Commentary
As a nation of immigrants, Canada has served as a refuge for all kinds of people who came here for all kinds of reasons.
Some simply wanted a better life for themselves and their families. Some were fleeing war or conflict zones. Some came as students and decided to stay and contribute to our society. And some emigrated from foreign lands where they were persecuted (because of their political or religious views). Cases in point would include Iran, Eritrea, Rwanda, Russia, and China.
So what happens when the persecution follows you to Canada? In this regard, China is by far the most egregious actor. According to a recent CBC piece, attacks by China against its critics in Canada are on the rise. Those targeted come from a broad swath of what the People’s Republic of China deems “dissidents”: Uyghur Muslims (who try to remind the world that the PRC incarcerated more than a million of their confreres in education/training centres (read concentration camps); Tibetans (pointing to China’s erasure of their language, culture, and even the forced immersion of their children in schools seeking to assimilate them); Hong Kongers (i.e. those who work for democratic societies); Taiwanese desperate to keep their independence; and Falun Gong practitioners who raise awareness about their counterparts in China being harassed and imprisoned for their faith….