Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition from a group of concerned citizens who are raising an issue related to foreign interference and the plight of Hong Kongers in Canada.
The petitioners note that the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Canada enjoys diplomatic and immunity privileges. This is largely a result of the “one country, two systems” rule. Under the national security law in Hong Kong, basic rights and basic laws in Hong Kong no longer exists.
The petitioners note that a senior employee of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in the U.K. was charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service in foreign interference matters contrary to various sections of the National Security Act. The petitioners further note that evidence was presented that the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in the U.K. was directly involved in paying defendants to conduct hostile activities targeted at the Hong Kong diaspora in the U.K., which included hostile surveillance, acts of deception and forcing entry into a residential address.
Canada has been a safe haven for Hong Kongers fleeing political oppression since 2019, including Canadian-born pro-democracy lawmaker Dennis Kwok, who had been issued bounties by Hong Kong police for violating widely condemned Hong Kong national security laws. To that end, the petitioners are calling for the Canadian government to end the diplomatic privileges and immunity of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Canada.