满城及南岸华人服务中心公开声明

PUBLIC STATEMENT OF THE PROGRESSIVE CHINESE OF QUÉBEC SUPPORT  OF THE CHINESE FAMILY SERVICE OF GREATER MONTREAL, CENTRE SINO QUÉBEC AND MS. XIXI LI 

The Progressive Chinese of Québec reminds the public of the following fundamental  human rights of each Canadian and Québecker of Chinese origin : 

1. freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, freedom of communication and  association; 

2. the right to be presumed innocent, to be informed about specific charges, and to  know the evidence against the person charged with an offence. 

We question why the RCMP, out of thousands of investigations they must be  conducting across the country, would publicly name two community centres serving  the Chinese communities in Québec, causing serious and potentially irreparable  harm to the community.  

We are alarmed that since the RCMP confirmed publicly that they are investigating  CFSGM and SQ for being ‘Chinese police stations’ this has had devastating effects  on the community. 

Evidence of a chilling effect has already been seen in the reluctance of people of  Chinese origin to speak publicly, as numerous community spokespeople have  refused to give any interviews since last week. 

The survival of long-standing community organizations that have a record of  exemplary service to the Chinese-speaking community in Montreal and the South  Shore, integrating new immigrants, organizing activities to fight against the isolation  of seniors, providing support and referrals for victims of conjugal violence, offering  French language classes and alleviating poverty, is now at risk. 

Democracy is also at risk since the voters who elected Ms. Xixi Li to represent them  at the municipal council are being deprived of their right to political representation at  the insistence of Doreen Assaad, mayor of Brossard, for Ms. Li to suspend her  participation in city council meetings, even though Ms. Li has not yet been even  accused of any wrong-doing. 

Although we encourage victims of any type of bullying or intimidation to come  forward, we caution against imputing blame to any specific individual or organizations  without evidence or specific allegations. 

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the infamous racist Chinese Exclusion Act  and as Senator Yeun Pau Woo indicated, what is happening now is again another 

Chinese Exclusion, through a series of actions that are excluding Chinese Canadians  from exercising their right to speak, to a presumption of innocence, to benefit from  services provided by their own culturally and linguistically accessible institutions, and  even from participating in public political activities. 

We demand the respect of our rights and civil liberties protected under the Canadian  and Québec Charters. 

We demand the respect of our rights and civil liberties protected under the Canadian  and Québec Charters. 

Montreal, March 14, 2023 

Walter Tom 

(514) 475-3681 

walter@tomlex.ca