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SSMU Hosts Uyghur Rights Event
Pannel Discusses Motion M-62 and McGill’s Investments
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India Mosca News Contributor
content warning: genocide, sexual assault
On October 18, SSMU hosted an event with the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project (URAP) in solidarity with Uyghur rights activists and to raise awareness about an investigation led by McGill students about tainted investments from the McGill Endowment Fund.
According to the United Nations (UN), since 2017, the Chinese government (CPP) has held over one million Uyghurs in concentration camps in the Xinjiang region, also known as East Turkestan. Many individuals detained in these camps were never charged with crimes and were denied a legal defense. It seems that their only crime is their ethnicity and their religion. Months after her visit to China earlier this year, Michelle Bachelet released a report 11 minutes prior to the end of her term as UN Human Rights Commissioner describing the extent of human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang, stipulating that they might amount to crimes against humanity. The report is partly based on the testimonies of 26 former captives, who have reported having been subject to “patterns of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment [...] including rape.” Beyond the barbed wire gates, the 11 million Uyghurs living in the region are under constant harassment and continuous surveillance. Bachelet’s report details how at the camps children are separated from their parents and brought to reeducation schools, and captives are subject to forced labor, forced sterilization, and banned from practicing their religion,among other human rights violations. In the past years, reports have been issued, incriminating documents have been leaked, and stories have been told, yet action from the international community has been minimal. In addition, the CCP denies any of the allegations of human rights violation; for example the government responded to the OHCRH report with a 121 counter report saying that the terrorist threat required/ forced the creation of “de-radicalisation” and “vocational education and training centres.” Among the panelists invited, Kyle Matthews, director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, talked about how these atrocities were characteristic of genocide according to international law. He said “there is a common myth that genocide only entails mass killings [...] just the planning of it, is an act of genocide. We have seen [in Xinjiang] the separation of children from their families, the destruction of cultural heritage sites, and attacks on places of worship precursors of genocide attempts to destroy their identities. That is what genocide is.”
Much of the world has condemned China for its violations, yet countries still haven’t recognized the genocide. In 2021, the US was the first to do so. Since then, the European Parliament has recognized ongoing human rights abuses in East Turkistan citing “crimes against humanity and serious risks of genocide,” becoming the largest legislative body to do so. This has been followed by many parliaments in the world doing the same. The Canadian Parliament passed in a non-binding motion in February 2021 stating that the treatment of the Uyghurs constitutes genocide. Nonetheless, the Canadian government, like many others, still hasn’t officially recognized it. MP Sameer Zuberi spoke about this issue in conversation with the Daily: “the recognition of a genocide triggers requirements on the part of the signatories of the Geneva convention to respond in very dramatic ways [...] and it necessitates complete proof of the crime. Although there is a body of evidence [...] journalists and researchers cannot access the region [...] I would guess that the government wants to have a larger body of evidence inorder officially recognize the genocide.”
On October 26, Motion M-62 initiated by MP Zuberi will be discussed in parliament. “This motion calls on the Canadian Government to create a specific stream of immigration [to Canada] of 10,000 Uyghurs in third [party] countries such as Turkey, Pakistan or Saudi Arabia where they risk being deported back to China and placed in concentration camps,” he says.
Another obstacle to concrete action and recognition of the genocide is the complex and intertwined presence of the Chinese government in many layers of Canadian society, as discussed by Doctor Susan Palmer during the panel discussion “China is everywhere.” She explains that China is present in our economy but also in our investments and in objects we use on a daily basis. For example, approximately 25 per cent of the world’s cotton is being produced in China, and 85% is cultivated in Xinjiang and most probably comes from forced labor. In the first part of the event, URAP organized mass mailings to MPs in order to support not only motion M-62 but also Bill S-204, introduced by Senator Leo Housakos, which would amend the Customs Tariff to prohibit the importation of any and all goods produced in the Uyghur region.
In March 2022, an article from the McGill Tribune detailed that $15 million of the McGill endowment fund was being invested in Chinese government bonds, organizations contributing to mass surveillance, and businesses exploiting Uyghur people. In an interview with the Daily, Leo Larman Brown, co-author of the article, explains that “after the article came out we didn’t get a lot of attention, it’s disappointing but not surprising.” They were then contacted by URAP to create a project called “Clean Universities Campaign,” which intends to expand the research done by Brown and co-author Massey to all universities in Canada and eventually the US. Brown added that they now work with a research analyst, and “by looking into McGill’s $1.8 billion endowment fund, he found that $65 million are invested in complicit companies and $148 million are invested in Chinese companies.” Furthermore, Brown highlighted that they “are trying to show that this is student dollars that are going into the endowment fund, if students knew that their money was funding a genocide, I think they would have something to say. This is about transparency for the university.” On the matter of student activism MP Zuberi added that “student action is crucial in this kind of battle. [...] You have the power to put pressure on your administration, by raising awareness and organizing.”
After the panel, traditional Uyghur food was offered to the attendees, including Polo, which is rice with carrots and meat, and Laghman noodles from the restaurant Urumqi Ozgu Uyghur Cuisine. Other Uyghur restaurants in Montreal include Le Taklamakan and Dolan Uyghur.
The event concluded with the screening of the documentary In search of my Sister by Jawad Mir. It follows the story of Rushan Abbas, an Uyghur activist, in her journey to open the eyes of people to the horrors of what is happening in East Turkmenistan while trying to find clues about the disappearance of her sister. Abbas then joined the event on Zoom to talk more about her experience and her mission. She emphasized the importance of speaking out but also the risk that comes along. “They took my sister because I spoke out,” she says. When asked if she has advice for people that are afraid to speak out, she said “ the power of love is what drives me, love for my sister, for my people, for my homeland, and love for freedom and democracy, that is what’s at stake. Today, the conscience of the world is being tested. [...] The Chinese government depends on people remaining silent. [...] Anyone who cares for humanity should speak up. Educate yourself and the people around you.”
Kayum Masimov |Photos Contributor
Update: New Vic Project
Various groups claim solidarity with the Mohawk Mothers in their actions.
Emma Bainbridge | News Multimedia Editor
Zoe Lister News Editor
The recent start of archeological investigations conducted at the site for McGill’s “New Vic Project” has resulted in acts and demonstrations in solidarity for the kanien’kehá:ka kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers). Last March, the Mohawk Mothers began the process of suing the University and the Canadian government in an effort to halt plans to convert the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) into a new research and teaching facility. The Mohawk Mothers believe that the site of the former hospital contains unmarked Indigenous graves, namely ones from the MK-Ultra experiments that occurred in the 1950s and 60s. Despite the promise from the Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI) that they would not start the archaeological investigation of the site until “information meetings” were completed, the archeological survey of the site began by the McGill-hired archeological firm Arkéos. A settler anarchist group occupied the site on October 10 in support of the Mohawk Mothers, however they were evicted by police the following day.
On October 16, the Mohawk Mothers wrote that SQI reported to the Judge that the offices of Arkéos were vandalized by a group attributing their actions as being on the behalf of the Mohawk Mothers. The Mohawk Mothers deny knowledge of this action, stating: “As the plaintiffs in this matter[,] we are being falsely considered as prime suspects in organizing these actions, thus risking police searches and prosecution, even though we have absolutely nothing to do with any of this.”
Divest McGill held an anti-colonial vigil on October 17 at the McTavish step in support of the Mohawk Mothers. At the vigil, members and supporters of Divest walked to and gathered at the gate of the entrance of the RVH site. They read passages of Indigenous and anti-colonial literature, with the group saying their aim was to reflect on the role McGill has played – and continues to play – in colonial violence. Candles were placed outside the gated entrance to commemorate the Indigenous graves and to block workers at the site from accessing their cars. However, these candles were “shamelessly kicked aside and stomped on” by militarized police officers carrying batons. Divest adds that the police response to the vigil was “frankly absurd considering the size of the group present.”
Time is running out as the hearing to block the New Vic Project is set to take place on October 26. The Mohawk Mothers claim they appreciate tokens of solidarity and demonstrations, but they address these demonstrations in the context of the upcoming hearing, writing: “[...] we ask you to be mindful of the dire legal repercussions for us, and the high risk of jeopardizing all the work we have invested for more than one year to obtain an injunction, which could be ruined, as well as the hope of our families to know the truth and get justice.”
AGM & Call for candidates
All members of the Daily Publications Society (DPS), publisher of The McGill Daily and Le Délit, are cordially invited to its Annual General Assembly:
Thursday, October 27th @ 6:00PM
The presence of candidates to the Board of Directors is strongly advised. The Daily Publications Society is looking for a Community Representative for its Board of Directors.
DPS Directors meet at least once a month to discuss the management of both Le Délit and The McGill Daily, and get to vote on important decisions related to the DPS’s activities. They can also get involved in various committees whose purpose ranges from fundraising to organizing our annual journalism conference series.
6October 24, 2022 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
News Far-Right Wins Italian Election
Election ushers in Italy’s fourth government in five years
Anna Zavelsky | Coordinating Editor
India Mosca News Contributor
Some quotations have been translated from Italian.
On July 21, Italian prime minister Mario Draghi stepped down after 18 months in power. The fall of his government occurred following a confidence vote in the Senate in which three parties of his coalition – Movimento Cinque Stelle (M5S), la Lega, and Forza Italia – refused to give their votes to Draghi. In a speech to the Senate, the outgoing Italian PM justified his resignation by saying that his decision followed “the collapse of the national unity majority that had supported this government since its formation.”’ During his 18 months as prime minister, the former director of the European Central Bank succeeded in reinforcing links with his European neighbours, something which has allowed Italy to receive more European financial aid than any country in the EU, and to tackle the economic crisis that followed the pandemic. President Sergio Mattarella dissolved Parliament and called for an early election. The search for new governments has been the norm in Italy, especially in recent years: this is the fourth new Italian government in five years.
On election day, the centreright coalition led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia) obtained 44 per cent of the vote, winning a plurality. This is the first time since the Second World War that a far-right party has won a plurality of the votes in Italy. Meloni’s coalition partner, Matteo Salvini, head of the antiimmigration League (Lega) party won nine per cent, and Forza Italia, led by ex-prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, took eight per cent of the vote. Left-leaning parties, for their part, performed dismally. The centre-left coalition led by Enrico Letta, secretary of the Democratic Party, gathered 26 per cent of the vote, while the Five Star Movement saw its share of vote decrease from 32.7 per cent in the 2018 elections to 15.6 per cent. “Today is a sad day for Italy and Europe,” said Enrico Letta after announcing his resignation in the wake of his party’s loss. In conversation with the Daily, Paolo Levi, correspondent of the National Associated Press Agency (ANSA) in France, explained that “the Italian electoral system rewards who presents a united front” and that “the center-right coalition benefited from the left’s failure to unite.” In other words, the mixed electoral system combining the use of majority and proportional representation benefits coalitions, and the left-wing parties in Italy have failed to find common ground and offer a unified response to the social, political, and economic crises the country is facing.
Following negotiations between the various right-wing and farright parties and President Sergio Mattarella, who must all agree on the composition of the future government, Giorgia Meloni is likely to become the first woman in the history of Italy to govern the council of ministers. The victory of the Brothers of Italy, which is just ten years old, is a shock for Italy and Europe. The party has experienced a rapid rise in popularity, going from 4.3 per cent of the vote in 2018 to 26 per cent. Paolo Levi explains this rapid emergence to by saying that “Meloni has been very consistent in her political arguments throughout her career.” At 15 years old, she was already an advocate of the rightwing Alleanza Nazionale, and at 31 years old, under the government of Silvio Berlusconi, she became Italy’s youngest minister ever. In addition, the Brothers of Italy, has been a party of opposition for the past ten years. The Daily spoke to an anonymous Italian student at McGill, who states that “Italians want change, the party of Fratelli d’Italia is the only true opposition party, therefore it’s a party of change,” adding that “for many, this was considered as a strategic vote; the left-wing parties today are a dead end.”
Moreover, the coalition touches upon subjects that are close to the daily lives of many Italians – including the economy, the consequences of the war in Ukraine, and immigration. Indeed, the International Monetary Fund released a report showing the growth projections in the world’s economic outlook. Italy and Germany are the countries whose economies are expected to be hit hardest in Europe in 2023 – in large part due to their dependence on gas. One of Meloni’s main campaign promises is to reduce Italy’s debt, which is estimated to be over 150 per cent of its GDP. Furthermore, the topic of sanctions in Russia is one of great debate within the centre-right coalition. If Meloni seems to have taken a clear position in favour of helping Ukraine, Salvini has stated on many occasions that the sanctions were useless and did more harm to Italians. Additionally, the centre-right coalition dedicated a whole section to “security and illegal immigration” in its unified program. They made “public safety” a priority, as seen with Salvini’s “Italy First (Prima L’Italia)” slogan. Immigration has also been a key part of the campaigns of both Meloni and the leader of the League party; Matteo Salvini has promised to enforce stricter border controls and block boat landings. The party leaders have also encouraged establishing EU-managed centres to evaluate asylum applications before refugees arrive in the EU. Italy is not the only country in Europe to experience the rising influence of the political right. Six national elections are taking place in EU member states from September to November of this year, some of which are high risk for the unity and efficiency of the EU. Recently, Sweden also saw a breakthrough for the far right in the parliamentary elections with the victory of the Democrats. The stakes of this election are perticularly high since the country will preside over the Council of the EU from 1 January 2023. Andrzej Duda, Victor Orban, and Marine Lepen – all far rightwing and conservative leaders across Europe – congratulated Meloni on her victory. Paolo Levi talked about the implications this election would have for Italy and Europe. He explains, “it is a big gamble for Meloni to go from opposition party to ruling party. Her first big challenge is to present a government that can tackle the multiple crises in Italy and Europe.” Furthermore, since the start of the pandemic, increasing solidarity has been observed in Europe, especially with the decree on the mutualization of debt – “a miraculous agreement, a true promise of brotherhood which brings us back to the initial hopes of the founders of Europe,” says Levi. However, this agreement is conjectural and was pushed by the government. “We need to see if Meloni will continue this mission and try to make it a structural pact,” Levi adds. Because Italy is the largest recipient of the EU’s $800 billion COVID recovery fund, Levi speculates that the country needs the EU to survive. He told the Daily that “Meloni’s patriotism will have to go through the European prism; if she truly wants the best for Italians, she will accept cooperation with Europe.” The rise of far right-wing parties is a threat to the unity of the EU on which many depend, Europe’s capacity to act as a cohesive group is the only way to efficiently tackle these crises.
