Xinjiang violence complicates G8 talks with China

Xinjiang violence complicates G8 talks with China

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper had been hoping for some quality time with Chinese President Hu Jintao at this week's G8 summit, a further opportunity to rebuild rocky China-Canada relations and talk trade.

But like other world leaders meeting in L'Aquila, Italy, Harper is instead grappling with how to best address a brewing human-rights debacle in China's northwest.

The Xinjiang territory is in the grips of a bloody clash between Muslim minority from the area, called Uighurs, and Han Chinese, the nation's main ethnic group. Official reports put the death toll at 156, with more than 1,000 arrested.

Uighur women protested in the streets Tuesday for the release of their family members, while groups of club-and knife-wielding Han roamed the streets seeking revenge on Uighurs and their property.

Canada is well acquainted with China's difficult history with the Uighurs.

In fact, the cooling in relations between Ottawa and Beijing three years ago could largely be explained by one Uighur in particular - Huseyin Celil.

The Canadian citizen was arrested while travelling in Uzbekistan in 2006, transferred to China, and eventually sentenced to life in prison for alleged terrorist activities. Celil's supporters said he was simply a defender of human rights in his homeland.

Harper spoke out publicly about Celil's case, and in one memorable statement to media travelling with him to a summit in 2006, said he would not sell out Canadian values for the sake of the "almighty dollar."

Harper had yet to say anything publicly about the unfolding situation in Xinjiang as he arrived in Italy with travelling media Tuesday.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon issued a statement late Monday on Xinjiang, urging "restraint on all sides." He called on China to "respect freedom of speech and information and the right to peaceful protest." He was not available for an interview Tuesday.

Paul Evans, an expert in Canada-China relations with the University of British Columbia, says Canadians should expect Cannon and other ministers will do more of the talking on human-rights issues.

He said the Conservatives realized last year that a policy of "cool politics, warm economics" with China simply did not work. It had begun to hurt trade, and damaged their reputation domestically.

"I think there is more sophistication in how to address human rights and democracy issues inside China," said Evans, who is writing a book about modern political engagement with China.

"This does not mean abandoning interest in them, but being careful and precise in what is said in public statements, especially by the prime minister."

Others long for the days when Harper spoke out boldly and from the heart on Chinese human rights.

Mehmet Tohti, a Uighur-Canadian activist, calls the handling of the Celil case a "national embarrassment" because Harper toned down his China rhetoric without first getting the slightest concession from Beijing.

"The Chinese government successfully invalidated, even nullified, (Harper's) statement and the stand of the Canadian government by holding Huseyin Celil's case, by not allowing consular access, and ignoring all Canadian concerns," said Tohti.

"Any serious country cannot digest this embarrassment, but somehow our government forgot everything."

The Uighur Canadian Society would like to see the government call on the UN to send an independent observer to the Xinjiang region, echoing a call by Amnesty International.

Evans worries that the Conservatives might have let the pendulum swing too far, not raising human rights issues at all in recent interactions with Chinese officials.

Harper and his officials rolled out the red carpet two weeks ago when Chinese Foreign Minister Jeichi Yang visited Ottawa with a message of renewed friendship. The Conservatives are hoping to announce an official trip by the prime minister to China soon.

Evans says they should use their relationship with the United States as a model for how they publicly explain points of ethical disagreement - the military prison in Guantanamo being an example.

"A challenge for the Conservatives is going to be to have a new-era approach to China, that includes human rights and democracy promotion, but puts it into the context of dealing with a global power."