, recently published by the People's Congress. Chinese media outlets will be fined as much as ten thousand dollars each time they report on "sudden events" without prior authorization from government officials. Dr. Zhu said just like the CCP's media handling of SARS, if SARS breaks out again, none of the nine TV channels will dare to report the truth. The CCP's mouthpiece will seriously mislead the audience and that could result in even more tragedies. Therefore, resisting the nine channels is not just an issue of freedom of speech, but an issue of responsibility.

Related Articles:

Tortured for Television

Rogers to offer China's propaganda package by Joel Chipkar

CRTC yields on Chinese channels

The China conduit: What Rogers Communications wants to beam straight into the homes of Chinese-Canadians: Raw, unfiltered, Chinese-state sanctioned TV

Communist TV not wanted here

Communist Spy TV: Phoenix television rises

Beijing wants to beam government-controlled TV broadcasts into Canada

Cable firms' request to air channels from China raises concern--Critics say broadcasts are Communist propaganda

Stop 9 Chinese TVs from broadcasting in Canada

The Global Online Freedom Act Advances - Chris Smith

Beijing pressures Hong Kong to outlaw Falun Gong

One country, two systems--Hmmm--look who's meddling with Falun Gong in Hong Kong! Capitalizing on their 'harmonious society' slogan, a BBC newswire shows Wang Fengchao's prep talk leading to the major order from Beijing to ban Falun Gong--how ridiculous and immoral. The buzz (SCMP: Pushing Unity too far) is that the dictators are ticked off because charges against Wang Wenyi were dropped in the States. How far will this backfire? Far enough!

According to the Dow Jones, (June 21, 2006-China Official Alleges Falun Gong Damages Harmony In HK)…Falun Gong commented on the situation as follows:

Later, Falun Gong spokesman Kan Hung-cheung said members were merely alerting Chinese and Hong Kong people to the communist government's alleged persecution of the group. "The aim of our demonstrations is to spread the truth of the persecution, which has continued for nearly seven years. Our activities are peaceful and disciplined and cause no harassment," he said. (CW: Hong Kong: Falun Gong Practitioners Protest against Criminal of Torture Jia Qinglin)

Barrister Phillip Dykes said: (SCMP: June 25, 2006 - Laws exist to ban sect, says institute; experts doubt it) "If [the police commissioner] has the power, he is surely aware of it and is not exercising it because he does not see grounds for it. Many things [that are unlawful] on the mainland are lawful here."

Simon Young, of the University of Hong Kong, said prosecuting the Falun Gong would be easier said than done. "From what I know, the Falun Gong uses peaceful means and has no political agenda. Anyone can complain about them but so far there is not enough evidence to meet the condition [to prosecute them]," he said.

Mr Chen warned the government of disastrous consequences if the Crimes Ordinance was used to prosecute Falun Gong. "Section 9 ... constitutes an excessive restriction on freedom of speech that is inconsistent with ... the Basic Law. Any attempt to enforce it will be perceived as a grave threat to freedom of speech in Hong Kong," he said.

Meanwhile more attacks on Falun Gong keep on happening in China--AP reports on the arrest of (HK) 66 year-old Liu Ding. (June 26, 2006- Detained Falun Gong Follower Expelled From Hong Kong)--Chinese authorities have expelled a Hong Kong follower of the Falun Gong spiritual group after detaining her for two weeks in Beijing for distributing leaflets urging people to quit the ruling Communist Party…Liu was picked up on June 6, and about a dozen police and national security agency officers seized a computer, cell phone, books and computer CDs from Liu's home the next day, the Falun Gong said.…The group said in Monday's statement that four Hong Kong residents are known to have been jailed in China, and that three have been released.

KyodoNews reported on June 27 (China's top political adviser wants to see H.K. prosperity) that Jia Qinglin, a CCP official, was in HK for 3 days where he met with government officials to apply more pressure.-- "I am looking forward to seeing for myself the new development and changes in Hong Kong in the next two days," he said. …His visit instilled a protest from the Falun Gong: …"They blamed Jia for playing along with former President Jiang Zemin, who they claimed has masterminded a large-scale persecution and inhumane treatment against Falun Gong members in China and wanted Jia to be prosecuted"....And more resistance from the April 5 Action Group with a Canadian connection…"In an open letter, Leung criticized Jia for ignoring and even facilitating corruption and bribery in China's Fujian Province when he was the provincial secretary, and asking him to step down. …Lai Changxing, a Fujian businessman who fled to Canada in 1999, was accused by Chinese authorities of smuggling tens of billions of dollars' worth of diesel fuel, cars, petrochemical products and rubber into China during the period when Jia was the provincial secretary. Jia has denied any criminal connections with Lai." (full report)

South China Morning Post: Pushing unity too far by Frank Ching

27 June 2006 - Beijing is raising the pressure on Hong Kong to curb the activities of Falun Gong, apparently in reaction to the heckling President Hu Jintao received from a member of the spiritual group at the White House in April.

Prominent officials called for the city government to take action during a forum last Tuesday in Hong Kong. One was Wang Fengchao, deputy director of the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong. Falun Gong was outlawed on the mainland in 1999.

Mr Wang said: "Under the principle of 'one country, two systems', capitalist Hong Kong and the socialist motherland must get along with long-term accord, achieving mutual development through a relationship of mutual benefits."

He noted that Beijing respected the city's autonomy, but called Falun Gong an "undesirable factor affecting Hong Kong's harmony". The group, he said, was "fabricating rumours to attack the central government".

Other speakers went even further, charging that Falun Gong's activities in Hong Kong "have gone beyond the scope of 'two systems', and threatened the one-China principle". They called on the Hong Kong government to outlaw the group.

The fact that pro-mainland figures - and Hong Kong's pro-communist press - are openly calling for action against Falun Gong suggests that Beijing is getting impatient with the city government. It also suggests that, after the chief executive election next year, there will be pressure from Beijing for Hong Kong to roll out, once again, national security legislation to implement Article 23 of the Basic Law.

The Tung Chee-hwa administration came under great pressure from Beijing to enact legislation to outlaw "evil cults". While Mr Tung publicly called Falun Gong "more or less an evil cult", his administration deserves credit for resisting such pressure.

Beijing was furious when his government allowed Falun Gong to use City Hall to hold an international conference in January 2001. That decision was reportedly made by then chief secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang, who resigned soon afterward. The two events could very well have been connected.

If Beijing really respected the principle of "one country, two systems", it would not put pressure on Hong Kong to act on Falun Gong.

Mainland officials, as well as pro-China figures, often say that "one country" is the precondition to "two systems". Without one country, they say, there would not be two systems.

However, to say that "one country" trumps "two systems" is meaningless, since both are necessary if "one country, two systems" is meant to be practised.

Moreover, the whole world recognises that Hong Kong is part of China. Chinese sovereignty over Hong Kong is reflected in the fact that Beijing is responsible for the city's defence and foreign affairs.

Thus, "one country" is not an issue. It is "two systems" that needs to be safeguarded. Putting pressure on Hong Kong to outlaw an organisation that is legally registered here is contrary to the very concept of "one country, two systems".

It should not be done if Beijing really upholds the concept of "two systems".

If there is such pressure, it should be resisted by all Hong Kong officials, from Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen on down.

No doubt, the fact that the United States has dropped charges against Wang Wenyi - the Falun Gong member who heckled Mr Hu during his speech in Washington - has further angered mainland officials. However, they must be careful not to take their anger out on Hong Kong.

After all, "one country, two systems" is a basic policy of China. It is more important than any temporary loss of face by any mainland official, or even by Beijing itself.

Frank Ching is a Hong Kong-based writer and commentator frank.ching@scmp.com

BBC: Chinese official stresses social harmony Hong Kong, slams Falun Gong

23 June 2006 - Text of speech delivered by Wang Fengchao, deputy director of Chinese Central People's Government Liaison Office in Hong Kong, at the forum "Advocating spiritual civilization and building a harmonious Hong Kong", entitled: "Coexisting in harmony under 'one country, two systems'", published by Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao website on 21 June

It is my great pleasure to be invited by the Hong Kong Society for Cultural Advancement [HKSCA] to take part in the forum "Advocating a Spiritual Civilization and Building a Harmonious Hong Kong". This is indeed a truly meaningful forum, with scholars, experts, and people from various walks of life gathered here to discuss issues revolving around the theme of "Advocating a Spiritual Civilization and Building a Harmonious Hong Kong". It will be conducive to the building of a harmonious society in Hong Kong.

Over the past two years, a consensus has evolved on the mainland on the theme of building of a harmonious socialist society. Since Hong Kong is a highly developed society in terms of materialistic civilization, its citizens generally strive for the city to become a civilized and harmonious society as well. During Vice-President Zeng Qinghong's visit to Hong Kong last year, he raised two earnest expectations regarding Hong Kong society - "Seize the chance and speed up development" and "Be accommodative, lend a hand to each other, and promote harmony". Early this year, Director Gao of the Central Liaison Office in Hong Kong also offered these words to HKSCA on its fifth anniversary: "Advocating Refined Culture and Building a Harmonious Hong Kong Society." We believe that there are two aspects in the building of a harmonious society in Hong Kong. First, under "one country, two systems", Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the main body of the nation, respectively practicing capitalism and socialism, will have to coexist in harmony over the long term, with the two being mutually beneficial to each other and progressing in step. Second, in a pluralistic society such as Hong Kong, people from all walks of life and various interests groups will have to coexist in harmony so that the general populace will live and work in joy. The fulfilment of these two aspects calls for concerted efforts from various parties.

For a good nine years since Hong Kong reverted back to China, the central authorities have remained steadfast in putting into practice the notions of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong", and a high degree of autonomy. They have also been offering unyielding support to the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region [HKSAR] in its administration on the basis of the Basic Law, bolstering the economic development of the territory, and endeavouring to safeguard its long-term prosperity and stability. The central authorities have all along paid respect to the existing social system of Hong Kong, to the existing lifestyle of the local citizens, to Hong Kong's freedom of press and the existing legal system. All such efforts of the central authorities have been affirmed by the local citizens. After the handover, the HKSAR government has been faced with and has successfully resolved a multitude of challenges, endeavoured to safeguard the overall prosperity and stability of the territory, and accomplished a great deal of pioneering work that has paved the way for the successful implementation of "one country, two systems" here in Hong Kong. It is indeed the concerted efforts of the central authorities, HKSAR government, and the general local populace that ensures the harmonious coexistence of the "two systems" under the premise of "one country" and enables the great undertaking of "one country, two systems" to achieve great performance with international acclaim.

Having said that, we must recognize the existence of certain phenomena and factors unfavourable to social harmony in Hong Kong. In particular, the Hong Kong "Falun Gong" organization has been cooking things up frequently and attacking the central authorities. They have been present constantly in certain tourist spots and major business areas, harrassing mainland visitors specifically, who are inconvenienced by such actions. Increasingly, these activities are resented and rejected by the citizens of Hong Kong.

We are making a proposal - that all walks of life, various organizations and various interests groups should, on the premise of the "one country, two systems" notion and the Basic Law of Hong Kong and taking into account the territory's overall and long-term interests, jointly do their part towards the construction of a prosperous and harmonious Hong Kong.

It is our hope that, through the discussions at this forum, a consensus may be reached amongst the general Hong Kong populace, whereby they consciously safeguard the positive developmental trend of the territory and the building of a harmonious society, and whereby they strive to safeguard the harmonious relations between the HKSAR and mainland China. In this way, the people of Hong Kong will be able to contribute their part to the great revival of the Chinese people.

Source: Ta Kung Pao website, Hong Kong, in Chinese 21 Jun 06

The Chinese head tax blues: Apologies s.v.p.

All will agree that an apology for the Chinese immigrant head tax was long overdue as an attempt to rectify mistakes from the past. Cindy Drukier is right on the mark when she highlights the NCCC/CPP connection in this whole ordeal. It seems that every media that reported on this story failed to mention the punch line--including the Western Standard!

Epoch Times Cindy Drukier reports: The rub that's galvanizing the Chinese-Canadian community is that the deal was negotiated with a single organization, the National Chinese Canadian Congress (NCCC). The NCCC does not represent any head tax payers, nor does it have a track record on rights issues. Many Chinese-Canadians also dislike its close ties with the Chinese Communist Party. (full report)

How fair is it? Is this just the tip of the iceberg--time for more apologies perhaps? Absolutely!

Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver Sun offers her viewpoint:

More than 80,000 paid the tax; 20 remain alive. Why should it take so long to resolve such blatant injustices experienced by so many different ethnic groups?

Late last week representatives of the Jewish community were appropriately calling for a federal memorial to another despicable event in Canadian history -- the 1939 turning away of more than 900 desperate Jewish refugees on the ship St. Louis. Passengers were forced to return to Germany where they are believed to have perished. (full report)

From the GungHaggisFatChoy blog, Todd Wong looks at the big picture and comments:

"If the government uses ill-gotten money because of racism for it's own purposes...is it right for the government to profit from racism? What is the amount of $500 with accrued interest from 1903 to 2006? If the Government was to charge the equivalent of the head tax amounts today... people would be outraged. The Martin government removed the $1000 immigrant landing fee, because it was seen as prohibitive for new immigrants. What would the equivalant racist head tax be if it was charged today?"

From the Chair of the National Conservative Caucus, Rahim Jaffer MP for Edmonton Strathcona wrote:

...On Thursday June 22, 2006 on behalf of the Government of Canada, the Prime Minister apologized in the House of Commons for the implementation of the Head Tax. The Government also announced its intention to offer symbolic individual payments of $20,000 to living Chinese Head Tax payers and living spouses of deceased payers.

The Government will also be establishing a $24-million community historical recognition program to provide grant and contribution funding for community projects linked to wartime measures and immigration restrictions and a $10-million national historical recognition program to fund federal initiatives, developed in partnership with other stakeholders. The specifics of each initiative (symbolic payments, community programs and national recognition programs) are being finalized, and implementation is anticipated to begin in Fall of 2006. Information on eligibility, verification and the application process will be made available once finalized...

Vancouver Sun: Head tax: The right thing to do, the fair thing to do by Daphne Bramham "Apologizing to Chinese-Canadians and paying redress for racist policies goes a long way toward squaring the books"

"They need to remember that the head tax raised more money than that at the time it was charged. It was a time before income tax was charged, and the $500 was equal to two years' salary for an average Canadian or the price of a decent house."

June 24, 2006: There was a sense of history being made on Thursday in an ornate hotel ballroom that was filled with ghosts and overflowed with stories of separation and loss, of bitter memories and reopened wounds.

Ninety minutes before the doors were even opened, hundreds of elderly Chinese-Canadians were lined up to get a seat to see and hear Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologize on behalf of all Canadians for more than six decades of racist and exclusionary immigration policies.

Nearly every one of the 1,000 people seated in the Hotel Vancouver ballroom had a story to tell. Most carried worn documents, photocopies of old documents and photographs that they readily pulled out in explanation of who they are and where they came from.

A few among the rapidly dwindling number of head-tax payers, their spouses and descendants had come to see if they would finally get their money back. But most of the ones I spoke to were there to hear the prime minister say sorry.

King Ming Wong, 75, was there with his wife, Po Chun, and daughter, Grace Schenkeveld, to hear the government acknowledge his suffering. His father paid the head tax on May 19, 1919, and worked as a cook and then in a cannery. First, he couldn't afford to bring his family to Canada, and then Canada wouldn't let him.

King Ming Wong was was six when he saw his father for the last time. His mother died of starvation during the Second World War when his father couldn't get money through. Wong was 13.

It wasn't until 1959 when Wong was 28, a qualified aircraft mechanic married to an architect that he was finally able to immigrate to Canada after having been rebuffed twice.

What the Wongs wanted and got Friday was what they described as fair treatment -- one compensation cheque for each head-tax certificate and money for community recognition of and education about what had happened.

Tim Jay, 63, had driven from Nelson with this 93-year-old mother, Qui Far Jay. He said his mother had "lived, lived, lived and dreamed, dreamed, dreamed until this day would come."

What she had lived for and dreamed of was that Canada said sorry for having charged her husband a $500 tax to immigrate and sorry for its exclusionary immigration act that had kept them separated for most of three decades.

Neither mother nor son wanted or expected the $20,000 that the government has promised to pay to living head-tax payers or their spouses.

Too frail to be able to accept Harper's invitation to witness the apology in Parliament, Jay and her son instead watched it on a huge screen in Vancouver and were satisfied. "I'll never forget this," Tim Jay said. Nor would his mother.

Eighty-six-year-old Li Wei Ping has no memory of his father. Both he and his sister were conceived on his father's three -- possibly four trips -- back to China. And Li Wei Ping only came to Canada in 1986 after his son -- Cecilia's father -- immigrated a few years earlier.

Li Sam paid $500 for the privilege of coming to Canada in 1916 to work first as a mine worker. He worked hard, saved his money and opened a laundromat. But it burned down. So he went back to the mines and saved enough money to open another. But he could never save enough money to bring his family to Canada before 1923 when Canada amended its Immigration Act which had excluded Chinese from Canada.

When Li Wei Ping heard about the head-tax redress movement, he enlisted the help of his Canadian-born granddaughter Cecilia to find out when his father had come and what had happened to him. The 21-year-old SFU student knew nothing about her great-grandfather or even that he had lived in Canada.

Yet on the sixth floor of the Vancouver Public Library and after two hours of plowing through the lists of the 82,000 people who paid the head tax between 1885 and 1923, she found her great-grandfather's name. She also found that he died in Toronto and for many years had been buried there.

"We can't keep hating the government for what it did," Cecilia said. "It is great what they [the government] are doing. It is giving back part of what these families deserve. To us, the apology is the most important thing."

There will be those Canadians who quibble that the cost of redress is too high -- the $20,000 for the few remaining head-tax payers and their spouses, the $24 million for community projects linked to wartime measures and immigration restrictions and $10 million for national historical recognition programs.

They need to remember that the head tax raised more money than that at the time it was charged. It was a time before income tax was charged, and the $500 was equal to two years' salary for an average Canadian or the price of a decent house.

There will be others who will quibble that the price paid was too low.

But the test that should be applied is the one that the Wongs used: Is it fair?

It appears that it is.

It is shameful that it has taken so long for the apology to finally be made. It is distressing that so many Chinese-Canadians died without hearing it.

But Harper's full and unequivocal expression of regret and deep sorrow couched in the most Canadian of terms should make all of us proud.

The racist policy of the past was deliberate, gravely unjust and "one we are morally obligated to acknowledge," he said

"Even though the head tax -- a product of a profoundly different time -- lies far in our past, we feel compelled to right this historic wrong for the simple reason that it is the decent thing to do, a characteristic to be found at the core of the Canadian soul."

Decent and unafraid to finally say sorry.

It is a good platform on which to continue building a diverse, just and fair Canada.

dbramham@png.canwest.com

Related Articles:

Epoch Times: Head Tax Still a Headache

Western Standard: Head Tax Headaches

Epoch Times: Head Tax Redress Comes to a Head