Langley MP Tako van Popta (Black Press Media photo)

MP Tako van Popta supports Conservative motion condemning Uyghur genocide in China

'Canada joins a growing coalition of nations who are willing to stand up for human rights'

  • Feb. 23, 2021 12:00 a.m.

The Conservative party has called up on the Parliament of Canada to recognize the genocide currently being carried out by the People’s Republic of China against 1 million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims and they were successful.

The motion also included an amendment to move the 2022 Winter Olympics out of Beijing.

Langley MP Tako van Popta weighed in on the decision, and issued a statement echoing support for leader Erin O’Toole’s sentiment.

“We can’t allow atrocities like this go unchecked. Canada joins a growing coalition of nations who are willing to stand up for human rights, Van Popta said. “Sadly, the Trudeau government did not support the motion unanimously. Notably, Mr. Trudeau and his cabinet abstained from the vote all together.”

READ MORE: Canada should consider hosting 2022 Winter Olympics, says Green Leader Annamie Paul

In October, a House of Commons sub-committee on International Human Rights concluded that reports of human rights violations in Xinjiang, including the use of arbitrary detention, political re-education, forced labor, torture and forced sterilization meet the definition of genocide.

“Canada may be a smaller country in terms of population, but we are a towering giant when it comes to our commitment to human rights,” Van Popta added. “That is why Conservatives call on the Trudeau government to show up for work on human rights and stop their naïve approach to the Chinese Communist Party. The Liberal government needs to stand up for what’s right.”


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