Mr. Kyriakakos, oftentimes we ourselves and the government are in disagreement on points of view and perspectives, but the testimony on Eritrea that's come before this committee is completely offside with what you're telling us here today. I think it's important that we hear both sides of the story.
In your remarks—and I may have heard you wrong, so I want to give you a chance to clarify—you said the 2% tax originated in the diaspora. The testimony we have is that the tax is enforced by the government—I will state it was a media report—and that there are threats of violence and other illicit means used to gather that particular tax. As Mr. Sweet indicated, from the information we've received here, there's no end result, where you see rehabilitation happening, and it gives the impression it's just going into some official's pocket some place.
Our party takes great interest in the reports that come from rapporteurs from the United Nations. We partner with Amnesty International all the time. That is an organization of particular integrity, in our view. There's a contradiction that I'm hearing between your testimony and the evidence that has come from these sources that we have a certain level of faith in. So, I'm surprised at your testimony. I was expecting it to be somewhat more frank, because every indication is that there are horrendous human rights violations happening in that country every day. There's no justification that I can see for any form of defence of that at all.
You're free to respond as you wish on this, but I'm taken aback by your testimony today, sir.