Canada's abysmal treatment of the #UyghurThree former Guantanamo detainees is partially a consequence of the Federal government's acquiescence to the CCP's strategies of hostage diplomacy and foreign interference into domestic politics. http://ultravires.ca/2020/07/hostage-diplomacy-and-foreign-interference-why-canada-must-stand-up-to-china-now/

In part due to trade reliance on China, and China’s increasing foreign interference, the Canadian government remains largely silent and passive on the enormous issue of the detention of Uyghurs in China and the brutal crackdown on the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement.

Canada has turned a blind eye to CCP censorship of Chinese diaspora communities. @hrw reported that journalists, students, and others feared reprisal for criticism, and many interviewees chose not to attend Tiananmen vigils for fear of being spied on. https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/02/20/how-chinas-censorship-machine-crosses-borders-and-western-politics

The arbitrary detention, forced re-education, and inhumane treatment of Uyghurs in the Chinese Xinjiang region is not a secret. There is widespread knowledge about the abhorrent conditions and clear cultural genocide faced by millions of men and women in these detention camps.

Yet @CitImmCanada has also done next to nothing to improve the situation of Uyghurs attempting to enter Canada. Despite the clear risk of maltreatment and persecution including risk of torture if returned to China, Uyghurs are not listed among those who have less complex claims.

According to @JustinTrudeau, Canada would not bow to hostage diplomacy in the Meng/Michaels case as randomly arresting Canadians would give China leverage over the Canadian government. Canada would like to avoid any indication that they could be susceptible to hostage diplomacy.

Yet bowing to hostage diplomacy is exactly what Canada has done with the #UyghurThree. In 2008, Canada nearly finalized their resettlement, but pulled back last minute citing concerns about it affecting the detention of Uyghur-Canadian Huseyin Celil. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/celil-guantanamo-bay-and-the-rejected-refugees/article673481/

But conforming to hostage diplomacy has done nothing. Celil is now going on 15 years of arbitrary detention after being detained and extradited from Uzbekistan.

Canada has no more excuse. It must offer refuge for victims of Chinese political persecution, including #UyghurThree