Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has once again kept silent over the Chinese atrocities being committed on Uyghur Muslims by avoiding to vote in favour of a non-binding motion passed in the Canadian parliament on Monday. PM Trudeau and his cabinet abstained from voting after the opposition Conservative Party brought the motion saying that China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region constitutes ‘genocide’. Canada’s House of Commons voted 266-0 for the non-binding motion. The motion also reportedly called on the International Olympic Committee to move the 2022 Winter Olympics from Beijing.
Canadian Foreign Minister called for a credible international investigation into allegations of genocide
There are 37 Liberal lawmakers including the Prime Minister himself in the Prime Minister’s cabinet. The Liberal Party has a total of 154 lawmakers in the House of Commons. While Trudeau and his cabinet abstained from voting, the rest of the Liberal lawmakers voted freely on the motion. According to reports, the Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau, who joined the cabinet in abstaining from vote, called for a credible international investigation in response to allegations of genocide. “We remain deeply disturbed by horrific reports of human rights violations in Xinjiang, including the use of arbitrary detention, political re-education, forced labour, torture and forced sterilisation”, Garneau was quoted as saying.
Justin Trudeau reluctant to term China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims as genocide
Canada’s Conservative Party had called for the House of Commons to declare that the Chinese government was committing genocide against the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang after the Canadian Prime Minister showed reluctance to term the Chinese atrocities on Uyghurs as ‘genocide’. After speaking to fellow G7 leaders, Trudeau had suggested that the best approach would be to seek broad consensus among Western allies on Chinese human rights issues. “Moving forward multilaterally will be the best way to demonstrate the solidarity of Western democracies…that are extremely concerned and dismayed by reports of what’s going on in Xinjiang”, the Canadian PM said.
Following Trudeau’s statement, Canadian Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole said that Canada could not remain silent and thus help those committing crimes against humanity. “We cannot remain silent. Silence only helps those who commit crimes against humanity, never the victims”, O’Toole tweeted on February 19. O’Toole further added that Canada needed to send a clear and unequivocal signal that it would stand up for human rights even if that meant sacrificing some economic opportunities.
Some classified documents disclosed in December last year had revealed Trudeau’s dangerous China policy as the documents showed that Canada had invited the Chinese Army for cold-weather combat training despite opposition from the USA. It was also revealed that Trudeau was upset with the Canadian Armed Forces for cancelling the training after China kidnapped Canadian citizens Michael Sapvor and Michael Kovrig.
