After Trudeau’s fresh attack, India, Bangladesh’s statements on minorities in Canada
India, in a significant diplomatic move, has spearheaded recommendations for Canada to fortify measures preventing attacks on worship places and effectively address hate speech.
The proposals were presented during the UN Human Rights Council Review meeting, where diplomats from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka shared their insights and recommendations.
Indian diplomat Mohammed Hussain noted legislative enactments such as the National Housing Strategy Act and the Accessible Canada Act while addressing the issue at the Council meeting.
At the meeting, Bangladesh diplomat Abdullah Al Forhad urged Canada to intensify its efforts to combat racism, hate speech, hate crimes and discrimination against migrants and Muslim minorities.
Al Forhad, however, commended Canada’s progress in the protection of human rights and strategy to combat human trafficking.
Bangladesh called for measures to be taken to reduce carbon emissions and address the negative impacts of climate change.
“We commend the valuable progress made by Canada in the promotion of the protection of human rights. We acknowledge the ongoing implementation of its nationalist strategy to combat human trafficking 2019-2024. In spite of cooperation, Bangladesh offers recommendations to Canada — intensify its efforts to combat racism, hate speech, hate crimes and discrimination against migrants and Muslim minorities, take necessary measures to reduce carbon emissions and strengthen international cooperation in addressing the negative impacts of climate change and, consider ratifying international convention on the protection of the rights of all migrants, workers and members of their families,” Al Forhad said.
“We note the enactment of the National Housing Strategy Act, Accessible Canada Act, and National strategy to combat human trafficking,” Indian diplomat Mohammed Hussain said on the occasion.
Hussain added, “India recommends the following to Canada – further, strengthen the domestic framework to prevent misuse of freedom of expression, for inciting violence and disallow activities of groups that are promoting extremism; effectively prevent attacks on places of worship of religious and racial minorities, strengthen legislative and other measures to address hate crimes and hate speech.”
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan diplomat Thilini Jayasekara also urged Canada to agree to the Convention on the Protection of Rights of All Migrant Workers, take appropriate steps to combat racial discrimination against immigrants’ rights, oppose misinformation against minorities, and strengthen its national mechanism for comprehensive reporting and follow-up on global human rights recommendations.
“Sri Lanka welcomes the cooperation extended by the Government of Canada during the visit of UN Special Rapporters on contemporary forms of slavery and on the rights of Indigenous people. Sri Lanka recommends Canada to one, accede to the Convention on the Protection of Rights of All Migrant workers and members of their families. Two, continue to take measures against racial discrimination, in particular to avoid discriminatory policies and regulations affecting the rights of immigrants, including in the area of health.”
“Three, continue to take measures to counter misinformation against minority communities. Four, strengthen its national mechanism for comprehensive reporting and follow up in relation to recommendations received from international human rights mechanisms and treaty obligations. We wish Canada success in its UPR engagement,” Jayasekara added.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of violating the Vienna Convention as over 40 Canadian diplomats moved out of India at the request of New Delhi amid the ongoing diplomatic crisis on Saturday. Trudeau spoke on the crisis and said if bigger countries can violate international law without consequences, then the whole world gets more dangerous for everyone.
“From the very beginning when we learnt of credible allegations that agents of the Indian government were involved in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, we reached out to India and asked them to get to the bottom of this matter. We also reached out to our friends and allies like the United States and others to work on this really serious violation of international law and sovereignty,” Trudeau said on Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing.
India has rejected Canada’s accusation that it played a role in Nijjar’s killing and made it clear that this is not India’s way of functioning. Canada provides safe haven to terrorists despite India’s several prods, New Delhi claimed.
India suspended visa services in Canada which has now been partially restored. Over 40 diplomats who were previously posted in India had to shift out as India accused them of interfering in India’s internal affairs.