China dissuades Canadian MPs from meeting rights activists
Source: The Globe and Mail #Aug22
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24621
Source: The Globe and Mail #Aug22
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24621
#Canada #ChinaInfluence
China dissuades Canadian MPs from meeting rights activists
According to a report from Amnesty International and Canadian rights group released in May, Chinese government has increasingly resorted to “threats, bullying and harassment” to intimidate and silence activists in Canada, including those raising concerns about democracy and civil rights in Hong Kong and Beijing’s mistreatment of Uyghurs, Tibetans and Falun Gong practitioners.
Canadian MPs visiting Hong Kong in late 2017 were informed that Chinese authorities did not want the MPs meeting with Hong Kong leading pro-democracy figures such as Joshua Wong or Anson Chan.
In early 2019, Ms. Linda Duncan, NDP MP for Edmonton-Strathcona at the time, was contacted by the Chinese embassy in Canada advising her not to meet with the Dalai Lama, the exile spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.
Former Canadian ambassador to China David Mulroney said the call to Ms. Duncan “was an appalling example of interference.”
Besides these revealed incidents, China may have exerted other covert influence over foreign politicians.
Source: The Globe and Mail #Aug22
#AmnestyInternational #LindaDuncan #Uyghurs #Tibet #Falungong
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-mps-say-chinese-officials-have-tried-to-dissuade-them-from-meeting/
China dissuades Canadian MPs from meeting rights activists
According to a report from Amnesty International and Canadian rights group released in May, Chinese government has increasingly resorted to “threats, bullying and harassment” to intimidate and silence activists in Canada, including those raising concerns about democracy and civil rights in Hong Kong and Beijing’s mistreatment of Uyghurs, Tibetans and Falun Gong practitioners.
Canadian MPs visiting Hong Kong in late 2017 were informed that Chinese authorities did not want the MPs meeting with Hong Kong leading pro-democracy figures such as Joshua Wong or Anson Chan.
In early 2019, Ms. Linda Duncan, NDP MP for Edmonton-Strathcona at the time, was contacted by the Chinese embassy in Canada advising her not to meet with the Dalai Lama, the exile spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.
Former Canadian ambassador to China David Mulroney said the call to Ms. Duncan “was an appalling example of interference.”
Besides these revealed incidents, China may have exerted other covert influence over foreign politicians.
Source: The Globe and Mail #Aug22
#AmnestyInternational #LindaDuncan #Uyghurs #Tibet #Falungong
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-mps-say-chinese-officials-have-tried-to-dissuade-them-from-meeting/
The Globe and Mail
MPs say Chinese officials have tried to dissuade them from meeting rights activists
Recent hearings by the special House of Commons committee on Canada-China relations have shone a spotlight on efforts by Beijing to shape public opinion in Canada
US Intelligence found Wuhan Officials Concealed Coronavirus Info from Beijing, Causing Global Outbreak
Source: Stand News #Aug22
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24724
Source: Stand News #Aug22
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https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/24724
US Intelligence found Wuhan Officials Concealed Coronavirus Info from Beijing, Causing Global Outbreak
U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized the Chinese government for concealing the COVID-19 pandemic. According to New York Times, “officials in Beijing were kept in the dark for weeks about the potential devastation of the virus by local officials in central China” since the outbreak began in Wuhan late last year, an U.S. official with knowledge of the internal report by U.S. intelligence agencies mentioned. It was the main reason of the global pandemic. American officials believed that the authoritarian system in China restricted local officials from freely sharing information with top officials, which caused deadly consequences for the world.
The internal report, originally circulated in June, contained classified section and unclassified section, which represented the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) and other intelligence agencies' findings. It listed a series of evidence that Chinese officials hid important information from the world. Even when senior officials in Beijing tried to obtain data from local officials in Wuhan, they still played a major role in withholding information from the World Health Organization (WHO).
#CIA #COVID19 #WuhanVirus #Beijing #US #China #WHO
Source: Stand News #Aug22
U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized the Chinese government for concealing the COVID-19 pandemic. According to New York Times, “officials in Beijing were kept in the dark for weeks about the potential devastation of the virus by local officials in central China” since the outbreak began in Wuhan late last year, an U.S. official with knowledge of the internal report by U.S. intelligence agencies mentioned. It was the main reason of the global pandemic. American officials believed that the authoritarian system in China restricted local officials from freely sharing information with top officials, which caused deadly consequences for the world.
The internal report, originally circulated in June, contained classified section and unclassified section, which represented the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) and other intelligence agencies' findings. It listed a series of evidence that Chinese officials hid important information from the world. Even when senior officials in Beijing tried to obtain data from local officials in Wuhan, they still played a major role in withholding information from the World Health Organization (WHO).
#CIA #COVID19 #WuhanVirus #Beijing #US #China #WHO
Source: Stand News #Aug22
Belarusians Build 13-Kilometer Human Chain. Protesters Say Lukashenko Continues Stalin's Tyranny
Source: Stand News #Aug22
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Source: Stand News #Aug22
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Belarusians Build 13-Kilometer Human Chain. Protesters Say Lukashenko Continues Stalin's Tyranny
Belarusian anti-government demonstrations continue. Tens of thousands of people formed a 13-kilometre-long human chain in the capital, Minsk, on Friday (Aug 21) local time, demanding that Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko cease the use of violence against the people, conduct a search for missing protesters and step down.
During the human chain event, many people on the streets held the victory sign and the flag of Belarus.
The Human Chain Begins at a Former Soviet Purge Site
The human chain began in Kurapaty, an area in the outskirts of Minsk with much historical significance. In the 1930s, the former Soviet secret police persecuted as many as 300,000 people in the area. The event was revealed in the late 1980s and became one of causes for the popular uprising against the communist regime.
At the other end of the human chain was Akrescina, where the Lukashenko regime imprisoned protestors. According to the organizers, the choice of Kurapaty and Akrescina as the beginning and the end of the human chain was to show that Stalin's and Lukashenko's crimes were one and the same.
Source: Stand News #Aug22
#Belarus #Minsk #HumanChain #Lukashenko #Kurapaty #Akrescina
Belarusian anti-government demonstrations continue. Tens of thousands of people formed a 13-kilometre-long human chain in the capital, Minsk, on Friday (Aug 21) local time, demanding that Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko cease the use of violence against the people, conduct a search for missing protesters and step down.
During the human chain event, many people on the streets held the victory sign and the flag of Belarus.
The Human Chain Begins at a Former Soviet Purge Site
The human chain began in Kurapaty, an area in the outskirts of Minsk with much historical significance. In the 1930s, the former Soviet secret police persecuted as many as 300,000 people in the area. The event was revealed in the late 1980s and became one of causes for the popular uprising against the communist regime.
At the other end of the human chain was Akrescina, where the Lukashenko regime imprisoned protestors. According to the organizers, the choice of Kurapaty and Akrescina as the beginning and the end of the human chain was to show that Stalin's and Lukashenko's crimes were one and the same.
Source: Stand News #Aug22
#Belarus #Minsk #HumanChain #Lukashenko #Kurapaty #Akrescina
#AnimalCruelty
International attention on legal cat fur market in China
“Cat fur trade” in China has been drawn global attention, which gradually becomes a hot issue of animal protection. China was revealed last year that cat meat and cat fur were sold in local markets. So far, China still has no law against animal cruelty. In China, most of the stray cats have not been neutered. Therefore, its reproduction rate is high, and people catch them to make various commodities.
Cat skin can be used in different products such as shoes, gloves, wallets and jackets, so the cats have been traded. Such action is legal in China, which is the most shocking. The “Lychee and Dog Meat Festival” is infamous internationally. According to a survey, only 13% of Yulin residents in China have never eaten dog meat. Such behaviours in China has drawn international attention in recent years and called for a cessation.
#China #CatFurMarket #Cat #AnimalProtection #Yulin #DogMeat
Source: Cupid Producer #Aug22
International attention on legal cat fur market in China
“Cat fur trade” in China has been drawn global attention, which gradually becomes a hot issue of animal protection. China was revealed last year that cat meat and cat fur were sold in local markets. So far, China still has no law against animal cruelty. In China, most of the stray cats have not been neutered. Therefore, its reproduction rate is high, and people catch them to make various commodities.
Cat skin can be used in different products such as shoes, gloves, wallets and jackets, so the cats have been traded. Such action is legal in China, which is the most shocking. The “Lychee and Dog Meat Festival” is infamous internationally. According to a survey, only 13% of Yulin residents in China have never eaten dog meat. Such behaviours in China has drawn international attention in recent years and called for a cessation.
#China #CatFurMarket #Cat #AnimalProtection #Yulin #DogMeat
Source: Cupid Producer #Aug22
#NationalSecurityLaw #PressFreedom
Canadian journalists worried about their safety under the national security law
The newly introduced National Security Law in HK have put immense pressure on the people, with journalists feeling it the most.
If Beijing deems someone’s actions a national security threat, such as advocating for independence, they can be swiftly arrested.
While some journalists have refused to allow the law to silence them, self-censoring is certainly happening.
“Is there a place in the world that has a free press, but the kind of authoritarian regime that Hong Kong is being subjected to now?” HK based Canadian freelance journalist, Lincoln asked. “When are they coming for the journalists?”
Source: The Star #Aug22
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/08/22/when-are-they-coming-for-the-journalists-canadians-in-hong-kong-feel-chill-from-chinas-national-security-law.html
#Canada
Canadian journalists worried about their safety under the national security law
The newly introduced National Security Law in HK have put immense pressure on the people, with journalists feeling it the most.
If Beijing deems someone’s actions a national security threat, such as advocating for independence, they can be swiftly arrested.
While some journalists have refused to allow the law to silence them, self-censoring is certainly happening.
“Is there a place in the world that has a free press, but the kind of authoritarian regime that Hong Kong is being subjected to now?” HK based Canadian freelance journalist, Lincoln asked. “When are they coming for the journalists?”
Source: The Star #Aug22
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/08/22/when-are-they-coming-for-the-journalists-canadians-in-hong-kong-feel-chill-from-chinas-national-security-law.html
#Canada
Belarusian Authorities said opposition attempts to seize power harm national security; Opposition leader calls citizens to stand up, or become a slave
Source: Stand News #Aug22
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Source: Stand News #Aug22
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Belarusian Authorities said opposition attempts to seize power harm national security; Opposition leader calls citizens to stand up, or become a slave
After the Belarusian presidential election in early August, mass demonstrations broke out, with citizens forming human chains to protest against tyrannical rule. The opposition announced the establishment of a Coordination Committee earlier, requesting the government to discuss the transfer of power. The Belarusian General Prosecutor’s Office then charged the Committee on 20th August with suspicion of endangering national security.
The opposition announced the establishment of the Coordination Committee on 18th August, calling for government talks on the transfer of power. Members include Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, an opposition leader exiled to Lithuania, Nobel Laureate in Literature Svetlana Alexievich, and other famous individuals. The authorities accused the Coordination Committee of jeopardising national security and has now launched a criminal investigation. Attorney General Konyuk noted that the establishment and operation of the Coordination Committee was to seize state power, and emphasized that the transfer of power to the Coordination Committee is unconstitutional. Committee lawyer Maxim Znak and organiser of Minsk factory strikes Sergei Dylevsky were questioned by the government on 21st August.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya accepted an exclusive interview with the Britain Broadcasting Company (BBC), appealing to Belarusians to "stand till the end", and oppose the tyrannical rule of President Lukashenko. “If not now, we will be slaves”. She said that as long as her personal safety is ensured, she will return to the country. In a video speech earlier, she also called for Belarusians to be fearless and to escalate strike actions.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier that the United State supports the international community in investigating the possibility of fraud in the Belarusian election, and will consider sanctions against Belarusian officials who participated in suppressing demonstrations. Russian President Putin said that any interference in the situation in Belarus or pressure on local leaders is unacceptable.
#Belarus #Election #Protests #Lukashenko #BBC #US #Pompeo #Russia #Putin
Source: Stand News #Aug22
After the Belarusian presidential election in early August, mass demonstrations broke out, with citizens forming human chains to protest against tyrannical rule. The opposition announced the establishment of a Coordination Committee earlier, requesting the government to discuss the transfer of power. The Belarusian General Prosecutor’s Office then charged the Committee on 20th August with suspicion of endangering national security.
The opposition announced the establishment of the Coordination Committee on 18th August, calling for government talks on the transfer of power. Members include Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, an opposition leader exiled to Lithuania, Nobel Laureate in Literature Svetlana Alexievich, and other famous individuals. The authorities accused the Coordination Committee of jeopardising national security and has now launched a criminal investigation. Attorney General Konyuk noted that the establishment and operation of the Coordination Committee was to seize state power, and emphasized that the transfer of power to the Coordination Committee is unconstitutional. Committee lawyer Maxim Znak and organiser of Minsk factory strikes Sergei Dylevsky were questioned by the government on 21st August.
Svetlana Tikhanovskaya accepted an exclusive interview with the Britain Broadcasting Company (BBC), appealing to Belarusians to "stand till the end", and oppose the tyrannical rule of President Lukashenko. “If not now, we will be slaves”. She said that as long as her personal safety is ensured, she will return to the country. In a video speech earlier, she also called for Belarusians to be fearless and to escalate strike actions.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said earlier that the United State supports the international community in investigating the possibility of fraud in the Belarusian election, and will consider sanctions against Belarusian officials who participated in suppressing demonstrations. Russian President Putin said that any interference in the situation in Belarus or pressure on local leaders is unacceptable.
#Belarus #Election #Protests #Lukashenko #BBC #US #Pompeo #Russia #Putin
Source: Stand News #Aug22