Posted on 08/07/2002 6:37:32 PM PDT by jordan8
'A bizarre waste of time': Officials grilled over 'discrimination' against blacks, Chinese and natives
Steven Edwards
National Post
Wednesday, August 07, 2002
UNITED NATIONS - Canada yesterday appeared before a United Nations committee on the elimination of racial discrimination to defend itself against allegations that racial injustices persist against black, Chinese and aboriginal Canadians, and that immigrants do not earn as much as people born in the country.
At the same hearing in Geneva, committee members told Canadian officials Ottawa was wrong to resist giving the UN the power to rule on individual complaints of racism in Canada.
Forty-one countries, including Australia, France and Germany, have handed the committee jurisdiction over individual complaints. But the United States and the United Kingdom are among countries that, like Canada, prefer domestic courts to deal with allegations of racism.
"This is the old story of [the balance between] freedom of expression and the suppression of hate propaganda," said Kurt Herndl, a retired Austrian diplomat who serves on the 18-member committee as co-ordinator for reports on Canada.
Canadian officials noted, however, that committee rulings on cases brought by individuals from other countries have leaned farther toward suppressing free speech than Canada is ready to tolerate, even though Canada itself is moving in that direction with progressively tougher anti-racism laws.
"We would prefer to see, at this stage, individual complaints handled through Canadian human rights tribunals and commissions," said Norman Moyer, an assistant deputy minister with Heritage Canada, who headed the Canadian delegation.
The committee meets twice a year to review the anti-racism record of up to a dozen of the 162 countries that have adopted the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, enacted in 1969.
It grilled Canada, which ratified the treaty in 1970, after receiving 200 pages of government reports about Ottawa's performance, and numerous other submissions from human rights and community activist groups.
Canada has some of the toughest anti-racism laws in the world, but submits to such grillings because it "believes that the world community will be gradually moved along if we and other countries support the processes," Mr. Moyer said.
He echoed Sheila Copps, Minister of Canadian Heritage, by adding that Canada also learns from the criticism of others.
"It allows us to look at our work objectively and to improve our initiatives," Ms. Copps said in a press release.
Other commentators feel Canada and the UN could be spending their time more productively.
"It seems like a bizarre waste of time, when so many people of so many colours and ethnic groups are being oppressed in so many places, for the UN to be scrutinizing a country that clearly lives under the rule of law," said Fred McMahon, director of the Centre for Trade and Globalization Studies with the Fraser Institute in Vancouver.
The committee highlighted allegations of increased discrimination against black Canadians, who number about 525,000 among Canada's 30-million population.
The Canadian delegation said the government had begun meeting with members of the black community to "explore their special circumstances."
A problem of prejudice against the Chinese remained unresolved, the committee continued, referring to a head tax imposed by Canada on Chinese immigrants at the end of the 19th century. Some survivors are suing the government for compensation, prompting the Canadian delegation to tell the committee the issue was before the courts.
Several committee members spoke out about land rights for aboriginal Canadians. The delegation said government grants help natives fund land-claims research.
The committee charged that, since Sept. 11, people with Middle Eastern names have been apprehended and mosques have been destroyed.
However, arrests on the scale seen in the United States did not occur in Canada. Though unacceptable, the level of violence was also limited. Arab and Muslim groups reported an accumulation of 120 hate incidents against their communities in Canada by March, including 10 death threats, 13 cases of physical violence and 12 attacks on mosques and Islamic centres. No mosques were destroyed but anti-Muslim sentiment was believed to be behind the destruction of a Hindu temple in Hamilton, Ont.
The Canadian delegation said the committee's observation that anti-racism laws differ from province to province was to be expected. Canada is a federation. "All governments in Canada are pulling in the same direction, just sometimes with slightly different working," Mr. Moyer said.
The delegation showed that immigrants entering Canada to fill job openings quickly earn as much as Canadians born here. Immigrants arriving as relatives of Canadian residents take a little longer to do so, while refugees take the longest.
Regis de Goutte, a French magistrate who serves on the committee, said Canada's recent laws limiting expression on the Internet showed it is ready to limit free speech. "That shows they have accepted there are exceptions to freedom of speech and so should allow individual complaints to be heard by the committee," he said.
I should say that I have "met" a few canadians here at FR who I think would be an exception to the rule I have found in my pesonal dealings of Canadians being SOBs. I should also point out that my dealings have by and large been with Montrealers, and not those from the western provinces. It seems to me that Montreal is the closest thing today to Sodom and Gomorrah.
I read a good article on Canada the other day. I'll try to find it and link it.
I have had nothing but extremely negative experiences with Montrealers and a few other Canadians. I can't help but judge the place by my own experiences, and by what I see in its own newspapers. The only other class of people in my life with whom I have had such consistently negative experiences are frat boys or former frat boys. Otherwise, I get along with everyone.
If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)
Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.
Blessings on your bike, Rev,
AGrandis
I tell you here and now, whatever the external shape of the response, it would involve large and ongoing cash transfers INTO the newly constituted Quebec from the ROC (Rest Of Canada).
VERY close, 50/50.
We were treated to the amusing sight of the Separatiste leader Parizeau accepting defeat on TV, blaming "la vote ethnique" for the loss!
Didn't he also blame his loss on "money", too? But I never understood that referendum. Even if he had received 99% of the vote, the question on the ballot had nothing to do with separation from the rest of Canada. Like, what was supposed to happen the day after they won, plan for another referendum to see if they really meant it?
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