Subcommittee on International Human Rights Committee on Dec. 8th, 2011

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Colleagues, I'm just distributing a motion on North Korea that Russ had been involved with earlier. I was asked by Kyung Lee from Toronto, because the Council for Human Rights in North Korea is meeting tomorrow evening. They would like to announce that our committee, after we had heard the witness testimony, adopted this motion, which is based on the witness testimony, even based on Mr. Hiebert's work, which lapsed from the last Parliament. So at their request I am basically restating what was done. Their hope is that we could pass it today, so they can announce it at their meeting tomorrow evening.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

We'll just give people a moment to absorb.

While we're doing that, Professor Cotler, was one of these submitted by Mr. Hiebert earlier, or was it just the subject matter of it?

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Well, we heard testimony and I think Mr. Hiebert wanted to move the motion, but I don't believe he ever got around to doing it.

[Russ Hiebert, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC]

On North Korea, in the previous Parliament. Fair enough. Yes, that's true. I did bring forward a motion to that effect. I don't see a problem with this.

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Yes, it's basically the same.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

Let's do this in the proper fashion, then. We'll take one of the motions. This is the one that begins with the statement “Whereas, the Subcommittee has heard graphic and compelling testimony...”, etc.

Is there a consensus to adopt that one?

(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

And the other one, is there a consensus to adopt that one?

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Mr. Chairman, how long ago was this testimony? Because I apologize, but with so many cases we deal with, I don't recall any of the details from this.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

Professor Cotler.

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

It goes back to February of last year, and before that even.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

I do recall this testimony. I can't remember the exact details any more, but I remember the gist of the testimony.

[Russ Hiebert, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC]

Mr. Chair, I'll never forget the testimony. It was so graphic. This woman was talking about how she saw people murdered in front of her while she was in North Korea. She tried to get to China twice and made it once successfully. People were eating each other. I mean, it was just horrific.

Just for clarification—

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Hiebert, you're the inspiration for what is being done here.

I want to credit him with that.

[Russ Hiebert, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC]

To clarify, the second motion we're discussing, Ms. Shin Sook-ja and her two daughters, can you remind me who they are, and the context?

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

They have been held in North Korea. We don't know if they're still alive. The situation is considered to be one of urgency, to determine if they're alive and their whereabouts and to bring about their release.

Because of this ongoing arbitrary situation they've been in prison in that notorious camp you spoke about, the Kwan-li-so, in North Korea. There is witness testimony to the effect that they have been held there, brutally tortured and imprisoned, and they may not be alive.

It's calling on our government to try to ascertain if they are indeed still alive and to secure their release from that brutal torture and imprisonment.

[Russ Hiebert, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC]

Are they any relation to the witness we had?

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

I don't know if there's any relation to the witnesses.

It is something that the Council for Human Rights in North Korea, in Toronto, specifically requested. There has been a petition drive, which has been organized globally in South Korea and around the world, with regard to their case and plight.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

I think we've achieved consensus on that one as well.

(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

Both motions are adopted.

With that, we are adjourned.

Sorry, we're not adjourned yet. Mr. Marston has something to say and so does Mr. Cotler.

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

I just want to credit Mr. Hiebert. I want it on the record that he brought this to our attention and I want to credit him with that.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

Mr. Marston.

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

I have a concern. We're coming up to the end of our session. If we want any kind of pronouncement on Camp Ashraf, we're going to have to do it very quickly. It's very compelling stuff, so whatever we can do to facilitate a response to that as quickly as we can.... I presume that means Tuesday.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

What's that?

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

I presume that would mean Tuesday.

[The Chair, Conservative, Scott Reid]

Tuesday we'll have the witnesses, and whatever else we do at that point is at the committee's direction.

[Wayne Marston, NDP, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

If we could think in terms prior to Tuesday, what we might want to do, because I think it's important—

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

The Obama meeting is December 15, so we have to act prior to that.