Canada’s former Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole, on Tuesday (May 30) claimed that he was a target of China’s misinformation and voter suppression campaign aimed at discrediting him during the election in 2021, citing the intelligence by the country’s spy agency. This comes a day after Hong Kong-born Canadian lawmaker, Jenny Kwan, said she was also targeted by Beijing for her human rights activism.
Earlier this month, Canada moved to expel Toronto-based Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei after an intelligence report accused him of trying to target a Canadian lawmaker over his support for the Uyghur Muslim minority in China.
What did the former opposition leader claim?
The claim follows a briefing by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), on Friday. O’Toole, a current Member of Parliament (MP), had lost the 2021 election to incumbent Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The Canadian MP said that the spy agency had confirmed his suspicions that he and his parliamentary caucus members were the “target of a Chinese orchestrated campaign of disinformation and voter suppression in the run-up to and during the 2021 general election.”
He added, “Each of these threats was intended to discredit me, promote false narratives about my policies, and severely obstruct my work as a member of Parliament and as leader of the official opposition.”
Kwan, who is a New Democrat MP, said that the CSIS also informed her that she was part of Beijing’s foreign interference campaign and “would continue to be a target.” However, the Canadian lawmaker said that she would “not be intimidated” or “silenced in any way.”
She also claimed that it was her activism related to human rights in Hong Kong that pushed China to impose its National Security Law in the city, as well as her support for China’s Uyghur Muslim minority community that made her a target.
“Whoever is trying to put pressure on me in whatever way they are trying to do it, they will not succeed,” said Kwan.
O’Toole believes it was his criticism of human rights abuses in China as well as discouraging the use of Huawei technology in Canada’s 5G network which prompted Beijing to retaliate.
Trudeau government under pressure
There has been mounting pressure on the Canadian government which has also faced criticism for not passing the intelligence about Chinese meddling to the parliament and its members earlier. The government and its senior advisers are “being willfully blind to attacks on our parliamentary democracy,” said Canadian MP O’Toole.
The government faced similar criticism from Conservative MP Michael Chong, who as per a media report was targeted by China for his staunch support of Uyghur rights. As per the Canadian intelligence report from 2021 quoted by the country’s Globe and Mail newspaper, Beijing requested details about Chong and his family.
In a supposed intimidation effort to make “an example” and also to “deter others from taking an anti-PRC position,” the paper reported. Chong also criticised Trudeau’s government for inaction, while the Canadian PM said he too found out about the intelligence report from the newspaper and blamed the spy agency for not passing on the information to him on time.
However, the report did lead to the ouster of Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei who was accused of trying to target Chong.
Source: WION News
