(Minghui.org) Global Affairs Canada announced on December 10, 2024, Human Rights Day, that it would sanction eight former or current senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials for human rights violations involving Falun Gong practitioners, Xinjiang residents, and Tibetans.
“Canada is deeply concerned by the human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet and against those who practise Falun Gong,” said Mélanie Joly, minister of Foreign Affairs, in a press release. “We call on the Chinese government to put an end to this systematic campaign of repression and uphold its international human rights obligations.”
These sanctions were carried out under the Special Economic Measures (People’s Republic of China) Regulations. “As we mark International Human Rights Day on December 10, Canada continues to condemn human rights violations around the world,” the press release said. “Canada is deeply concerned over reports that China has arbitrarily detained more than one million people in Xinjiang since 2017, many of whom were held in camps and faced psychological, physical and sexual violence.”
Tibetans have also suffered human rights violations by the CCP. This includes forced labor, arbitrary detention, and restrictions of their rights to freedom of religion or belief, expression, movement, and association.
“Since 1999, China has tried to eliminate Falun Gong practise in the country through arbitrary arrests, forced labour and torture,” the press release continued. “Canada continues to raise concerns regarding human rights violations in China and calls on the Chinese government to uphold its international human rights obligations, including through the United Nations Human Rights Council.”
Sanction Measures
A document titled “Backgrounder – Additional sanctions” on the Global Affairs Canada website provided more details on these sanctions.
The eight sanctioned officials include:
Chen Quanguo: 69, former CCP Party secretary of Tibet Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
Erkin Tuniyaz: 63, deputy secretary of the CCP of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
Shohrat Zakir: 71, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress
Peng Jiarui: 63, vice chairman of the Xinjiang Regional Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference
Wu Yingjie: 68, former CCP Party secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region
Liujun Huo: 64, Party secretary of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Public Security Department
Zhang Hongbo: 59, vice chairman of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and director of the Tibetan Public Security Department
You Quan: 70, former director of the United Front Work Department
“The Special Economic Measures (People’s Republic of China) Regulations impose on listed persons a prohibition on any transaction (effectively, an asset freeze) by prohibiting persons in Canada and Canadians outside Canada from engaging in any activity related to any property of these listed persons or providing financial or related services to them,” the website explains.
Severe Persecution
When Chen was in charge, a large number of Falun Gong practitioners in Xinxjiang were arrested, detained, and imprisoned with forced brainwashing. In order to avoid the persecution, many of them stayed away from home, and their families were broken.
A tighter surveillance network was also implemented during that time, including a large number of cameras and facial recognition systems. One year after becoming the Party Secretary of Xinjiang Autonomous Region in 2016, Chen spent US $9.1 billion on “maintenance of stability” in Xinjiang in 2017, an increase of 92% from the previous year, to suppress people.
Wu was named vice chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region in 2003, deputy regional Party chief in 2011, and in 2016 was appointed as CCP Party secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Many practitioners were arrested and detained during that time.
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