Report on U.S. Senate Subcomittee Hearing that Suggests CISCO Collaborating Closely with Chinese Authorities on Internet Censorship

At a hearing before a Senate subcommittee that focuses on human rights and the Internet, Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) focused on a PowerPoint presentation that discussed China's "combat" of "evil religious groups," such as Falun Gong, which the Chinese government has banned since 1999.

Shiyu Zhou, deputy director of the Global Internet Freedom Consortium, testified that it had obtained the presentation titled Cisco Opportunities [in the Golden Shield Project], which showed Cisco working closely with the government on an elaborate scheme to control what information is available on the Internet in China.

"Cisco offers much more than just routers; it offers planning, construction, technical training, and operations maintenance for the Golden Shield," Zhou said. "Our research shows that the infrastructure of China's Great Firewall coincides with the layouts in Cisco (China)'s PowerPoint document."

Zhou charged that "Cisco can no longer assure Congress that Cisco (China) has not been and is not now an accomplice and partner in China's Internet repression and, whether directly or indirectly, in its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and other peaceful citizens in China."

Cisco general counsel Mark Chandler said he was "appalled" to see the reference to Falun Gong in the slide presentation and asserted that Cisco merely sells generic network equipment to China without customizing it to work with the Golden Shield.

"We disavow the implication that this (presentation) in any way reflects Cisco's views," Chandler said. He added that "employees who would customize our products in such a way as to undermine human rights" would violate the company's "extensive code of conduct."

The industry has been working for two years on a voluntary code of conduct for doing business in China, and Durbin signaled that congressional patience is wearing thin. Industry negotiations are "intolerably slow," he said.


Full text of this report can be found here

Fragment from Rex Murphy's Statement on the Celil Case Broadcast on CBC National News On May 22

I know nothing of the case against him, but the regard shown in this letter, the affection for his wife, and respect for his mother is of a rare and highly singular standard. He neither rages against his own tragedy, the cruel horror of being snatched and jailed for life, nor flings his anger at officials or government.

The burden of the note is his aching concern for wife, children, and mother. We should be pleased Canada has such citizens. All the more reason that Mr. Celil's nightmare should be the active business of our federal government, our premiers and press, and all Canadians.

It is simply not enough that China declare his guilt, place him in jail for life, deny him communication, and hide him away in the darkness of its prison system -- and that we should ignore it. Trade missions and Olympic games are not worth the silence his case has earned so far.


Full text of his remarks: http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/video/transcripts/transcript_speaking_up_for_cel.html

Fragment from BBC Report of Google AGM Last Thursday and Human Rights and Censorship Proposals by Shareholders

Google defeated two contentious shareholder proposals at the AGM.

The first wanted the company to create a special committee on human rights, while the second asked Google to increase its opposition to censorship demands from countries such as China that wish to limit their citizens' internet access.

While both votes were defeated, a breakdown of the vote has yet to be released.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7391599.stm

Tian Guo Marching Band

The Falun Gong's new Tian Guo ("Heavenly Kingdom") Marching Band is currently making itself available for parades at every sort of Canadian cultural event. It is fascinating to me that this Falun Gong Band has a name eerily reminiscent of the Taiping Tianguo ("Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace") which flourished in China from 1853-64, capital at Nanjing. At its peak the Taiping Rebellion forces occupied much of the central Yangzi valley area. and ruled over 30 million Chinese.

The leader of the Taipings, Hong Xiuquan, had a vision that he was the younger brother of Jesus and on this basis developed a revised version of Christianity with no Trinity and an additional "gospel" written by himself. Hong imposed and enforced his version of Christianity in the areas under his military control. Within the land that they controlled, the Taiping Heavenly Army established a theocratic and highly militarised rule. Hong preached that it was the mission of the Taiping Tianguo to rebel against the weak and corrupt Manchus so that China would not be forced under foreign rule by Western imperialists. The rebellion swung from one side to another, now a defeat, now a victory, now a defeat.

Mao Zedong viewed the Taipings as early heroic revolutionaries against a corrupt feudal system.

Intriguing food for thought as to why the Falun Gong also identifies with a "Heavenly Kingdom" using the same Chinese characters as the Taipings used for their political rebellion in China.

Website of the Falun Gong Marching band: www.tianguoband.org

In Defence of Fred Taylor

In this morning's National Post Robert Fulford has written a review of John Virtue's new book published by McGill-Queen's University Press which is entitled Fred Taylor: Brother in the Shadows. The review is entitled "Bitter Fred turned red: Lazy communism and E.P. Taylor's little brother" (can be read here). Mr. Fulford's article paints my uncle Fred (actually my maternal grandmother's cousin), an artist based in Montreal and San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, in a highly negative light Seems there is not single good thing to be said about him. According to Fulford he was unprincipled because (the way Fulford depicts it) his political commitment to Stalinism was easily terminated when my Aunt Florence (his mother) cut off his allowance, his paintings were lousy, he was an angry and petty man who treated his wives and servants very badly and so he committed suicide in 1987 because he was "so displeased by his life."

 I haven't read the book itself yet, so Fulford may not be characterizing it entirely accurately.

Nevertheless I did carry on quite a lot of correspondence with Uncle Fred when I was a student in the 1970s. He always wrote back from Mexico promptly on airmail paper using a nib pen and brown ink. His nephew, a former Globe and Mail China correspondent and writer, Charles Taylor was an elder brother-like mentor figure to me when I was a student at Trinity College of the U of Toronto (we are both named "Charles" after our common ancestor, E.P. Taylor's grandfather, Charles Magee). Uncle Fred was a common topic of our conversation. Charles and I had great affection and respect for him, as did everybody else in the family insofar as I was aware.

 My grandmother, Mary Greaves went to stay with Uncle Fred and Aunt Nova in Mexico at least twice before she died in 1962. She was very fond of them both.

The facts given in Mr. Virtue's book may indeed be true, but we people who knew Fred Taylor well all loved him.

 And I very much admired his paintings, water colours and etchings too.

Frolic Frolic

Toronto Sun April 10, 2008:
Mayor David Miller leads a controversial trade mission to China Sunday, calling the trip important to the city's economic future.
Despite calls from Tibetan activists to cancel the one-week trip amid China's violent crackdown on protests, Miller insisted yesterday he will use the visit as an opportunity to speak out "where appropriate" on human rights and conditions in Tibet.
"We must stand up for Torontonians' values, like human rights," Miller said to applause during a keynote speech at a Toronto Board of Trade luncheon.
York University professor Bernie Frolic will also give lectures on human rights at Chinese universities during the trip, Miller said.
http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2008/04/10/pf-5243261.html

National Post April 15, 2008, p. A7:
He said he wouldn't forget about human rights, noting, "A member of our mission, York University professor Dr. Bernie Frolic, will be giving lectures on human rights at Chinese universities during the trip." However, when a reporter mentioned on Monday that some consider Dr. Frolic an apologist for Chinese policy in Tibet, the Mayor said, "his lectures aren't part of our mission." http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/04/14/letter-from-city-hall-mayor-rediscovers-bay-street-side-in-beijing.aspx

Globe and Mail April 15, 2008, p. A11:
LECTURES NOW NOT PART OF TORONTO MISSION
Under pressure from pro-Tibet activists before heading to China, Toronto Mayor David Miller made repeated statements that a York University professor in his delegation would be giving lectures on human rights.
But yesterday, speaking in Beijing, Mr. Miller appeared to reverse himself. He said the lectures by Bernie Frolic, a leading expert in Chinese politics, were not part of the trip.
"Professor Frolic, at a press conference in my office, announced that he would be lecturing about human rights while he was here," Mr. Miller said. "I can't speak for him. He announced it - I didn't."

Falling Out of My Chair: My Testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on April 17, 2008

I gave a statement and answered questions for 90 minutes


English language transcript: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=3433712&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=2
et en français: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=3433712&Language=F&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=2
A couple of my favourite parts extracted:

Mme Diane Bourgeois:

Vous avez dit qu'on avait des partenariats stratégiques. On n'a pas inclus le dialogue sur les droits humains dans ces partenariats stratégiques.

Est-ce là ce que vous êtes en train de dire?

M. Charles Burton:

Oui, c'est effectivement vrai.

Mme Diane Bourgeois:

Merci beaucoup.

Je viens de tomber de ma chaise!

. . .


The Chair:

Thank you.

I just want to let the committee know my intentions here. We were to go into our in camera draft document report now, but I think my intention is that we will continue with this for the time being. We have probably Canada's predominant expert on China-Canada relations here with us right now. I'll give everyone the opportunity to have a question. I know there are a few who still have questions.

Mr. Burton, do you have time to stay with us?

Dr. Charles Burton:

I would be happy to stay.

The Chair:

Wonderful. Thank you.


Comment by me: Not sure that my colleagues in the academy would agree with the "predominant expert on China-Canada relations" assessment, but I am honoured to be noted as such in Hansard all the same.

Statement to The Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Affairs on The Rise Of China in the Global Economy

Statement by Charles Burton to The Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Affairs on The Rise Of China in the Global Economy and Implications for Canadian Policy, April 9, 2008

China's increasing importance in the global economy is one aspect of what Chinese policymakers refer to as «China's comprehensive rise to power». China's economic rise is understood as part of an overall strategy whose goal is transform China into a great power politically in international relations and to promote China's cultural influence in the world.. So most Chinese in their Government and in the Chinese populace at large see China's economic rise as serving China's greater purposes in the political and cultural realms.

Chinese people in general have a strong sense of the past glories of their historical tradition and enormous nationalistic pride in the greatness of Chinese civilization and culture. They also have a long historical memory and understand that history in terms of flourishing past, a decline in China's relative position in the world in 19^th century, and a very significant opportunity for China to rise to possibly global prodominance in this 21^st century.

That is to say, that when Marco Polo wrote his famous account of his Travels in China in the 13^th century, Marco Polo decribed a China that was superior to the West in well nigh every way. China in that period was a global leader in technology --- porcelains, fine silk fabrics, and a large number of things that the West did not have the ability to produce at the same level of technological sophistication, and in arts, culture, governance, and trade: the port at Quanzhou in Southern Fujian being characterized by Marco Polo as a more important centre for international commerce than even Egypt's great port of Alexandria in that era.

But in the 19^th century, China had lagged well behind the subsequent remarkable remarkable rise of the Western nations in commerce and technology. By1840 China was forced to make humiliating concessions to the British including ceding Hong Kong to Britain as a colony after China badly lost a with Britain over the right of Britain to sell opium in China. Subsequently when word of China's weakness became known, other imperialist powers were able to force ceding of Chinese territory and other concessions. China had become to be characterized as «the sick man of Asia». From the Chinese cultural point of view Japan joining in this plunder was the greatest blow to Chinese national pride. Japan had traditionally been perceived in China as a subsidiary culture to China's in a «big brother-little brother» relationship. But by 1932 Japan was even able to sever the entire Manchurian region of northeast China off from a weak Republic of China to form a Japanese controlled puppet state called Manchukuo and of course Japan occupied most of the rest of China's territory under brutal rule in the 2^nd World War.

In 1949, Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong declared the establishment of the People's Republic of China with the words «The Chinese people have stood up!» China's new regime promised to redress the humiliations of the past inflicted on China by Western nations and the Japanese and restore China to greatness as what the Chinese refer to as a «modernized strong country»

After now 30 years of sustained high economic growth rates, China under the Chinese Communist Party regime is now a very important player in the world economy and a very importnat important factor in Canada's prosperity. I am very happy to see this Senate Committee investigating the implications of China's rise for Canadian policy. China's rise has very strong implications for the Canada and the entire world economic and political order in the years ahead, so it is incumbent on us to take it very seriously.

There is a school of thought popular among Chinese nationalists that sees China rising to a position of global predominance in years ahead. The argument goes that the United States is a declining power overextended in military adventurism in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere and has allowed itself to become mired in debilitating foreign debt, much it now held by China. As the U.S. grows weaker, a rising China can move to eventually supplant the U.S. in its rôle as the leading global superpower. China would thereby be able to use this strategic leverage to make Taiwan «return to the embrace of Motherland» as China puts it. This Chinese nationalist vision asserts that without the USA as a check on China's rise, China will be restored its rightful historical position as the pre-eminent global civilization. According to this view, the hegemony of the English-speaking peoples over the global affairs which has been in force for close to 200 years would come to an end and be replaced by a new Chinese global hegemony.

This sort of Chinese-dominated future is dependent on a number of factors that may not come to pass in years ahead, but I do think that regardless it is important to be aware of some concerns in China's continuing rise based on some things that we are observing now as China becomes more assertive in its bilateral relations and participation in global institutions such as the WTO and UN because China is a much more powerful nation than was the case even just a few years ago.

These concerns centre on China's sense of «global citizenship» in terms of China's willingness to follow the existing norms of international relations. This is to say that there are concerns about China's interpretation of its obligations to the United Nations human rights covenants that it has signed and its less than satisfactory rôle in the UN Human Rights Council and there are concerns that China is pushing the boundaries of the accepted consensus of the range of interpretation of the rules of the WTO in a number of areas including expectations of transparency and openess. China has also been reluctant to assume its share of responsibility to take action to address global environmental issues

I remain concerned that as China becomes a more powerful nation in the world that China may tend to impose its own interpretations of the terms of the important treaties and conventions that govern international relations in ways that would tend to serve Chinese interests more that the overall interests of the international community as a whole. Canada's prosperity, security and ability to stand for democracy and human rights as a universal good both domestically here in Canada and internationally could also be degraded by the rise of a China that does not come to internalize the values of global citizenship.

I therefore think that it is important that Canada devote more attention and resources to our relationship with China as a country that is important to Canada now and will almost certainly be much more important to Canada in years ahead. What we don't want is a powerful non-democratic strongly nationalistic China to attempt to impose non-democratic norms on the international order of an increasingly globalizing world into which Canada is more and more integrated. But a wealthy and powerful democratic China would be of benefit to to global prosperity, the environment we all share, and the cause of furthering international human rights.

So in conclusion I think that it is important that Canada continue to engage China bilaterally and multilaterally on ts international obligations to fulfil the terms of the UN Covenants and treaties it is pledged to uphold and to fulfil the terms of China's entry into the WTO. In this regard a future democratic China is strongly in the interests of both China and Canada.

Transcript of the Meeting can be found here
English:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/2/parlbus/commbus/senate/Com-e/fore-e/45297-e.htm?Language=E&Parl=39&Ses=2&comm_id=8
Français:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/2/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-f/fore-f/45297-f.htm?Language=F&Parl=39&Ses=2&comm_id=8

Prime Minister's Comment on China at News Conference in Bucharest Today

I would continue to urge China to respect human rights and peaceful protest, not just in Tibet but everywhere.

And I would also encourage the government of China to understand that its growing wealth, its growing profile in the world and of course the profile of the Olympics will put a greater and greater spotlight on its record in this regard.

International concerns about China's handling of recent unrest in Tibet will only escalate if things don't change.

My strong advice would be to take these concerns seriously because I think they are likely to grow rather than diminish if we see a repetition of the current pattern.


http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080402/NATO_summit_080403/20080403?hub=TopStories

Tibetan Dancing at Olympic Torch Ceremony on Tian'anmen Square on March 31

I do not remember seeing any Tibetans doing any dancing when I visited Tibet some years ago. I have often seen Chinese variety shows with one act being Han Chinese young women dressed in cowboy hats with false long braids doing what is described in the program as "Chinese ethnic minority dance (Tibetan)". I am not sure how Tibetans regard this sort of performance. Are they pleased? Are they flattered?

I think that it is hard for PRC people to understand why Tibetans in Tibet or for that matter ethnic Chinese abroad and on Taiwan don't want to be part of the Great China rise projet. They think that all things being equal they should be just as enthusiastic about it as Chinese in China are supposed to be.

Chinese idea that Tibetans would be happy with Chinese rule if not for Western subversion

I am quite worried about very common Chinese "anti-Western" interpretation of current disorder in Tibet which is that the West (via CIA, etc.) controls the Dalai Lama who instigates Tibetans in Tibet to revolt leading to spoiling the Olympics causing Chinese national loss of face and thereby inhibiting China's rise to great power status. Many Han Chinese I know are individually very angry with Westerners in general because they think like this.

This line of thought could lead to bad things in China domestically and in China's foreign policy. It would discredit the "Western" human rights doctrine in China and tend to make China confrontational rather than cooperative in international relations.

An Appeal to the Chinese People from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

An Appeal to the Chinese People from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Today, I extend heartfelt greetings to my Chinese brothers and sisters round the world, particularly to those in the People's Republic of China. In the light of the recent developments in Tibet, I would like to share with you my thoughts concerning relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples, and to make a personal appeal to you all.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of life in the recent tragic events in Tibet. I am aware that some Chinese have also died. I feel for the victims and their families and pray for them. The recent unrest has clearly demonstrated the gravity of the situation in Tibet and the urgent need to seek a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution through dialogue. Even at this juncture I have expressed my willingness to the Chinese authorities to work together to bring about peace and stability.

Chinese brothers and sisters, I assure you I have no desire to seek Tibet's separation. Nor do I have any wish to drive a wedge between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples. On the contrary my commitment has always been to find a genuine solution to the problem of Tibet that ensures the long-term interests of both Chinese and Tibetans. My primary concern, as I have repeated time and again, is to ensure the survival of the Tibetan people's distinctive culture, language and identity. As a simple monk who strives to live his daily life according to Buddhist precepts, I assure you of the sincerity of my motivation.

I have appealed to the leadership of the PRC to clearly understand my position and work to resolve these problems by "seeking truth from facts." I urge the Chinese leadership to exercise wisdom and to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the Tibetan people. I also appeal to them to make sincere efforts to contribute to the stability and harmony of the PRC and avoid creating rifts between the nationalities. The state media's portrayal of the recent events in Tibet, using deceit and distorted images, could sow the seeds of racial tension with unpredictable long-term consequences. This is of grave concern to me. Similarly, despite my repeated support for the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese authorities, with the intention of creating rift between the Chinese people and myself, assert that I am trying to sabotage the games. I am encouraged, however, that several Chinese intellectuals and scholars have also expressed their strong concern about the Chinese leadership's actions and the potential for adverse long-term consequences, particularly on relations among different nationalities.

Since ancient times, Tibetan and Chinese peoples have lived as neighbors. In the two thousand year-old recorded history of our peoples, we have at times developed friendly relations, even entering into matrimonial alliances, while at other times we fought each other. However, since Buddhism flourished in China first before it arrived in Tibet from India, we Tibetans have historically accorded the Chinese people the respect and affection due to elder Dharma brothers and sisters. This is something well known to members of the Chinese community living outside China, some of whom have attended my Buddhist lectures, as well as pilgrims from mainland China, whom I have had the privilege to meet. I take heart from these meetings and feel they may contribute to a better understanding between our two peoples.

The twentieth century witnessed enormous changes in many parts of the world and Tibet, too, was caught up in this turbulence. Soon after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the People's Liberation Army entered Tibet finally resulting in the 17-Point Agreement concluded between China and Tibet in May 1951. When I was in Beijing in 1954-55, attending the National People's Congress, I had the opportunity to meet and develop a personal friendship with many senior leaders, including Chairman Mao himself. In fact, Chairman Mao gave me advice on numerous issues, as well as personal assurances with regard to the future of Tibet. Encouraged by these assurances, and inspired by the dedication of many of China's revolutionary leaders of the time, I returned to Tibet full of confidence and optimism. Some Tibetan members of the Communist Party also had such a hope. After my return to Lhasa, I made every possible effort to seek genuine autonomy for Tibet within the family of the People's Republic of China (PRC). I believed that this would best serve the long-term interests of both the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.

Unfortunately, tensions, which began to escalate in Tibet from around 1956, eventually led to the peaceful uprising of March 10, 1959, in Lhasa and my eventual escape into exile. Although many positive developments have taken place in Tibet under the PRC's rule, these developments, as the previous Panchen Lama pointed out in January 1989, were overshadowed by immense suffering and extensive destruction. Tibetans were compelled to live in a state of constant fear, while the Chinese government remained suspicious of them. However, instead of cultivating enmity towards the Chinese leaders responsible for the ruthless suppression of the Tibetan people, I prayed for them to become friends, which I expressed in the following lines in a prayer I composed in 1960, a year after I arrived in India: "May they attain the wisdom eye discerning right and wrong, And may they abide in the glory of friendship and love." Many Tibetans, school children among them, recite these lines in their daily prayers.

In 1974, following serious discussions with my Kashag (cabinet), as well as the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the then Assembly of the Tibetan People's Deputies, we decided to find a Middle Way that would seek not to separate Tibet from China, but would facilitate the peaceful development of Tibet. Although we had no contact at the time with the PRC - which was in the midst of the Cultural Revolution - we had already recognized that sooner or later, we would have to resolve the question of Tibet through negotiations. We also acknowledged that, at least with regard to modernization and economic development, it would greatly benefit Tibet if it remained within the PRC. Although Tibet has a rich and ancient cultural heritage, it is materially undeveloped.

Situated on the roof of the world, Tibet is the source of many of Asia's major rivers, therefore, protection of the environment on the Tibetan plateau is of supreme importance. Since our utmost concern is to safeguard Tibetan Buddhist culture - rooted as it is in the values of universal compassion - as well as the Tibetan language and the unique Tibetan identity, we have worked whole-heartedly towards achieving meaningful self-rule for all Tibetans. The PRC's constitution provides the right for nationalities such as the Tibetans to do this.

In 1979, the then Chinese paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping assured my personal emissary that "except for the independence of Tibet, all other questions can be negotiated." Since we had already formulated our approach to seeking a solution to the Tibetan issue within the constitution of the PRC, we found ourselves well placed to respond to this new opportunity. My representatives met many times with officials of the PRC. Since renewing our contacts in 2002, we have had six rounds of talks. However, on the fundamental issue, there has been no concrete result at all. Nevertheless, as I have declared many times, I remain firmly committed to the Middle Way approach and reiterate here my willingness to continue to pursue the process of dialogue.

This year the Chinese people are proudly and eagerly awaiting the opening of the Olympic Games. I have, from the start, supported Beijing's being awarded the opportunity to host the Games. My position remains unchanged.

China has the world's largest population, a long history and an extremely rich civilization. Today, due to her impressive economic progress, she is emerging as a great power. This is certainly to be welcomed. But China also needs to earn the respect and esteem of the global community through the establishment of an open and harmonious society based on the principles of transparency, freedom, and the rule of law. For example, to this day victims of the Tiananmen Square tragedy that adversely affected the lives of so many Chinese citizens have received neither just redress nor any official response. Similarly, when thousands of ordinary Chinese in rural areas suffer injustice at the hands of exploitative and corrupt local officials, their legitimate complaints are either ignored or met with aggression. I express these concerns both as a fellow human being and as someone who is prepared to consider himself a member of the large family that is the People's Republic of China. In this respect, I appreciate and support President Hu Jintao's policy of creating a "harmonious society", but this can only arise on the basis of mutual trust and an atmosphere of freedom, including freedom of speech and the rule of law. I strongly believe that if these values are embraced, many important problems relating to minority nationalities can be resolved, such as the issue of Tibet, as well as Eastern Turkistan, and Inner Mongolia, where the native people now constitute only 20% of a total population of 24 million.

I had hoped President Hu Jintao's recent statement that the stability and safety of Tibet concerns the stability and safety of the country might herald the dawning of a new era for the resolution of the problem of Tibet. It is unfortunate that despite my sincere efforts not to separate Tibet from China, the leaders of the PRC continue to accuse me of being a "separatist". Similarly, when Tibetans in Lhasa and many other areas spontaneously protested to express their deep-rooted resentment, the Chinese authorities immediately accused me of having orchestrated their demonstrations. I have called for a thorough investigation by a respected body to look into this allegation.

Chinese brothers and sisters - wherever you may be - with deep concern I appeal to you to help dispel the misunderstandings between our two communities. Moreover, I appeal to you to help us find a peaceful, lasting solution to the problem of Tibet through dialogue in the spirit of understanding and accommodation.

With my prayers,

Dalai Lama

March 28, 2008

Canadian Government Boycott of Olympic Opening Ceremony

My view is regardless of whether there is a formal boycott of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics or not, it is unlikely that any senior Canadian politicians will go to China at that time. For protocol reasons it would be very difficult for them to avoid being photographed shaking hands with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing. It strikes me that under the circumstances it is hard to imagine any Canadian politician of any party wanting to risk seeing themselves on the pages of our newspapers in the company of a grinning Chinese Communist leader. Another factor making this unlikely in my opinion is that based on my experience with this kind of thing, the opening ceremony is bound to include some ersatz Tibetan "singing and dancing." Han Chinese in the PRC are taught believe that all of the 56 officially recognized nationalities except themselves "love to sing and dance." It is part and parcel of the official strategy to debase non-Han cultures in China by reducing them all to folkloric elements.

News from the Loading Dock at U.S. Air Force Base in Wyoming

WASHINGTON (AP) The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that it mistakenly shipped non-nuclear ballistic missile components to Taiwan from a U.S. Air Force base in Wyoming.

Comment: They must have got the address labels on those crates mixed up.



Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 12:37 PM PDT
WASHINGTON (AP) President Bush told Chinese President Hu Jintao that a "mistake had been made" in shipment of nuclear missile fuses to Taiwan.

Thursday, March 27, 2008, 12:17 PM PDT
WASHINGTON (AP) Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered an inventory of all nuclear weapon and related material in the wake of mistaken shipment to Taiwan.

Twelve Suggestions for Dealing with the Tibetan Situation by Some Chinese Intellectuals

1. At present the one-sided propaganda of the official Chinese media is having the effect of stirring up inter-ethnic animosity and aggravating an already tense situation. This is extremely detrimental to the long-term goal of safeguarding national unity. We call for such propaganda to be stopped.
2. We support the Dalai Lama¡'s appeal for peace, and hope that the ethnic conflict can be dealt with according to the principles of goodwill, peace, and non-violence. We condemn any violent act against innocent people, strongly urge the Chinese government to stop the violent suppression, and appeal to the Tibetan people likewise not to engage in violent activities.
3. The Chinese government claims that "there is sufficient evidence to prove this incident was organized, premeditated, and meticulously orchestrated by the Dalai clique." We hope that the government will show proof of this. In order to change the international community's negative view and distrustful attitude, we also suggest that the government invite the United Nation's Commission on Human Rights to carry out an independent investigation of the evidence, the course of the incident, the number of casualties, etc.
4. In our opinion, such Cultural-Revolution-like language as "the Dalai Lama is a jackal in Buddhist monk's robes and an evil spirit with a human face and the heart of a beast" used by the Chinese Communist Party leadership in the Tibet Autonomous Region is of no help in easing the situation, nor is it beneficial to the Chinese government's image. As the Chinese government is committed to integrating into the international community, we maintain that it should display a style of governing that conforms to the standards of modern civilization.
5. We note that on the very day when the violence erupted in Lhasa (March 14), the leaders of the Tibet Autonomous Region declared that "there is sufficient evidence to prove this incident was organized, premeditated, and meticulously orchestrated by the Dalai clique." This shows that the authorities in Tibet knew in advance that the riot would occur, yet did nothing effective to prevent the incident from happening or escalating. If there was a dereliction of duty, a serious investigation must be carried out to determine this and deal with it accordingly.
6. If in the end it cannot be proved that this was an organized, premeditated, and meticulously orchestrated event but was instead a "popular revolt" triggered by events, then the authorities should pursue those responsible for inciting the popular revolt and concocting false information to deceive the Central Government and the people; they should also seriously reflect on what can be learned from this event so as to avoid taking the same course in the future.
7. We strongly demand that the authorities not subject every Tibetan to political investigation or revenge. The trials of those who have been arrested must be carried out according to judicial procedures that are open, just, and transparent so as to ensure that all parties are satisfied.
8. We urge the Chinese government to allow credible national and international media to go into Tibetan areas to conduct independent interviews and news reports. In our view, the current news blockade cannot gain credit with the Chinese people or the international community, and is harmful to the credibility of the Chinese government. If the government grasps the true situation, it need not fear challenges. Only by adopting an open attitude can we turn around the international community's distrust of our government.
9. We appeal to the Chinese people and overseas Chinese to be calm and tolerant, and to reflect deeply on what is happening. Adopting a posture of aggressive nationalism will only invite antipathy from the international community and harm China's international image.
10. The disturbances in Tibet in the 1980s were limited to Lhasa, whereas this time they have spread to many Tibetan areas. This deterioration indicates that there are serious mistakes in the work that has been done with regard to Tibet. The relevant government departments must conscientiously reflect upon this matter, examine their failures, and fundamentally change the failed nationality policies.
11. In order to prevent similar incidents from happening in future, the government must abide by the freedom of religious belief and the freedom of speech explicitly enshrined in the Chinese Constitution, thereby allowing the Tibetan people fully to express their grievances and hopes, and permitting citizens of all nationalities freely to criticize and make suggestions regarding the government¡¯s nationality policies.
12. We hold that we must eliminate animosity and bring about national reconciliation, not continue to increase divisions between nationalities. A country that wishes to avoid the partition of its territory must first avoid divisions among its nationalities. Therefore, we appeal to the leaders of our country to hold direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama. We hope that the Chinese and Tibetan people will do away with the misunderstandings between them, develop their interactions with each other, and achieve unity. Government departments as much as popular organizations and religious figures should make great efforts toward this goal.
Signatures:
Wang Lixiong (Beijing, Writer)
Liu Xiaobo (Beijing, Freelance Writer)
Zhang Zuhua (Beijing, scholar of constitutionalism)
Sha Yexin (Shanghai, writer, Chinese Muslim)
Yu Haocheng (Beijing, jurist)
Ding Zilin (Beijing, professor)
Jiang Peikun (Beijing, professor)
Yu Jie (Beijing, writer)
Sun Wenguang (Shangdong, professor)
Ran Yunfei (Sichuan, editor, Tujia nationality)
Pu Zhiqiang (Beijing, lawyer)
Teng Biao (Beijing, Layer and scholar)
Liao Yiwu ()Sichuan, writer)
Wang Qisheng (Beijing, scholar)
Zhang Xianling (Beijing, engineer)
Xu Jue (Beijing, research fellow)
Li Jun (Gansu, photographer)
Gao Yu (Beijing, journalist)
Wang Debang (Beijing, freelance writer)
Zhao Dagong (Shenzhen, freelance writer)
Jiang Danwen (Shanghai, writer)
Liu Yi (Gansu, painter)
Xu Hui (Beijing, writer)
Wang Tiancheng (Beijing, scholar)
Wen Kejian (Hangzhou, freelance)
Li Hai (Beijing, freelance writer)
Tian Yongde (Inner Mongolia, folk human rights activists)
Zan Aizong (Hangzhou, journalist)
Liu Yiming (Hubei, freelance writer)
Liu Di (Beijing, freelance writer)

March 20 Statement by Canadian Foreign Minister Urging PRC to Open Dialogue with the Dalai Lama

March 20, 2008 (3:15 p.m. EDT)
No. 60

CANADA CALLS FOR DIALOGUE ON TIBET

The Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement regarding the situation in Tibet:

“Our government continues to be concerned by ongoing reports regarding the Government of China's treatment of Tibetan protestors. We have expressed our concerns in this regard to the Chinese Ambassador and, through the Canadian Embassy in Beijing, to the Chinese government.

“I once again call on China to respect the right to protest peacefully. The most constructive option at the present time, I believe, would be for the Government of China to enter into direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his designated representatives. Such dialogue may ensure an already tense situation does not deteriorate into further violence.”

- 30 -

Two Versions of Report of Yesterday's Telephone Call Between British and Chinese Premiers

Yahoo News:
LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday that Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has said he is prepared to hold discussions on Tibet with the Dalai Lama.

Brown said he spoke with Wen early Wednesday to call for restraint after violent protests marking the biggest challenge to Chinese rule in Tibet in almost two decades.

"I made it absolutely clear that there had to be an end to violence in Tibet," Brown told a lawmaker in the House of Commons.

"The premier told me that, subject to two things the Dalai Lama has already said ¡ª that he does not support the total independence of Tibet and that he refrains from violence ¡ª that he would be prepared to enter a dialogue with the Dalai Lama," Brown said.

Brown said he would meet Tibet's exiled Buddhist leader during his visit to London in May.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080319/ap_on_re_eu/britain_china_tibet_1;_ylt=AlszjSJLzYIIiavmTmGObG79xg8F


New China News Agency:
BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his British counterpart Gordon Brown talked over the phone on Wednesday, with both sides pledging to boost bilateral ties.

Wen said that the Sino-British relationship has entered a new phase of development and China is willing to work with Britain to maintain high-level contact between the two countries.

With various mechanisms of bilateral communication, the two countries could improve mutual understanding, enhance mutual trust, expand cooperation and push forward the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides, the Chinese premier said.

Brown said Britain has dedicated great efforts to the development of ties with China and is ready to strengthen cooperation with China in a wide range of areas.

The British prime minister also said he believed the 2008 Beijing Olympics will be a success and he himself will come to Beijing for the event.

During the phone conversation, Wen also briefed Brown about the recent riot in China's Tibet and reiterated the stance of the Chinese government on the issue.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-03/19/content_6550495.htm

Chinese Communist Party Highly Emotional Rhetoric on Dalai Lama's Threat to Their Rule of Tibet

This is what Tibet Autonomous Region Communist Party Regional Committee Secretary Zhang Qingli is quoted in the Tibet Daily as having told local officials:
"The Dalai is a wolf in monk's robes, a devil with a human face but the heart of a beast. We are now engaged in a fierce blood-and-fire battle with the Dalai clique, a life-and-death battle between us and the enemy."


http://eng.tibet.cn/politics/

Excerpt from March 12 Address by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Bernier to Asian Heads of Mission Meeting

For almost 40 years, Canada has maintained a One China policy.

We recognize the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the sole legitimate government of China. This remains the core of our China policy. It guides our bilateral relationship with the PRC. It informs our position on Tibet. And it provides a framework that supports peace and security in the Taiwan Strait.

Under this framework, we oppose unilateral actions by either side aimed at changing Taiwan’s status. In our view, differences should be resolved by peaceful dialogue between the parties concerned.

We welcome the development of democracy on the island of Taiwan. But we are concerned that the substance of the March 22 referendum on joining the UN in the name of Taiwan needlessly escalates tensions across the Strait.

Canada opposes the referendum because it will not, in our view, contribute to peace and security in the region, nor will it be of any help to Taiwan or its people.

http://w01.international.gc.ca/minpub/Publication.aspx?isRedirect=True&publication_id=385946&Mode=print


Xinhua New Agency Report: "China Applauds Canadian FM's Speech on Canada-China Relations" http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/16/content_7801954.htm


The Globe and Mail quoted my response to this speech in a report by Campbell Clark entitled "Canada subtly signalling change of policy toward China" published March 18 . It can be found at: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcfd6fxz_401cvzwd4d4

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs said "Canada has one-China policy" in House of Commons Today

Mr. Chris Warkentin (Peace River, CPC): Mr. Speaker, earlier this week we heard of hundreds on monks in Tibet who were staging peaceful protests demanding improved treatment and religious freedom. They are asking for human rights. Yet we have heard that these protests have been met with force, monks have been detained and monasteries have been surrounded by Chinese troops.
Canadians enjoy the right to demonstrate peacefully and to practise religion freely.Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs provide the House with what the government's reaction is to this news out of Tibet ?
Hon. Maxime Bernier (Minister of Foreign Affairs, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Canada has one-China policy. We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Tibet . We have consistently urged China to respect freedom or expression, freedom of association, freedom of religion for all Tibetans.
These latest developments in Tibet are very troubling for us and for Canadians. We urge China to respect the right of Tibetans to peaceful protests and to take steps to improve the human rights situation in Tibet .
14:46 (60)

Comment: I think that the friendly question from a fellow Conservative did not require the observation that "Canada has a one-China policy." The answer is quite complete without that. The Minister was presumably fully prepared to answer the question, so the comment was purposive. When we established diplomatic relations with the PRC in October 1970 the formula was that Canada recognizes the PRC government as the "sole legal government of China" and "takes note" of China's position that Taiwan is an "inalienable part of the territory" of the PRC. The PRC Foreign Ministry opposes the idea of nations having a policy of "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan." But the language "one-China policy" originates with the PRC authorities, not with Canada. So it would suggest that M. Bernier is suggesting a subtle but meaningful change in Conservative Government rhetoric on China that would be very well received by the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa. It would suggest that Canada supports Chinese Government claims to legitimate sovereignty over Taiwan and over Tibet. There are likely different views within the Conservative Party as to the necessity for such a clear and unambiguous statement of concurrence with the Chinese Government's strong desire that Canada affirm that "Canada has a one-China policy." Many Canadians of Taiwanese, Tibetan and Uighur origin will not be supportive of this statement by our Foreign Minister in the House.  

That being said of course Canada acknowledges PRC sovereignty over the areas in the Beijing government's control and Canada continues to "take note of" the PRC stance on Taiwan.  But any statement beyond that could be construed as Canadian interference in Chinese domestic affairs.

Canada-China Bilateral Human Rights Dialogue.Report Adopted by The Commons Subcommittee on International Human Rights on March 11, 2008

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
Meeting No. 3
Tuesday, March 11, 2008

The Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development met in camera at 1:05 p.m. this day, in Room 253-D, Centre Block, the Chair, Scott Reid, presiding.

Members of the Subcommittee present: Hon. Irwin Cotler, Hon. Jason Kenney, Wayne Marston, Scott Reid, Mario Silva, Caroline St-Hilaire and David Sweet.
In attendance: Library of Parliament: Robert Dufresne, Analyst; Marcus Pistor, Analyst.


Pursuant to the motion adopted by the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, November 13, 2007 and the motion adopted by the Subcommittee, March 6, 2008, the Subcommittee commenced its study on Canada-China Bilateral Human Rights Dialogue.

It was agreed, --- That the evidence and documentation received by the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in relation to its study of the Canada-China Bilateral Human Rights Dialogue during the First Session of the 39th Parliament, be taken into consideration by the Subcommittee in this session.

It was agreed, --- That the Subcommittee adopt the report entitled: Canada-China Bilateral Human Rights Dialogue.

It was agreed, ---That the Chair of the Subcommittee present the report to the Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development asking that it be adopted as soon as possible by the Committee and tabled in the House before this summer's Olympic Games in China, while the international community has the most leverage.


Full text of these minutes can be found at:
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteeList.aspx?Lang=1&PARLSES=392&JNT=0&SELID=e22_.2&COM=13463&STAC=2362981

Transcript of Evidence of the Subcommittee's previous meeting of March 4 which discusses this matter (and mentions my name) can be found at http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?SourceId=230843&Lang=1&PARLSES=392&JNT=0&COM=13463

Rough Translation of Statement by President Hu Jintao on Mobilizing Overseas Chinese to Serve China's Rise Reported on March 7 CCTV News Broadcast

CPC Central Committee General Secretary and State President and Central Military Commission Chairman Hu Jintao today called on the members of the Zhi Gong Party and the members of the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese appointed to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee and engaged in a group discussion with them. The Committee members spoke out enthusiastically offering positive suggestions for national policy. After listening attentively to the suggestions of Lin Zhaoshu, Li Zhuobin, Lin Mingjiang, Wu Chengye, and 7 other members, Hu said that it is important to bring the 17th Communist Party Congress magnificent blueprint into reality. It is necessary to accelerate the process of comprehensive construction of a well-off society. We must continue to emancipate our minds, seek truth from facts, advance with the times, seize the hour and work together, working hard and with determination, to further strengthen the great unity of the sons and daughter of China both at home and abroad . We must make the hearts of overseas Chinese cohere together, consolidating overseas Chinese wisdom, fully exploiting overseas Chinese power, safeguarding overseas Chinese interests, and give full play to the important role of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese in promoting China's modernization, and n promoting the peaceful reunification of the motherland. They have a unique and active role in the dissemination of Chinese culture abroad. And can play a bridging function in the promotion of mutual understanding between the Chinese people and peoples of all countries. They can stand with the whole Chinese nation to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese civilization by to striving together in a concerted effort. Party committees and governments at all levels to must effectively protect the interests of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and take the fundamental interests of overseas Chinese as the starting point and goal of the overseas Chinese work and sincerely resolve tough issues, and do good things, and do practical things to serve them. Jia Qinglin took part in the visit and discussion.

The Chinese original can be found at: http://news.cctv.com/china/20080307/105901.shtml


Comment: I am disturbed by the idea that the Chinese authorities identify Canadians of Chinese origin as overseas members of "the Chinese nation." When Chinese leaders visit Canada, in my opinion too much of their scheduled program in our country is taken up by activities conducted in the Chinese language directed at Canadians of Chinese origin.

"NAFTAgate" Investigation Problematic

Evidently someone took a classified tel that had been written by a diplomat at the Canadian Consulate in Chicago and handed it over to some one in the CBC. The prospect of finding out who the person who gave it to the CBC is strikes me as rather remote. The tel characterized a conversation between a Canadian diplomat and a senior aide to Senator Obama. The distribution list on this sort of tel is very wide as it would be of such high interest to so many elements in the Canadian Government. Lots of people print these classified tels out instead of reading them off the screen of their computers. It is easy for any one of the dozens and dozens of people with access to take a copy of a classified tel out of their office in their briefcase. The system is based on trust. Someone has grievously violated that trust by handing a classified document over to someone without the appropriate security clearance. It is unlikely that such a person will be honest enough to come forward and admit that he or she made a serious error in judgement by revealing state secrets. Hope that I am wrong about this.

My Friendship with Gerry Dirks

I first met Gerry Dirks at the Wellington Court Restaurant in St. Catharines when I came for my job interview to become assistant professor of Politics at Brock University in the spring of 1989. It took me a while to realize that I was being interviewed by a blind professor. I had previously assumed that not being able to see and thus not being able to read would disqualify one for that line of work. Turns out that I was quite wrong about that. He died last week in Victoria. So I have lost another dear friend and mentor.

Gerry was the first colleague hired by our founding Chair, Bill Hull. It must have been something of an edgy move for Bill to hire a blind person in face of the prevailing values in 1966. Ed Andrew once told me that he had also applied for that job but Gerry had beat him out for it. Gerry received his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, having attained earlier degrees from the University of British Columbia and Queen's University (John Meisel frequently asked me about Gerry and spoke of him and his wife Pat with some considerable affection). Throughout his career Gerry published widely on Canadian immigration and refugee policy, a very important subject.

Turns out being blind was not such a barrier to his job performance. I co-taught a graduate course with him in the early-90s. He was an excellent teacher as well as a distinguished scholar. At that time he hired students as readers who would record the seminar readings and student papers and exams onto cassette tapes which Gerry listened to speeded up. He wrote his lecture notes in braille. Later with the advances in technology he got computers that could convert e-mail and digital sources to voice and scanners that would read the books and newspapers in various voices to vary the monotony of having just one machine reader (these voice variations dubbed in the software manual as "bouncing Betty," "frail Frank", etc.). I remember feeling quite moved after I hooked up his first scanner to voice device in his office, a couple of doors down from mine.

Gerry seemed to revel in giving the impression that he could "see." Driving with him he would direct me to the destination ("OK, now turn left at that gas station" --- even if the gas station had in fact been pulled down a couple of years before). He walked with his stick to all his classes and seminars unaided and went home by himself on the bus after class. He took care to switch on the light when he entered his office, although sometimes he forgot to. Our only precaution was not to leave boxes and such like in the hallway for him to trip over unseen. He sometimes had visible bruises cuts in his face from bumps and falls. I found that heart rending, but Gerry was used to this. Of course his functioning in a sighted peoples world was a carefully calculated effortlessness. I felt quite honoured when he asked me to walk him through the Taro Building when our Department was moved there in '91. He counted all his steps and memorized the layout of every seminar room in the place. It was a formidable task. This way he could walk into a room and head straight to the lectern without hesitation or stumbling.

But that is not to say that Gerry was not frank about his blindness. He would joke about students who failed to get his attention in seminar by raising their hands. He did service in advocacy and at senior administrative levels for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. He was assertively insistent that when he was due a gold watch after 25 years of service to Brock that the University take the trouble and expense to get him a braille watch made with the Brock seal on its face like all the others for the sighted.

And he had a beautifully tender side too. Gerry and Pat never had any children of their own, but I once arranged for the 6 year-old daughter of one of our students who was curious to see how people read with braille to meet Gerry in his office. He took a lot of care and kindness with little Chelsea Hughes to answer all her questions and let her touch his braille texts. She came away filled with a child's happiness and wonder. It is a special memory of Gerry that I will carry with me for the rest of my days.

In about 1990, it was the 25th anniversary of our Department and therefore the 25th anniversary of Bill Hull's association with Brock. We arranged for a Departmental dinner to be held at the Queenston Heights Restaurant and for the presentation a gift to Bill. Gerry and I were the Hull 25th Celebration Committee. Turns out that Bill wanted a silver champagne cooler to mark the occasion. So Gerry and I went on a tour of Niagara region china shops in search of this article. I did almost knock over a glass cabinet of expensive china in one of them, Gerry on the other hand did not knock into anything. Eventually we found a silver champagne cooler that Gerry liked the feel of and I liked the look of. So we had Ken Kernaghan draft up a suitable inscription to be engraved on the front on it. Gerry and I took the champagne cooler to Birks for the engraving of Ken's tribute to Bill. Turns out the the Kernaghan text was rather wordy and Birks charges for engraving by the letter. In fact when we came back for it and I was handed the bill, it turned out that the engraving cost about the same as the cooler itself and far exceeded the amount of money Gerry and I had collected from colleagues to cover the cost. But fortunately at the cash desk the sales clerk asked "Will that be on the Brock account, sir?" Quick thinking Gerry responded without missing a beat, "Of course." I signed the chit as illegibly as I could manage. Gerry and I exited Birks with due haste, in good humour, engraved champagne cooler in hand.



-------------------
I received this comment from John Meisel, Gerry's teacher at Queen's on March 28: What a shock ! I always loved Gerry, as an effervescent, bright man with a huge funny bone. He was, as you can imagine a sparkling student totally resilient and in a perpetual state of triumph over his affliction.

Obituary about Gerry published in the Victoria Times Colonist on March 28 can be found here.

My E-mail to Tom Flanagan

From: Charles Burton
To: Tom Flanagan
Sent: Saturday, March 1, 2008 10:07:19 AM
Subject: Cadman matter

Dear Tom,

Let me add my name to the long list of people who are outraged by recent slanderous comments impugning that you did something wrong in an interaction with Chuck Cadman that you may have had in 2005.

Take care,

Charles

Tel. (St. Catharines): +1-905-329-9477
Tel. (Shanghai): +86-1316-624-2463
Tel. (Beijing): +86-1316-185-5041
Free call from China: 4007128899, ext. 8992031727
FAX: +1-209-231-4087
Skype, MSN, Yahoo, Google: cburton001
Hushmail: Burton
http://spartan.ac.brocku.ca/~cburton

Yang Jiechi's Statement to Press on Resuming Human Rights Dialogue with U.S.

Today's Washington Post has a report of a statement by the Chinese Foreign Minister on resuming human rights dialogue with the USA (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/26/AR2008022600903.html?hpid=topnews)

Here is an excerpt from it:
"China declared Tuesday that it is willing to resume a long-stalled human rights dialogue with the United States, apparently seeking to improve its image before this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing.
Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi made the announcement at the close of talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who passed through Beijing after attending the inauguration of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul on Monday.
Yang, a former ambassador to Washington, appeared to direct his announcement to U.S. reporters accompanying Rice.
"We are willing to resume the human rights dialogue," he said, reading from notes. "The Chinese people enjoy the full extent of human rights and religious freedom. We are willing to have exchanges and interactions with the United States and other countries on human rights on a basis of mutual respect, equality and noninterference in internal affairs."
Rice, in a later briefing, welcomed the Chinese gesture and said U.S. diplomats would seek to pin down a date for restarting the dialogue as soon as possible. "That is something we've been trying to do for some time," she added.
China suspended participation in the regular U.S.-China human rights dialogue in 2004 after the United States sponsored a resolution at the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Commission urging condemnation of China's record. Chinese officials construed that move as interference in their country's affairs and a display of hostility that made further formal dialogue impossible.
President Hu Jintao indicated to President Bush during a visit to Washington two years later that he was willing in principle to resume the dialogue, according to U.S. reports. But in practice, Chinese officials evaded U.S. attempts to get the discussions started again."

Comment: Based on my study of the bilateral dialogues that China has had with various countries, the observation that "Chinese officials evaded U.S. attempts to get the discussions started again" is well-based. This is because the USA is not prepared to go along with the Chinese agenda to use the human rights dialogues as a foreign policy initiative whose purpose is to counter Western attempts to make the Chinese Party-State accountable for its failure to comply with China's commitments to the UN to extend the universal entitlement to human rights to Chinese citizens. Yang's assertion that "the Chinese people enjoy the full extent of human rights and religious freedom," does not bode well for any meaningful dialogue because this statement is so blatantly absurd. This lack of sincere intention to genuinely address China's human rights issues is regrettably confirmed in that there has been no mention of the Chinese Government request to resume the human rights dialogue with the US in any of the reports of Secretary of State Rice's visit to China in any of the Mainland Chinese TV news or newspaper reports that I have seen so far.

Yahoo Fax to Condoleezza Rice and Yahoo Human Rights Fund for Cyber-Dissidents

WASHINGTON (AP) — Yahoo Inc. Chief Executive Jerry Yang wants U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to help get two Chinese journalists out of prison — where they've been since Yahoo complied with Chinese investigators.

Yang's request, faxed to Rice on Thursday morning, is the company's latest effort to undo damage set off when Yahoo cooperated with Chinese authorities and disclosed information about the online activities of the two journalists.

U.S. lawmakers and human rights advocates have accused it of collaborating with an oppressive regime and the Internet company recently settled a lawsuit with families of the journalists, who were each sentenced to 10-year prison terms for allegedly leaking state secrets and political writings.

Yahoo also helped establish a human rights fund to provide humanitarian and legal aid to dissidents who have been imprisoned for expressing their views online.

Full report can be found at: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iUGDBG-d7HqWPkUPG050pmPYDEvAD8UV0HB00

Comment by me: Corporate damage control, but welcome anyway.

A related subsequent news report: " Yahoo Sued Again by Chinese Dissidents" can be found at http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcfd6fxz_386hq476ncw

Excerpt from Reuters report on Central Party School Report on Reform of China's Political System

Elite China think-tank issues political reform blueprint

Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:27pm EST

By Chris Buckley

BEIJING (Reuters) - China risks dangerous instability unless it embraces democratic reforms to limit the power of the ruling Communist Party, foster competitive voting and rein in censors, the Party's top think-tank has warned in a new report.

The "comprehensive political system reform plan" by scholars at the Central Party School in Beijing argues for steady liberalization that its authors say can build a "modern civil society" by 2020 and "mature democracy and rule of law" in later decades.

The cost of delaying this course could be economic disarray and worsening corruption and public discontent, they write in "Storming the Fortress: A Research Report on China 's Political System Reform after the 17th Party Congress".

"Citizens' steadily rising democratic consciousness and the grave corruption among Party and government officials make it increasing urgent to press ahead with demands for political system reform," the report states. "The backwardness of the political system is affecting economic development."

The report was finished in October, just after the Party's twice-a-decade congress ended and gave President Hu Jintao five more years as party chief. But it is only now appearing in some Beijing bookstores.

This is no manifesto for outright democracy. The authors say the Party must keep overall control and "elite" decision-making will help China achieve lasting economic prosperity by pushing past obstacles to economic reform.

But the 366-page report give a strikingly detailed blueprint of how some elite advisers see political relaxation unfolding, with three phases of reform in the next 12 years, including restricting the Party's powers and expanding the rights of citizens, reporters, religious believers and lawmakers.

"Until now political reform has been scattered and inconsequential," Wang Guixiu, a professor at the Party School not involved in the study, told Reuters. "Real political reform needs a substantive plan of action, and there are some scholars and officials who believe that's what is needed now."

Full text of the Reuters report can be found at http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcfd6fxz_374d84s9zhh.

Related report in the Chinese language can be found at http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcfd6fxz_378d48xgkcg

An account of my visit to the Central Party School in September 2007 can be found here: http://charlesburton.blogspot.com/2007/10/engaging-on-human-rights-at-central.html

About the Chinese Government's Claim that It Does No Spying of Any Kind Ever

The Washington Post reported Tuesday (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/12/AR2008021200316_pf.html) that a Defense Department analyst and a former engineer for Boeing Co. were accused Monday in separate spy cases with helping deliver military secrets to the Chinese government, the Justice Department said. Additionally, two immigrants from China and Taiwan accused of working with the defense analyst were arrested after an FBI raid Monday morning on a New Orleans home where one of them lived. The two cases ---based in Alexandria, Va., and Los Angeles --- have no connection, and investigators said it was merely a coincidence that charges would be brought against both on the same day.

The response of the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao is reported as follows: "So-called talk that China runs spying activities in the United States is totally fictitious and has ulterior motives. We demand the U.S. side abandon its Cold War thinking and stop its gratuitous criticism of China. I think everyone is weary of this kind of farce, and it should end" . . . The United States should "do more to help bilateral trust and friendship between the peoples of both nations."

So the Chinese Government's "official" position is that the Chinese Government does no spying of any kind ever. I don't know why they make this claim. Better to say nothing than bring shame on themselves by making up an absurd statement that suggests the foreigners are so foolish as to believe it.


An interesting related artcle in the February 15 Washington Post entitled: "Even Spies Embrace China's Free Market: U.S. Says Some Tech Theives aer Entrepreneurs, Not Government Agents" can be found at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/14/AR2008021403550_pf.html

Apology for Anti-Rightist Campaign and Cultural Revolution Wrongs?

Yesterday the Xinhua News Agency published an article in The China Daily entitled " Rudd says sorry to the stolen generation" about the Australian Prime Minister's apology to his nation's aboriginal peoples (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2008-02/13/content_6450311.htm). Here is an excerpt:
CANBERRA -- Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said sorry to the stolen generations in a public speech Wednesday morning in the parliament.
"We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were stolen generations, this blemished chapter in our nation's history," Rudd said.
"We apologize for the laws and policies of successive parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians," the apology says.
"For the pain, suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.
"To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.
"And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry," the prime minister said in an emotional speech.
Rudd said a new page in Australia's history can now be written.
"We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians," he said.

I subsequently received a poignant message from a close friend in China who suffered badly with his factory and property owning family after 1949 and in the Anti-Rightist Campaign and in the Cultural Revolution. He is now an older gentleman living in the PRC in retirement. He wrote me in English as follows:

"Will there be a righteous Chinese communist leader in future who would say a heart-felt SORRY to tens of millions of Chinese nationals and their left-behind families who were wronged by the wronged policies over the past tens of years in the CCP's history?"

Excerpt from London Times Report on Suit by Chinese Citizen Over Search Engine Censorship

A former Chinese university professor who was dismissed after he founded a democratic opposition party, plans to sue Yahoo! and Google in the United States for blocking his name from search results in China.

Guo Quan, an expert on classical Chinese literature and the 1937 Nanjing massacre of Chinese civilians by Japanese troops, last week issued an open letter pledging to bring a lawsuit against Google after he discovered that his name had been excised in searches of its google.cn portal in China.

He told The Times that he had now found that the Chinese Yahoo! site had also blocked his name and he planned to bring actions against both companies. Mr Guo said: “Since January 1 a lot of friends told me that websites with my name had been closed. They told me it's impossible to search for my information on Google and Yahoo!”

It is not the first incidence of censorship of foreign internet portals operating in China. Google came in for widespread criticism and accusations of colluding when it became known that its search engine in China had been configured to filter out words that are effectively banned in China, such as Tibet independence, Dalai Lama and democracy.

Google and other foreign internet service providers defend their actions, saying that they are acting in accordance with Chinese law and the conditions of doing business in China. The country's carefully patrolled internet firewall slows, blocks or disrupts users trying to access uncensored foreign websites. Mr Guo said that he could not sue Google or Yahoo! in China since they have no formal legal identity, but he would press his lawsuits against the parent companies in the United States. “They have infringed my right to my name, and also the rights of anyone called Guo Quan because you can find no information for this name.

Full story available at: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3319051.ece

Visa fraud at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing

There is a report by Geoff York in this morning's Globe and Mail about allegations that lung x-rays submitted to the Canadian Embassy in Beijing in support of an immigration application had been switched. Evidently the applicant, like a high proportion of the Chinese population, carried indications of tuberculosis on his lungs, so a "clean" x-ray of healthier lungs was substituted. Actually I believe that the false x-rays issue is greatly overshadowed by the pervasive problem of forged documents attesting to bank deposits, diplomas, and professional qualifications that support successful applications for entry into Canada. The Embassy really lacks the capacity to adequately counter this problem and so may tend to downplay its seriousness.

Rough Translation of report in Singtao Daily that Proves Me Wrong on Canadian Government China Engagement Intensity

Liberal Party Attacks the Conservative Party for Ruining Canada-China Relations

by Singtao Daily Reporter, Mary Yang; January 17, 2008.
The recent statement by the Chinese Ambassador to Canada, Lu Shumin, has led the Federal Liberal Party to focus on worsening Canada-China relations. But the Conservative Party has responded by pointing to the genuine accomplishments that demonstrate the progress that Canada-China relations have made.
Last Thursday, Lu Shumin, in a talk to members of the Canada-China Friendship Association, said that "unfortunate developments" had led to a cooling in Canada-China relations. More and more Chinese people have developed a negative impression of Canada. This is not good news. It leads to progressive weakening in Canada-China relations. It is damaging for both countries. The Ambassador called for narrowing the differences between the two countries. If that is not possible, then seek common ground while agreeing to disagree on the rest. "If we mutually respect each other, then we can achieve very great progress."
The Federal Liberal Party issued a statement on Wednesday. Foreign Affairs Critic, Bob Rae, stated that Lu Shumin's talk demonstrates that Canada-China relations are tense. "For a diplomat to make such an unusual frank comment, clearly indicates that no matter how much the Conservative Party tries to pretend that all is well, bilateral relations between Canada and China have been severally damaged."
He further pointed out, the Conservative Party's ineffective China policy has been at a cost to the people of Canada as well as to the people of China. He cited the example of Ottawa's long delay in failing to implement an Approved Destination Status agreement as an example.
Neil Hrab, spokesman for Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Bernier, indicated to the Singtao Daily that since the Conservative Party came to power, Cabinet Ministers have visited China 8 times and that Prime Minister Harper had a very constructive meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the G-8 Summit Meeting. Over the period of Liberal Party Government Canada-China Trade levels stalled with no forward movement, but it is increasing is double digits now. in 2007, Canada's commodity exports to China increased by 29%. Canada-China relations need frank and open dialogue, so that our nation can make genuine achievements that reflect Canadian values and interests.
Canadian scholar, Charles Burton says that that the Liberal Party is simply using this as a means to attack the Conservative Party, as Lu Shumin has made this sort of statement in the past. Burton indicates that that this is simply Lu Shumin attempting to protect China's interests, as its authorities would prefer that human rights not be a central issue in relations between Canada and China. Bilateral relations have not worsened in the grave way that the Liberal Party tries to make out. When the Liberal Party was in power, Canada also raised human rights with the Chinese.
(original Chinese can be found at http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcfd6fxz_350hcbhkxzt)


Comment: In my my op-ed piece for Embassy: Canada's Foreign Policy Newsletter entitled "A 'Principled' Approach, Quiet Diplomacy and the Prime Minister's Message to Beijing" published November 14th, 2007 (http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcfd6fxz_302hmjr59) I wrote that "intensity of engagement with China will likely be lessened in years ahead." The statement above by Neil Hrab clearly puts the lie to this. I had evidently misread the implications of a statement on foreign policy made last October in the House of Commons entitled "The Americas as a Priority." Further suggesting that I am happily wrong about this, in a speech at the University of Alberta on January 18, 2008, Secretary of State Helena Guergis said "we are committed to sustained high level engagement. Since our government came to office, there have been eight ministerial visits to China, including two visits by the Minister of International Trade David Emerson, who just returned from a visit to China and Mongolia last week."
Of course I do not think that Ambassador Lu's idea that we "seek common ground while agreeing to disagree on the rest" is such a good approach. I think that we show more mutual respect if we are honest with each other about all of our concerns. I don't think it is helpful to either side to take human rights off the agenda on an "agree to disagree" basis, as much as the Chinese authorities might thank Canada for doing that.

News Item: "Psychologists treat China's stranded at rail stations"

Thu Jan 31, 4:55 AM ET

Railway passengers stranded by snow in east China's Zhejiang province are receiving counseling from psychologists in the crowded station waiting hall, state media said on Thursday.

Snow, sleet and ice blanketing much of central, eastern and southern China have killed dozens, cut power and hobbled transport ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, which starts on Wednesday, leaving millions stranded at railway stations.

The municipal government of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, had set up a team of 16 psychologists to provide "crisis intervention counseling to anxious travelers" waiting to go home, Xinhua news agency said.

"Weariness and anxiety could lead to the malfunction of people's immune system and result in psychological problems," Zhao Guoqiu, a psychologist who heads the team, was quoted as saying.

"It is very necessary to provide psychological help to the stranded who are always under great pressure."

He told passengers it was useless to cry and instead encouraged them to turn to other means of transport to get home. "Listening, smiles and patience are all effective measures to calm them."

Chen Wendou, a passenger heading for central Hubei province, said she was greatly relieved after talking with Zhao.

"After several nights waiting in the cold waiting hall, I was at the verge of collapse," he was quoted as saying.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080131/lf_nm_life/china_weather_counselling_dc_1&printer=1;_ylt=ArADXnlalttlPGxbLshcXEqGWo14

Comment: Reports are that there are 800,000 people trapped at the Railway Station and bus stations in Guangzhou alone. I have received 2 e-mails over the past couple of days from people who have been caught in the bedlam in Guangzhou. Chinese New Year is often the only time that young migrant workers get to visit their families left back home in their native place all year. There are millions of children in rural villages anticipating the Festival and seeing their absent parents who work in cities.