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UNCLAS OTTAWA 001123 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY TEXT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM CH IS BM CA
SUBJECT: CANADA'S PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS GLOBALLY 
 
REF: A. OTTAWA 407 
     ¶B. OTTAWA 123 
     ¶C. OTTAWA 758 
     ¶D. 07 OTTAWA 1982 
     ¶E. OTTAWA 621 
     ¶F. OTTAWA 373 
     ¶G. OTTAWA 593 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Canada remains a strong partner in 
promoting and defending human rights globally.  Thanks to its 
"principle-based" approach, the Conservative Party believes 
that "Canada's voice is being heard" once again.  Canada has 
awarded honorary citizenship to the Dalai Lama and Aung San 
Suu Kyi, served as the sole vote against anti-Israeli UN 
Human Rights Council resolutions, and enacted tough sanctions 
against Burma.  Liberals and other critics, however, have 
argued that the Conservative government has been too brash in 
its handling of some human rights issues, claiming that PM 
Harper's positions have reversed Canada's historic role as a 
bridge-builder and balanced broker in foreign affairs.  While 
the main political parties always try to score partisan 
points on various human rights stances and approaches, 
Canadian society remains fundamentally committed to promotion 
of democracy and human rights at home and abroad, and all 
future governments -- of whatever party -- will maintain this 
role for Canada throughout the world, both unilaterally and 
in multilateral partnerships with the U.S. and other 
like-minded democracies.  End summary. 
 
SPEAKING OUT 
------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Under the slogan "Canada is back," Conservative 
Prime Minister Stephen Harper since taking office in 2006 has 
been especially vocal in his criticism of human rights abuses 
in various countries of concern.  Characterizing his approach 
to human rights as "principle-based," PM Harper has 
specifically cited democracy, freedom, human rights, and the 
rule of law as the four core values that guide the 
government's foreign policy.  Conservative Party members have 
claimed publicly and privately that, unlike previous Liberal 
governments, PM Harper's government has not been afraid to 
make difficult, and at times controversial, decisions.  They 
have criticized the Liberals for "talking a good game" on 
human rights and democracy but when in office having mostly 
worked to avoid upsetting relations with key trading 
partners.  In November 2007, PM Harper stated that, "for the 
first time in a very long time, Canada's voice is being heard 
and as a consequence of its voice being heard is that we're 
getting the changes we want to see....That's what a country 
with an active foreign policy does."  Some journalists and 
political commentators have praised PM Harper for his foreign 
policy style and promotion of human rights abroad, with one 
calling PM Harper a leader who "has the courage of his 
convictions and who brushes off criticism as the cost of 
leadership." 
 
CHINA 
----- 
 
¶3. (SBU) China has been a special focus of PM Harper's 
defense of human rights abroad.  In June 2006, Canada's 
Parliament -- at the Conservative government's request -- 
granted the Dalai Lama honorary Canadian citizenship, and in 
October 2007, PM Harper became the first Canadian prime 
minister formally to receive the Dalai Lama in his office on 
Parliament Hill.  China reacted angrily in both instances, 
with China's political counselor in Canada warning that 
Canada's policies would "gravely undermine" Canadian-Chinese 
relations and calling the 2007 meeting "blatant interference 
Qin China's internal affairs."  The Prime Minister and Foreign 
Minister also voiced their strong concern over the Chinese 
response to unrest in Tibet in March 2008 (ref a), and the 
Prime Minister made clear that he would not attend the 
opening ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics (although he 
sent Foreign Minister David Emerson).  PM Harper has also 
pressured China to provide Canadian citizen of Uyghur origin 
Huseyin Celil (whom China has sentenced to life in prison on 
terrorism charges) access to Canadian consular officials and 
family members.  In defending his decision to pressure China 
on the case, PM Harper stated that, while he believed 
Canadians wanted their country to promote trade relations 
worldwide, he did not think Canadians wanted their government 
to "sell out important Canadian values" to the "almighty 
dollar."  PM Harper has also been quick to point out, 
however, that Canada's trade with China continues to grow and 
that one of his three stated foreign policy priorities was to 
engage with emerging and growing markets, especially China 
and India. 
 
ISRAEL 
------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) Canada has also taken a number of strong positions 
in defense of Israeli human rights.  In January 2008, Canada 
announced it would not attend the 2009 Durban Review 
Conference for the UN World Conference Against Racism, 
stating the conference had "degenerated into open and 
divisive expressions of intolerance and anti-Semitism" (ref 
b).  Canada also defended Israel in the UN Human Rights 
Council (HRC), and in January 2008 was the sole vote against 
a resolution condemning Israeli actions in Gaza.  During 
annual U.S.-Canada-Mexico Trilateral meetings in May 2008, 
Canadian officials stated that one of Canada's top priorities 
at the UN HRC was to prevent the unfair treatment of Israel 
(ref c).  In addition, in March 2006 Canada became the first 
country to suspend donor aid to the Palestinian Authority in 
response to the election of a Hamas-led government.  Canada 
remains committed to maintaining its suspension of aid until 
Hamas makes a "clear commitment" to renounce terrorism and to 
recognize the State of Israel. 
 
...AND ELSEWHERE 
---------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Canada has taken a strong stand against human rights 
violations in Burma, imposing sanctions in 2007 that it 
called the toughest any country has imposed (ref d).  This 
was a rare instance of Canada overcoming the very high 
threshold that Canadian law sets for such sanctions.  Canada 
also stood up for human rights in Burma when, in May 2008, 
Canada formally awarded honorary Canadian citizenship to 
Burmese democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi (which Sein Win 
accepted in her absence) in May 2008 (ref e). 
 
¶6. (SBU) Canada continues also to defend human rights 
elsewhere.  When Pakistani President Musharraf imposed 
emergency rule and cracked down on democracy in November 
2007, Canada led the push for, and helped to achieve 
consensus on, Pakistan's expulsion from the Commonwealth of 
Nations.  On Afghanistan, PM Harper skillfully worked out a 
bipartisan consensus with the Liberal Party on the extension 
of Canada's mission in Kandahar until 2011, which not 
incidentally commits Canada to help rebuild the country in 
support of democracy and human rights (ref f).  Canada has 
spoken out forcefully both in public and in private about 
human rights concerns in Belarus, Cuba, Syria, Iran, Kenya, 
and Zimbabwe, inter alia.  In addition, Canada works 
collaboratively to promote human rights through such 
multilateral institutions as the UN HRC, the UNGA Third 
Committee, the Organization of American States, the 
Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, and the 
Asia-Pacific Democracy Partnership (as ref f described more 
fully). 
 
 
...BUT NOT ALL ASSESSMENTS POSITIVE 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Not all commentary on PM Harper's foreign policy and 
human right promoting has been positive, however.  Liberal 
Parliamentarians and some other critics have chastised PM 
Harper, for example, for allowing Canadian-Chinese relations 
to cool (notably his failure even to visit China since taking 
office) and, according to them, hurting Canadian strategic 
and economic interests.  They have pointed to China's refusal 
to classify Canada as an "approved destination status" for 
Qto classify Canada as an "approved destination status" for 
tourism as one worrisome consequence, and noted that, while 
bilateral trade was growing, Canada's share of the overall 
Chinese market was falling.  Former Liberal prime minister 
Jean Chretien stated in August that PM Harper's failure to 
attend the Olympic opening ceremonies meant that Canada was 
now "at the bottom of the ladder with China" and that Canada 
had "lost a lot of ground" with China. 
 
¶8. (SBU) One respected human rights activist told poloff in 
August that, while he believed PM Harper's government had 
defended human rights in "some" instances, such as on China's 
human rights record, overall he was disappointed in the 
government's "erosion of leadership" on human rights -- 
particularly regarding the Middle East.  He claimed that the 
current government had "clearly" sided with Israel, ignoring 
human rights violations against the Palestinians and 
"destroying" Canada's reputation as a fair mediator in the 
Middle East.  He also claimed that, by "aggressively" 
campaigning against certain human rights instruments such as 
UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, PM Harper 
had undermined Canada's historic legacy as a balanced partner 
and a "bridge-builder." 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Canada continues to serve as a strong partner in 
promoting human rights globally, in addition to having 
established one of the world's most successful democratic 
systems at home.  While the main political parties always try 
to score partisan points on various human rights stances and 
approaches, Canadian society remains fundamentally committed 
to promotion and protection of democracy and human rights, 
and all future governments -- of whatever party -- will 
maintain this role for Canada throughout the world, both 
unilaterally and in multilateral partnerships with the U.S. 
and other like-minded democracies. 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
WILKINS