China accuses Canada of hypocrisy for criticizing Beijing’s human rights record, highlighting the problems faced by Native The peoples.
This blowback comes after Ottawa sanctioned eight Chinese officials whom it accuses of “serious human rights violations” against ethnic and religious minorities, and expressed concerns about democracy in Hong Kong.
Ottawa issued a statement last month citing reports of arbitrary and violent detentions of Uyghur people, as well as the repression against Tibetans and Falun Gong practitioners.
Global Affairs Canada also says it “deplores” that the authorities are granting international bonuses to democracy activists in Hong Kong and former legislators from the territory, including Canadians.
Beijing says these claims are baseless and has sanctioned groups and activists in Canada who defend minorities in China, barring citizens from certain interactions with these activists.
Since then, Chinese state media has repeatedly criticized Canada for its treatment of indigenous people, saying Ottawa is being hypocritical.
“Canada is not in a position to lecture others on human rights,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a Dec. 11 press conference. , according to an official translation.
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“Even today, Indigenous peoples in Canada still face systemic racial discrimination and unfair treatment. Instead of dealing with it, Canada chooses to defame and slander other countries.
Mao added that “China has made enormous progress in human rights” that “no one without bias can deny.”
A day later, she added that “this is all a nasty, hypocritical political operation carried out by certain Canadian politicians under the pretext of human rights, to serve an unspeakable agenda and please the United States.”
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa amplified these messages on social media, including a political cartoon by state media CGTN showing a beaver with a tattered house telling a panda with an immaculate house that it has cracks.
“Canada turns a blind eye to the systematic racism and unfair treatment that indigenous people face, but fabricates accusations and defames China’s progress on human rights,” reads the caption. the caricature. “His constant political manipulation on human rights issues is nothing more than a hypocritical double-standard farce. »
In a recurring assessment of human rights issues in Canada, the United Nations noted that progress had been made on Indigenous rights and housing, while urging more to be done.
The November 2023 assessment called on Canadian governments to end human rights abuses by Canadian mining companies abroad and the over-representation of minorities in prisons and child welfare services. He also called on Canada to better respect the rights of indigenous peoples to free, prior and informed consent.
The same body’s assessment of China in January 2024 noted that the country had improved its policies for women and children, but urged the government to act to “ensure that all detainees are formally accounted for, have access to their families and are detained in officially recognized places of detention.” .”
He urged China to “respect the rights to freedom of religion or belief, opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and culture, including for Tibetans, Uyghurs and other minorities” and said that anti-terrorism laws are not “in line with international human rights law and standards.” ”, including in Hong Kong.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
