Chinese Canadian community is the 'real victim' of Beijing's interference, advocates warn

Two months ago, Mehmet Tohti was in the throes of campaigning to resettle Uyghur refugees in Canada when he received a disturbing phone call.

"I was told that my two sisters are dead and so was my mother, the whereabouts of my three brothers and their spouses and the children unknown," he told a parliamentary committee Friday.

Tohti suspects the call was coming from the Chinese state police as a way to pressure him to back down from his advocacy work on behalf of Uyghurs, an ethnic minority persecuted by the regime. 

"Beijing is watching every day with the threat of intimidation and harassment," he said.

It was just one example of what another witness described as a relentless campaign against those who speak out against the Chinese Communist Party.

"China controls everything," said Cheuk Kwan, co-chair of Toronto Association for Democracy in China.

 "Even if you change your cellphone, they can quickly find you."

Kwan said he and others have been trying to sound the alarm for years.

"They also harass and intimidate Canadians who are critical of China, activists, dissidents and human rights defenders, rendering the Chinese Canadian community the real victims of this game," he said.

WATCH | 'I was followed, I was questioned' by Chinese operatives: Cheuk Kwan:

'I was followed, I was questioned' by Chinese operatives: Cheuk Kwan

2 years ago

Duration 1:21

At an Ethics Committee hearing, Cheuk Kwan, Co-Chair of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China, describes some of the ways he was threatened by what he says are operatives for the Chinese government.

The threats are sometimes subtle but always clear, Kwan said.

"You get a phone call in the middle of day asking, 'So, how are your parents doing back in Sichuan, China?'" he said.

"And then you get the message that means if you don't behave, your parents, phone numbers, address or even their physical wellbeing is under threat." 

Kwan, a filmmaker, said he was targeted back in 2005 on a trip to Hong Kong for a festival.

"I was followed," he said. "And I was questioned during the Q&A period by [someone who] seemed to be an agent of the Chinese communist regime. These are little things — you know that I know that you know that I am watching you."

Their stories come amid renewed interest on Parliament Hill into alleged Chinese interference in Canada's elections —and questions about whether the Liberal party was briefed on it.

The men urged MPs on the standing committee on access to information, privacy and ethics not to leave their voices out of the discussion, with Kwan pressuring Ottawa to take "a strong and principled stance" against China.

"No doubt, the interference in the Canadian election electoral process is a grave concern. But I argue that this is the tip of the iceberg," he said.

Tohti later tweeted that the "topic of Chinese interference is not a novelty for us."

Witness questions Ottawa's hesitation on foreign agent registry

On Friday, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino launched the long-awaited consultations on creating a foreign influence transparency registry to help prevent countries from meddling in Canada's affairs.

Mendicino signalled late last year that the Liberal government wanted to hear from experts and the broader public, including members of affected communities, on creating a registry.

International Trade Minister Mary Ng, who is Chinese Canadian, said it is important to create the registry that doesn't lead to more anti-Asian racism.

"Let me assure you, this is not the case," said Kwan. 

"The Chinese Canadian community together with the Uyghur community, Tibetan community and other people welcome this foreign agent registry. A registry on  foreign agents is not the same as a registry on all Chinese Canadians."

Gabrielle Lim, a fellow with the Citizen Lab out of the University of Toronto, questioned whether a registry would work.

"How effective will it be? Eh. Because a lot of these operations are covert or clandestine by nature," she told the committee on Friday. 

"So even if you were to put agents and register everyone, my sense is they will find alternate means to evade or circumvent the registry."

Kwan and Lim suggested the government set up a dedicated hotline so people can report being harassed on Canadian soil and get advice on how to deal with any concerns for their safety.