OTTAWA, Canada – Mélanie Joly, minister of foreign affairs, has announced sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (People’s Republic of China) Regulations against eight former or current senior officials involved in grave human rights violations in the country.
Minister of foreign affairs, Joli, added: “Canada is deeply concerned by the human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet and against those who practise Falun Gong. We call on the Chinese government to put an end to this systematic campaign of repression and uphold its international human rights obligations.”
Since 1999, China has tried to eliminate Falun Gong practise in the country through arbitrary arrests, forced labour and torture.
“The sanctions announced respond to Chinese government-led repression of ethnic and religious minorities in China, including in Xinjiang, Tibet and against those who practise Falun Gong,” the Global Affairs Canada, press release said. “As we mark International Human Rights Day on December 10, Canada continues to condemn human rights violations around the world. Canada is deeply concerned over reports that China has arbitrarily detained more than one million people in Xinjiang since 2017, many of whom were held in camps and faced psychological, physical and sexual violence. Tibetans have also endured human rights violations at the hands of the Chinese government. This includes forced labour, arbitrary detention and restrictions on their rights to freedom of religion or belief, expression, movement and association.”
Canada continues to raise concerns regarding human rights violations in China and calls on the Chinese government to uphold its international human rights obligations, including through the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Quick facts
- In July 2024, minister Joly visited China and met with Minister Wang Yi to discuss Canada-China relations, human rights and complex global and regional security issues.
- In September 2021, Canada announced new measures to address human rights abuses in Xinjiang, China. These measures addressed the risk of goods produced from forced labour from entering Canadian and global supply chains.
- In March 2021, Canada enacted the Special Economic Measures (People’s Republic of China) Regulations and imposed sanctions against Chinese officials and a Chinese entity in response to gross and systematic human rights violations that have been committed in China.
