Thank you, Mr. Silva.
In our report we present a recommendation. In any of our reports we don't only mention the problem, but we present what can be the solution. Now, our recommendation will not solve the problem of Afghanistan between day and night, but that's what I call a beginning.
Number one, the Canadian government needs to confront the Afghani government directly and in the international fora. I'm really saying that this problem is not just Canada's problem. As well, through NATO and the United States and the United Nations we should push the human rights envelope.
Sadly, our Canadian government did not push the human rights envelope in Afghanistan enough, and this is the fault not only of the Canadian government but also of the opposition. Because when you are the opposition, you're supposed to hold the Canadian government accountable.
The only subject that I heard about in the media was Afghani prisoners. That's the only thing I heard in the media. That's an extremely important subject, but what about women's rights, what about children's rights, what about freedom of religion?
Second, in order to push the human rights envelope, the Canadian government needs to connect their aid and their support and their military mission to the improvement of human rights in Afghanistan. So let's not just say we will be staying after 2014, and we'll cut the mission in half so everybody is happy, and they'll be behind the wire. Behind the wire, in front of the wire--it's still wire, so who cares?
My question is if we are going to stay any longer in Afghanistan, there should be preconditions with regard to the improvement of human rights violations in Afghanistan, including the cancellation of the law of abused women; including the immediate release of the 25 Christians from the Afghani prison and the securing of their lives; and including that Canada should open its immigration doors to the victims in Afghanistan, because once you are abused or raped, the Afghani society rejects you. You cannot be part of the society any more. So we need to open the door as well to some of these victims to come here to Canada.
That's my answer, sir.