CACN Committee Meeting
Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.
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Minutes of Proceedings
Kai Ostwald, Alice Ba and Hugh Stephens made statements and answered questions.
Tom Kmiec moved, —
That the committee report the following to the House:
(a) That the Special Committee on the Canada-People's Republic of China Relationship condemns the verdict of Hong Kong’s High Court on May 30, 2024, which found 14 pro-democracy activists guilty for “conspiracy to subvert state power” simply for exercising their democratic and free speech rights;
(b) that the committee expresses its view that the trial was politically motivated and a violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, an international treaty, which states: "a prosecuting authority of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall control criminal prosecutions free from any interference" and "the courts shall exercise judicial power independently and free from any interference";
(c) that the committee expresses its view that the national security law imposed by Beijing, under which the 14 activists were found guilty, is a violation of the Joint Declaration, which states: "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government shall maintain the rights and freedoms as provided for by the laws previously in force in Hong Kong, including freedom of the person, of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, to form and join trade unions, of correspondence, of travel, of movement, of strike, of demonstration, of choice of occupation, of academic research, of belief, inviolability of the home, the freedom to marry and the right to raise a family freely";
(d) that the committee objects to the ongoing violations by the authorities of the People’s Republic of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the rights and freedoms guaranteed to the people of Hong Kong in the Joint Declaration, and;
(e) that the committee calls upon the authorities of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to immediately release the 14 pro-democracy activists.Debate arose thereon.
On motion of Robert Oliphant, it was agreed, — That the motion be amended by:
(a) deleting the word “and” at the end of paragraph d);
(b) by adding the word “and” after the word “activists”, of paragraph (e);
(c) by adding the following after paragraph (e): “(f) that while noting the government issued a statement on May 30, 2024, expressing its concerns regarding the verdict on the ‘Hong Kong 47’ trial, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report pursuant to Standing Order 109.”.The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 11; NAYS: 0.
The motion, as amended, read as follows:
That the committee report the following to the House:
(a) That the Special Committee on the Canada-People's Republic of China Relationship condemns the verdict of Hong Kong’s High Court on May 30, 2024, which found 14 pro-democracy activists guilty for “conspiracy to subvert state power” simply for exercising their democratic and free speech rights;
(b) that the committee expresses its view that the trial was politically motivated and a violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, an international treaty, which states: "a prosecuting authority of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall control criminal prosecutions free from any interference" and "the courts shall exercise judicial power independently and free from any interference";
(c) that the committee expresses its view that the national security law imposed by Beijing, under which the 14 activists were found guilty, is a violation of the Joint Declaration, which states: "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government shall maintain the rights and freedoms as provided for by the laws previously in force in Hong Kong, including freedom of the person, of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, to form and join trade unions, of correspondence, of travel, of movement, of strike, of demonstration, of choice of occupation, of academic research, of belief, inviolability of the home, the freedom to marry and the right to raise a family freely";
(d) that the committee objects to the ongoing violations by the authorities of the People’s Republic of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the rights and freedoms guaranteed to the people of Hong Kong in the Joint Declaration;
(e) that the committee calls upon the authorities of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to immediately release the 14 pro-democracy activists, and;
(f) that while noting the government issued a statement on May 30, 2024, expressing its concerns regarding the verdict on the “Hong Kong 47” trial, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report pursuant to Standing Order 109.At 8:26 p.m., the meeting was suspended.
At 8:30 p.m., the meeting resumed.
Erik Kuhonta, Melissa Marschke and Wayne Christopher Farmer made statements and answered questions.
At 9:29 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.