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The petition e-5137 initiated by Toronto Association for Democracy in China, Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement, and Movement for Democracy in China (Calgary) has garnered 4,613 signatories, of which 3497 from online and 1116 on paper.
Toronto Association for Democracy in China (TADC) expresses our gratitude to all those who participated in the petition, and extends special thanks to the petition sponsor Ms. Jenny Kwan, MP of Vancouver East, who has her long-standing attention to and support for human rights and democracy in Hong Kong. Also, thank you Canada-Hong Kong Link, Hong Kong Watch and Action Free Hong Kong Montreal for supporting the petition. The result of this petition reflects not only our opposition to China’s suppression in Hong Kong and its transnational long-arm, but also serves as our statement of solidarity and encouragement for political prisoners in Hong Kong.
In addition to thanking the Hong Kong community for its unwavering commitment to the fight for freedom, we also express our appreciation for the support we received from like-minded individuals across different ethnic communities during the petition process. We were heartened to see citizens of ethnic communities from China, Tibet, Ukraine, and other regions expressing their concerns about the human rights situation in Hong Kong and joining the petition. We believe that Hong Kong’s plight is not a local issue. Through its economic power, China is exporting authoritarianism and influence globally, threatening national security in many countries, including Canada. Therefore, all those who support the values of democracy, freedom, and human rights are part of a shared destiny.
On the day of the sentencing of the Hong Kong 47 pro-democracy activists involved in the 2020 primary election, MP Jenny Kwan presented the petition at the Canadian Parliament in solidarity with these political prisoners and pro-democracy movement. With terms ranging from 50 months to 10 years, TADC strongly condemns the Hong Kong government’s use of its judicial system for political retaliation.
Cheuk Kwan, co-chair of TADC and the initiator of the petition, stated that “610,000 Hong Kong citizens participated in the democratic primary elections in 2020, clearly demonstrating their will for political reform. However, the Hong Kong government has treated this public sentiment as a threat, imprisoning the organizers and elected representatives. They were simply exercising their rights under the Basic Law, yet they have been prosecuted under the NSL and sentenced to long jail terms.”
As MP Jenny Kwan puts it, “The verdict for the Hong Kong 47 is one of the darkest chapters in Hong Kong’s history. It is just astonishing that organizers and participants of the primary election were sentenced up to 10 years for simply exercising their basic right to participate in elections under Hong Kong’s Basic Law. The International community must stand united to condemn this gross violation of international human rights and demand accountability from Hong Kong and China in their broken promise to the ‘one country, two systems’ rule.”
As the trial of Jimmy Lai has resumed, TADC urges everyone to keep our attention to the case and our fight for the immediate release of Jimmy Lai and all other co-defendants involved.
In line with the e-5137 petition’s demands, TADC calls on the Canadian government to demand the release of Jimmy Lai, Chow-Hang-Tung and Hong Kong 47 and many political prisoners whose only ‘crime’ was to exercise their rights and freedoms as prescribed by the UN Human Rights Declaration. Also, we call on the Canadian government to stop according any special rights or diplomatic status to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) and to proactively apply sanctions under the Magnitsky Act against Chinese and Hong Kong officials. TADC calls upon all citizens in the free world to continue uphold the values of human rights, freedom, and democracy.
由多倫多中國民運會、溫哥華支援民主運動聯合會、卡加利中國民主促進會共同發起的國會聯署e-5137結果有4,613人參與聯署，包括 3947 人於網上簽署及1116 於紙本簽署。
多倫多中國民運會感謝所有參與聯署的人，也再次感謝長期關注並支持香港的人權及民主的温哥華東國會議員關慧貞作為聯署贊助人。同時都要感謝港加聯、香港監察和滿地可撐香港行動組的支持。聯署結果反映的不僅是反對中國在香港和跨國打壓的表態，也是對香港政治犯的聲援及鼓勵。
今次聯署的成果，除了要感謝香港人群體無忘抗爭初心之外，也很感激在收集聯署的過程遇到來自不同地區的同路人。「德不孤，必有鄰」，參與聯署有不少來自中國、西藏、烏克蘭和其他族裔社群，他們都表達了對香港人權狀況的憂慮。我們相信香港的處境並非地區性，中國正透過經濟實力將威權主義及影響力滲透全球，威脅各國的國家安全，加拿大亦不例外。因此，所有支持民主、自由、人權價值的人都是命運共同體。
就在香港初選47人案公佈判決刑期的當日，關慧貞議員於加拿大國會提交該項聯署，以表達對涉案各人及香港民主運動的支持。對於判刑由50個月至10年不等，多倫多支持中國民運會強烈譴責香港政府以法律作出政治報復的手段。
民運會共同主席及聯署發起人關卓中指：「2020年61萬香港人參與民主派初選投票，顯示香港人對政治制度變革的決心。然而，香港政府卻視民意為威脅，將民選的代議士們一一關進牢獄。初選的發起人及參選人不過是行使《基本法》賦予的權利，卻成為起訴及判刑的罪名。今日政權所審判的，其實是61萬的香港人。」
國會議員關慧貞亦表示：「香港47人案的判決是香港歷史上最黑暗的一頁。令人震驚的是，初選的組織者和參與者僅因行使根據《基本法》參與選舉的基本權利，就被判處長達十年的刑期。國際社會必須團結一致，譴責這種嚴重侵犯國際人權的行為，並要求香港和中國對其背棄『一國兩制』承諾的行為負責。」
黎智英案正在重啟審訊，民運會呼籲所有人持續關注，並要求中國及香港政府立即釋放黎智英及同案被告。
這項 e-5137 號聯署促請加拿大政府要求中國政府釋放所有政治犯，包括初選47人案、黎智英、鄒幸彤等人，並取消香港駐加拿大經貿辦官員的外交特權，同時根據《馬格尼茨基法案》向打壓香港人權的官員實施制裁。多倫多支持中國民運會期望生活在自由社會的每一位能夠繼續捍衛人權、自由和民主價值。