Campaigners to free Huawei’s CEO have been faced with backlash
Zeinab Merai
Economic & military rivalry
The calls to free Meng Wang Zhou have obviously disturbed Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole and his fanclub. Following a Zoom panel discussion hosted on November 24th by several Canadian peace activists, O’Toole wrote to the “National Post” on December 9th, demonstrating loads of economic and military rivalry & revengefulness:
“For too long we tolerated Confucius Institutes — basically propaganda outlets… For 40 years the great opening of China’s free market has not gone as we had hoped.
This may not have been a big deal when China produced mainly low-tech goods like shoes and toothbrushes, but it has dramatic implications today as Chinese tech firms export facial recognition technology and surveillance drones…” O’Toole’s talk of Chinese espionage comes in line with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s latest talk.
O’Toole blatantly supported boycotting the competing country, turning a blind eye to the setbacks that is resulting in for both Canada and China: “Our British allies took the courageous step to ban Huawei from their 5G networks…”
The Michaels
O’Toole as well did not forget to pour scorn on the “corrupt Communist regime” for “holding Canadian citizens hostage for two years.” But the right-wing politician missed mentioning that the Michaels are accused of spying and were actually in China when detained, whereas Meng had been only transiting Canada when arrested upon a US request, not on spying charges. She, too, has been detained for 2 years.
Tories barrage the webinar campaigners
“Attacks against an event I recently moderated reflect a growing trend in Canada towards increased tolerance for anti-China rhetoric,” says Bianca Mugyeni, Director of the Foreign Policy Institute, and one of the event co-hosts.
During the event, which and attended by Sada al-Mashrek, it was demanded that a new, friendly approach be made as regards China.
Montreal-based author Bianca says that a day ahead of the webinar, which was held to look into the implications of Huawei executive’s arrest and the deteriorating Canada-China relations, “Conservative MP Raquel Dancho denounced in the House of Commons, her NDP and Green counterparts Niki Ashton and Paul Manly for agreeing to participate in a “Chinese Communist Party propaganda” event.
Bianca has as well pointed out “the “National Post” used its front page to call the organisers “useful idiots” willing to excuse “any and all atrocities by other nations” in a “reflexive contempt and loathing toward the United States.””
The activist added that, journalist Evan Solomon [with 183.6 K followers on Twitter] repeatedly asked Manly “in an interview on CTV if he was being “used by Chinese authorities..”
MP Manly: “We are pawns of a chess match”
Though MP manly took a hit from Canadian rightists, he actually mentioned he was “very concerned with human rights in China,” and making it clear to the webinar attendees that his “main concern was releasing the Michaels and “putting an end to hostage diplomacy...” Paralleling O’Toole, Manly said there were “good reasons to have concerns about the use of Huawei technology in Canada.”
The MP denied any political interference with Canada’s judicial system, reminding that Canada is a signatory to the extradition treaty with the US. He, however, blamed Trump for acting in this “irresponsible and dangerous manner,” adding, “President Trump has dedicated much of his presidency to undoing the work of President Obama. Trump imposed sanctions on Iran because he didn’t like the Iran nuclear deal that Obama had helped broker.”
The Green Party politician then pointed out, “Canada does not have sanctions against Iran, and the EU blocked its citizens and corporations from complying with the US sanctions. It’s my hope that the incoming Biden administration will return to multilaterism…”
He as well reminded that the Green Party called on the federal government in July 2020 “to demand that the US drop criminal charges against Meng and withdraw the extradition request in order to see the release of the Michaels.”
“We are the pawns in this geopolitical chess match,” believes Manly.
Diplomats against Meng’s extradition
Bianca points out that in summer “100 former Canadian diplomats signed a letter, asking Prime Minister Trudeau to release Meng. Former PM Jean Chrétien, former Foreign Affairs Ministers Lawrence Cannon and Lloyd Axworthy, as well as former senator Hugh Segal and former NDP leader Ed Broadbent, have also proposed cancelling Meng’s extradition to the United States.”
Meng’s arrest is a violation of law
As confirmed by a number of activists during the “Free Meng Wan Zhou” webinar, the US sanctions on Iran are unapproved of by the UNSC and violate international law. Meng’s detention also violates the “International Convention against the taking of Hostages” (December 1979).
During the event, activist K J Noh pointed out facts were being hidden in Meng’s case to extort submission to the US request, “Documents, slides, and emails released later actually show that HSBC had been informed of the relationship between Skycom and Huawei before Meng's testimony as well as during the meeting.” That means Meng had not lied to the bank about Huawei’s relation with Iranian Skycom, as the US claims.
An unlikely deal for Meng
Recently there have been reports by “The Wall Street Journal” and “Reuters” on Meng’s being in talks with the US Department of Justice that could end up with a deferred prosecution agreement to allow her to return to China in exchange for an admission of wrongdoing.
It has been reported, however, that Meng is unwelcoming of the deal, for she believes she’s innocent.
Is Canada going by the US book?
“By detaining Meng, Canada is legitimating both Washington’s bid to extend its legal authority over other sovereign jurisdictions and their unilateral sanctions against Iran,” warns Bianca in her December 3rd piece for “the Canadian Dimension.”
But as one of Meng’s lawyers puts it, “It's all about sanctions…”