By PAUL CROSS
TORONTO – As they push for resolution to a long list of complaints against China, human rights organizations welcomed the arrival in Canada of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday as a chance to voice their concerns.
“It gives an opportunity for Wen himself to see and hear what people outside of China are thinking,” said Carole Channer, who monitors China for Amnesty International Canada. Channer said Amnesty International, Tibetans and practitioners of Falun Gong are each making their complaints public during Wen’s three-day Canadian visit.
“If he’s really serious about wanting to improve the human rights situation in China then he’ll listen to these things and then go home and perhaps do something about it,” said Channer.
Wen was scheduled to meet Paul Martin, the incoming prime minister, during his official visit to Ottawa, before attending a state dinner hosted by Prime Minister Chretien on Thursday.
Wen’s arrival in the country on Wednesday coincided with International Human Rights Day.
Amnesty International is monitoring executions in China, and Channer is worried about a new trend – mobile execution facilities dispensing the death penalty by lethal injection.
“The emphasis seems to be being put on the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of executing people,” Channer said, rather than on “trying to curtail the number of crimes liable to the death penalty.”
Ultimately, Amnesty International is pushing for China to abolish the death penalty.
Jason Loftus, a promoter of Falun Gong who was to take part Wednesday evening in a Toronto conference examining China’s human rights record to mark International Human Rights Day, hopes the federal government will take advantage of the visit by Wen.
“What we’re hoping is that our government can give a message to the premier while he’s here, which is that these are problems that you have to address,” said Loftus.
Wen has not been active in carrying out religious persecutions, Loftus says, but he cannot deny he shares responsibility for them.
Loftus and others blame former Chinese premier Jiang Zemin for a thirteen-year crackdown on human rights and freedoms, beginning with the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Lucy Zhao, the conference organizer, wants Wen to hold Jiang accountable for abuses that happened under his rule.
In addition to the persecution of families of victims of the Tiananmen incident and religious persecution, Zhao accuses Jiang of having covered up the SARS crisis, which killed 44 people when it made its way to Canada.
Zhao believes Jiang was afraid of his future in the new government and suppressed information about China’s outbreak of SARS before the 16th People’s Congress, at which Wen became leader.
“Jiang should be held responsible for that cover-up,” said Zhao, because “the cover-up of truth can hurt people worldwide.”
She hopes the new government led by Wen will adopt a more open attitude to all rights issues and “really hear the voice of the international community” and hold past leaders responsible.
As members of the Global Coalition to Bring Jiang to Justice, Zhao and Loftus are gathering groups of people who have suffered under Chinese governments, and are considering whether legal action could be launched from Canada.
Zhao said her group would be addressed by lawyer Mark Arnold, who is handling a lawsuit filed against Iran by an individual in Canada.
The group is investigating the possibility of launching lawsuits from Canada against foreign governments accused of torture.
Loftus maintains “a lot of Jiang’s crimes” have been covered by “a massive propaganda campaign” and thinks when people learn how many Chinese “have been victimized and what Jiang’s role is” they are going to want him held accountable.
“The persecution in China has been forced on a lot of the government and we know a lot of people in the government are against the persecution,” says Loftus.
