Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise today on behalf of the official opposition to mark the sixth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in which thousands of people, most of them students, died for democracy and the advancement of human rights in China.
On June 9, 1994, the Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific stated in this House, and I quote:
Surely there is evidence that increased political flexibility is a byproduct of economic liberalization, and governments that have opened their markets to international trade are more sensitive to the views and reactions of other countries.
The federal government's policy of giving priority to the economic aspect in its relations with China, in the belief that China would then become more sensitive to Canadian human rights concerns, has been a monumental failure.
Even as China is seeking full membership in the World Trade Organization and after Team Canada paid that country a visit last November, we learned last December that nine Chinese dissidents had received sentences ranging from three to twenty years in prison.
According to Chinese authorities, the only crimes committed by these people were membership in unauthorized political organizations and planning the distribution of leaflets marking the third anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
By coincidence, at least 12 other Chinese dissidents were recently arrested in the run-up to the sixth anniversary of the bloody crackdown on the Beijing Spring in Tiananmen Square, which, as you may recall, left hundreds if not thousands of people dead. Yet, as the hon. Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific so eloquently said earlier, China continues to openly violate international standards of human rights.
The secretary of state even told us that the situation of Chinese human rights advocates has not improved since 1989. Despite government claims that trade liberalization is the best way to promote respect for human rights, we must recognize that the secretary of state's admission points to the failure of the government policy in this regard.
If-as the federal government maintains-its policy is credible, why were there no improvements in the human rights situation in China? As the secretary of state mentioned, if trade is a powerful tool that leads to co-operation and, in turn, to an improvement of the human rights situation, why have the Chinese authorities remained so inflexible?
Furthermore, how can the Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific claim that Canada influenced the course of events following the tragic events in Tiananmen Square?
How could we have any influence on events when, during his trip to China, the Prime Minister of Canada himself turned a blind eye to what the Chinese leaders are doing?
It is not by whispering quietly in his Chinese counterpart's ear that the Prime Minister of Canada, or Canada for that matter, will prompt the Chinese leadership to change its unacceptable attitude toward human rights. As we can see, this new policy did not produce the expected results; it was, to say the least, ineffective.
However, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs said recently, instead of opening its eyes and taking direct, consistent and firm action against countries that violate human rights, the federal government would rather pay court to them in order to establish trade relations with them.
Expressing discontent with the laissez-faire attitude of Canada with respect to human rights, the minister announced a while ago the Canadian government's intention to embark upon a series of trade initiatives with a number of countries, regardless of their human rights record.
This is a fine example of double talk on the part of the government. To add insult to injury, the Minister of Foreign Affairs went as far as to propose to ASEAN nations, some of which have a long tradition of openly violating human rights, that Canada represent their interests at the G-7 Summit in Halifax, next week.
In closing, I hope-but I am not holding my breath-that the government will not go on addressing human rights issues behind the scenes, as in so doing, it is playing into the hands of the dictators and tyrants of this world.