Evidence of meeting #45 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was kong.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm going to give my time back to Mr. Almoghraby. He was cut off because I ran out of time on that long question I asked him.
I'll cede my time to you, Mr. Almoghraby.
4:55 p.m.
Director of International Programs, Journalists for Human Rights
Thank you.
The point was about providing support for people who left already or are about to leave, because more people who are human rights activists and journalists, etc., are going to leave in larger numbers. They are going to be in Canada or neighbouring countries, so we have to provide them with whatever support is available. We also need to support the ones who are going to stay there, even if it's not possible to be that effective. Providing support goes a long way, wherever the human rights defenders and the journalists are.
A very important part is that in the very worst case scenario—when Hong Kong becomes part of China on all levels; it's going to be competing with North Korea for the last place on the world press freedom index—we are going to need, as international media, citizens, people everywhere, and Canadians in particular, to read the news and reports about Hong Kong. It will be very critical to have networks, journalists and civic actors from there who are networked, capable and able to do their work, so we will be able to separate what is true from false because they would know best what the Communist Party of China is capable of spreading. They would know what it is used to spreading and what would most likely be the truth.
There is a great value to do so in an event where the worst case scenario happens.
In the meantime, things are only getting worse, but we will have to keep on fighting and pushing against these kinds of measures imposed by the government of China.
5 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Fayçal El-Khoury
Thank you, Mr. Almoghraby and Mr. Johns.
I'd like to thank the witnesses for their testimony and for participating in our study on the detention of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong. We are grateful to you for having taken the time to meet with us and for sharing your expertise on this important subject. If you have any further information to submit to the subcommittee, please contact the clerk.
We will now briefly suspend, then continue in camera in a few minutes.
The meeting is suspended.
[Proceedings continue in camera.]