In recent times, Canada has been starkly reminded of the pervasive threat of foreign interference and transnational repression (TNR), a menace that undermines the sovereignty and safety of its citizens. While the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar has been drummed up Justin Trudeau and the pro-Khalistan elements publicly to point fingers at India, his death seemed more of a gang war, nothing more. However, it is crucial to pivot our attention towards another formidable source of Canadian TNR – China. The revelation from Canada’s domestic spy agency regarding China’s interference in the last two elections underscores the gravity of suspected meddling in Canadian politics. The disclosure, made during an official probe, provides the most concrete evidence yet of China’s involvement in shaping electoral outcomes. A slide presented during the commission hearing contained excerpts from a February 2023 briefing by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), stating unequivocally, “We know that the PRC (Peoples’ Republic of China) clandestinely and deceptively interfered in both the 2019 and 2021 elections.” The briefing highlighted the pragmatic nature of these foreign interference activities, which primarily aimed to bolster candidates perceived as ‘pro-PRC’ or ‘neutral’ on matters of interest to the Chinese government. This confirmation raises significant concerns about the integrity of Canada’s democratic process and calls for robust measures to safeguard against future meddling attempts. The experiences of Canadian MP Michael Chong, who faced a coordinated disinformation campaign from China due to his criticism of the country’s treatment of Uighurs, exemplify Beijing’s audacious attempts to silence dissent abroad. This is not an isolated incident but a reflection of a broader strategy employed by the Chinese government to exert its influence and suppress opposition globally. The plight of the Uighur community in Canada, subjected to harassment, surveillance, and threats from Chinese operatives, underscores the extent of Beijing’s reach. Activists like Mehmet Tohti and Bakhtiar Semseddin have courageously spoken out, despite the risks to themselves and their families, about the tactics employed by the Chinese government to intimidate and silence them. Furthermore, the ordeal of Omar Abdulaziz, targeted by cyber espionage, illustrates the sophistication and intrusiveness of the tools at the disposal of authoritarian regimes like China and Saudi Arabia. The use of Pegasus Spyware in Abdulaziz’s case is a chilling reminder of the lengths to which these governments will go to clamp down on dissent, even beyond their borders. The Canadian government’s response to these threats has been lackluster at best. While there are ongoing inquiries and discussions about strengthening laws to combat foreign interference, the victims of TNR often feel abandoned, lacking adequate support from law enforcement and intelligence services. The case of Yuekang Li, denied a study permit due to fears of espionage, signals a growing awareness but also hints at the complexity and challenge of addressing this issue. Canada’s large and diverse diaspora communities make it a prime target for foreign interference and TNR. The state must recognize the gravity of this threat and take decisive action to protect its residents. This involves not only enhancing legal frameworks and law enforcement capabilities but also providing support and resources to those targeted by such campaigns. The creation of a standalone definition of transnational repression, as advocated by former minister of justice Irwin Cotler, could be a significant step forward. It would clarify the nature of the threat and enable more effective responses. Moreover, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and other agencies need the authority and means to engage more proactively with communities at risk, offering guidance and support. In light of these pressing issues, it is imperative for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the current Canadian administration to adopt a firmer stance against China’s transnational repression tactics. Instead of appeasing Beijing, Canada must take a stand and speak out against the injustices and infringements on freedom perpetrated by the Chinese government. While addressing concerns related to any nation, including the allegations against India, it is crucial that the Canadian government maintains a balanced and principled approach. Pandering to any group, including Khalistani extremists, should not overshadow the broader imperative to challenge and counter the real and present threats emanating from China. The safety and democratic values of Canada and its residents necessitate a clear, strong, and consistent voice against all forms of foreign interference and repression, without any bias or preferential treatment. Source: khalsa Vox

Residents in two cities say change will not drive more traffic to Hong Kong as present arrangements not much different; no surge in bookings Social media users in the two cities question need for change and say individual travellers with group visas have made solo trips to Hong Kong for years The extension of the solo visitor scheme to Hong Kong to the mainland Chinese cities of Xian and Qingdao has generated a lukewarm response. Residents in the two mainland cities predicted the change, which came into effect on Wednesday, would not drive more traffic to Hong Kong as the present arrangements were not much different and travel agents said there had been no jump in bookings. Hundreds of social media users took to the X-like online networking tool Weibo and mainland version of Instagram Xiaohongshu to question the need for the new policy and highlighted that individual travellers who held group tour visas had made independent trips to Hong Kong for years. “I don’t understand the difference and significance of granting individual visas in cities that were previously restricted to group visas,” one post on Xiaohongshu said. “Unless the multi-entry visa is granted, it seems like an unnecessary step. “Essentially, nationwide group visa holders can travel independently to Hong Kong and Macau, with only a difference in the visa name.” But another post said: “[This policy] is intended to legitimise [independent travel].” The scheme will be extended on Wednesday, but travel agents in the two cities told the Post there had not been a major surge in queries for travel to Hong Kong after the new arrangements were announced last month and no promotions were planned as it was not the summer or winter peak seasons. The National Immigration Administration of China on February 23 announced that tourists from Xian and Qingdao could apply for individual visits to Hong Kong with various visa options – a three-month single-entry or double-entry visa, or a one-year single-entry or double-entry visa.

The US has attacked targets in Iraq and Syria in response to the drone attack that killed three US service members in a base in northeast Jordan last week. Tehran and others have condemned the US' actions. Iran, Syria and Iraq all vehemently criticized US strikes which came in retaliation for a drone attack that killed three US soldiers in Jordan.   The US blames an Iran-backed umbrella group, Islamic Resistance in Iraq, for the last week's attack. The US military said it had hit more than 85 targets in Syria and Iraq, including control operation centers, intelligence centers, rockets and munition supply chain bases of militias and their Iranian sponsors "who facilitated attacks against US and Coalition forces." Tehran said the US strikes were a "strategic mistake." "Last night's attack on Syria and Iraq is an adventurous action and another strategic mistake by the US government, which will have no result other than intensifying tension and instability in the region," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement. Syria's Foreign Ministry issued a statement in the same vein, saying: "What (the US) committed has served to fuel conflict in the Middle East in a very dangerous way," while Iraq said that the airstrikes were a "violation of Iraqi sovereignty" and "pose a threat that could lead Iraq and the region into dire consequences." "The outcomes will have severe implications on the security and stability in Iraq and the surrounding region," Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasool said in a statement.   Dozens killed in Iraq and Syria According to Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi, the US strikes killed at least 16 people, including civilians, while wounding 23 others. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group monitoring the conflicts in Syria, said the strikes there killed no civilians, but at least 23 pro-Iran fighters, updating an earlier toll of 18. "The toll has risen to 23 dead: 10 pro-Iran fighters in the Deir Ezzor area and 13 in the Mayadeen area," said Rami Abdel Rahman, the Observatory head. He said nine of the fighters were Syrians and six were Iraqis.  Other pro-Iran forces were evacuating positions in Deir Ezzor for fear that more US strikes could be imminent, the Observatory said. Biden says US response to 'continue' The drone attack killed three US soldiers and injured dozen others at a small US base in Jordan near the border with Syria. In a statement, US President Joe Biden said he had attended the return of the remains of the three soldiers at Dover Airforce Base.  "This afternoon, at my direction, US military forces struck targets at facilities in Iraq and Syria that the IRGC and affiliated militia use to attack US forces," Biden said. "Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing," Biden added. "The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: if you harm an American, we will respond." Iran denies responsibility for Jordan attack The series of US strikes lasted about 30 minutes, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, adding the Defense Department was still assessing the effect.  The Biden administration had made it clear that it wouldn't be just one hit, but a "tiered response" over time, meaning the strikes could only be the first of a set of responses by the Biden adminstration.   Iran has denied it was behind the attack on the US base in Jordan. On Friday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi repeated Tehran would retaliate if the US strikes were to target its interests, saying: We "will not start a war, but if a country, if a cruel force wants to bully us, the Islamic Republic of Iran will give a strong response." London also weighed in on the attacks, saying they support the US' "right to respond to attacks."   "The UK and US are steadfast allies," a British government spokesperson said in a statement. "We have long condemned Iran’s destabilising activity throughout the region, including its political, financial and military support to a number of militant groups." The EU, for its part, warned that the continuing instability in the Middle East as partly reflected by the US strikes was a danger to global security.   "The Middle East is a boiler that can explode. And certainly, there are attacks both on the Lebanon border; north and south; there are attacks in Syria; there are attacks in Iraq, attacks in the Red Sea," top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said.  He said the bloc called oneverybody to try to avoid an escalation." 

An ‘All Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Bar Associations Conference’ has expressed serious dismay over the alleged injudicious behaviour of the Azad Kashmir government vis-à-vis the ongoing rights movements across the state and called upon it to accept the charters of demands of inflation-stricken people to provide much needed relief to them. The conference was held under the aegis of District Bar Association (DBA) Mirpur in the lakeside city on Saturday evening, and its participants reiterated their resolve to continue their support and active participation in the peaceful rights movements as part of their obligation as an important civil society segment. Participants of the conference decided and declared on the occasion that a state-wide lawyers’ convention would be held in Mirpur on December 23 to call forth all shades of opinion from the legal fraternity members. Speaking on the occasion, the legal community leaders made it clear that the people across the liberated territory were struggling peacefully for the solution of their basic problems in accordance with their legal and constitutional rights. They demanded that the [AJK] prime minister and his ‘army of ministers’ should give up their luxuries at the cost of poor taxpayers and divert the funds thus saved on the welfare of the masses. The speakers made it clear that they were not averse to talks with the government but they wanted the exercise to be on the basis of equality and result-oriented. They maintained that since electricity in AJK was generated from water, people could not accept the tariff for electricity generated from fuel. The rulers should understand the situation and provide electricity and flour to the AJK people either at the rates prevalent in India occupied Kashmir or Gilgit-Baltistan, they said. When contacted, DBA Mirpur president Chaudhry Kamran Tariq told Dawn on Sunday that except for Bhimber city, representatives, mostly presidents and secretaries general, of almost all bar associations of state were either present in person or in contact with him on phone during the conference. They also included the presidents of the AJK Supreme Court Bar Association and the AJK High Court Bar Association, he said. Source: dawn.com

NATO on Sunday announced that it would be deploying some 600 additional troops to Kosovo to assist KFOR troops in the region after a recent deadly attack on a Kosovar police station amid rumors of a Serbian troop build-up. "The UK is deploying around 200 soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment to join a 400-strong UK contingent already exercising in Kosovo, and further reinforcements will follow from other Allies," announced NATO Spokesman Dylan White. "The decision follows the violent attack on Kosovo Police on 24 September, and increased tensions in the region," White added. He did not, however, refer to Washington's Friday statement warning of a Serbian military build-up on Kosovo's border. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Sunday denied any such build-up of his country's troops, citing instead a "campaign of lies." The move comes in the wake of an attack in the former Serbian region that killed four people, including one Kosovar police officer and three heavily-armed Serbian militants. The attack was the most serious escalation in the region in recent years and has sparked concern of a new chapter to an ongoing conflict. NATO has called for calm and said that dialogue is "the only way to achieve lasting peace." Serbia refuses to acknowledge the independence of Albanian-majority Kosovo, which Kosovo declared in 2008.  Kosovo seeks NATO assistance as ethnic tensions rise

NATO on Sunday announced that it would be deploying some 600 additional troops to Kosovo to assist KFOR troops in the region after a recent deadly attack on a Kosovar police station amid rumors of a Serbian troop build-up. "The UK is deploying around 200 soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment to join a 400-strong UK contingent already exercising in Kosovo, and further reinforcements will follow from other Allies," announced NATO Spokesman Dylan White. "The decision follows the violent attack on Kosovo Police on 24 September, and increased tensions in the region," White added. He did not, however, refer to Washington's Friday statement warning of a Serbian military build-up on Kosovo's border. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Sunday denied any such build-up of his country's troops, citing instead a "campaign of lies." The move comes in the wake of an attack in the former Serbian region that killed four people, including one Kosovar police officer and three heavily-armed Serbian militants. The attack was the most serious escalation in the region in recent years and has sparked concern of a new chapter to an ongoing conflict. NATO has called for calm and said that dialogue is "the only way to achieve lasting peace." Serbia refuses to acknowledge the independence of Albanian-majority Kosovo, which Kosovo declared in 2008.  Kosovo seeks NATO assistance as ethnic tensions rise

During some of the first football games after the deadly earthquake, supporters of major clubs have called for the government's resignation. Supporters of the Turkish football club Besiktas called on the Turkish government to resign in the wake of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people there and in Syria.  "Government resign!" rang out around the stadium during the Istanbul club's Sunday evening match with Antalyaspor. Before kickoff, the club paid tribute to victims of the quakes and supporters threw thousands of toys and scarves onto the pitch in a gesture of support for the children affected by the disaster. But the protest chants showed lingering anger about the Turkish government's response to the natural disaster.  Supporters of the Turkish football club Besiktas called on the Turkish government to resign in the wake of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 44,000 people in the country. "Government resign!" rang out around the stadium during Sunday evening's match with Antalyaspor. Before kickoff, the club paid tribute to victims of the quakes and supporters threw thousands of soft toys onto the pitch in a gesture of support for the children affected by the disaster. But the protest chants showed lingering anger  over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government's response to the quake. In response to the chanting at the game, Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the MHP party that is aligned with Erdogan, canceled his Besiktas membership. Supporters of another big Istanbul-based club, Fenerbahce, shouted similar slogans on Saturday night during a game against Konyaspor. "Twenty years of lies and cheating, resign," Fenerbahce fans chanted during the match and "Government resign!" Erdogan refuted criticism of quake response Earlier this month, Erdogan acknowledged "shortcomings" in his country's response to the disaster. But he also lashed out at "provocateurs" who criticized rescue efforts, adding: "Of course, there are shortcomings. The conditions are clear to see. It's not possible to be ready for a disaster like this." Opponents accused Erdogan of not having prepared the country sufficiently for such an earthquake and of having neglected building supervision. Investigations have been launched against more than 600 people in relation to buildings that collapsed. On Saturday, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said 184 of the 612 suspects had been jailed pending trial. Those in custody include construction contractors and building owners or managers. Parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled to take place on May 14.

North Korea has called Antonio Guterres a "US puppet" after the UN chief condemned a recent ICBM test and called for Pyongyang to cease "provocative actions." North Korea responded to international condemnation of a recent ICBM launch, referring to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres as a "puppet of the West." The UN chief had earlier called on North Korea to "to immediately desist from taking any further provocative actions," soon after the US and its allies issued similar statements of criticism. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said that she considered Guterres to be a "member of the US White House or its State Department," and accused Guterres of failing to uphold the UN charter of maintaining "impartiality, objectivity and equity in all matters.'' She argued that US and South Korea had provoked the action by carrying out large-scale joint military drills in South Korea last month.  North Korea says it tests 'monster missile'  North Korea has carried out an unprecedented number of missile tests this year. They come amid renewed fears that Pyongyang is preparing to test a nuclear weapon for the first time since 2016.  On Friday, North Korea said it test launched the Hwasong-17, its longest-range missile, which is capable of delivering a warhead to any part of the United States.  It would be the first successful test of the Hwasong-17, although experts have doubted Pyongyang's previous claims of a successful launch.  On Sunday, the Group of Seven (G7) countries, issued a joint statement condemning the North Korean test. "This reckless act, together with the evidence of ongoing nuclear activities, underscores North Korea's determination to advance and diversify its nuclear weapons and missile capabilities," the statement said. "It further destabilizes the region, despite calls from the international community for peace and stability," it added.  The UN Security Council also scheduled an emergency meeting for Monday morning at Japan's request. However, it remains unclear if the Council can impose further sanctions on North Korea given Russia and China — two of the council's veto-holding powers — opposed a similar attempt earlier this year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has termed as a “tragedy” the richer nations’ meaningful response to the crucial climate issue despite their blustering words saying the urgency of the situation was not being matched by actions of countries responsible for emissions. "They don't act. They can talk but they don't act," she told French news agency AFP in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, adding that those countries were “the responsible ones for these damages”. Sheikh Hasina added: “The rich countries, the developed countries, this is their responsibility. They should come forward. But we are not getting that much response from them. That is the tragedy." "I know the rich countries; they want to become more rich and rich. They don't bother for others."   Supplementing her concerns AFP commented that “fertile, densely populated deltas, low-lying” Bangladesh was among the most vulnerable nations in the world to climate change. Bangladesh, it said, produced a miniscule amount of the greenhouse gas emissions that have already contributed to the warming of the planet by an average of nearly 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The Paris accord called for US$100 billion a year by 2020 from wealthy nations to help developing nations cope with climate change. That year, $83.3 billion was committed, including through private sources, according to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development figures. The French news agency predicted that one key issue facing the next UN climate summit, to take place in Egypt in November, is whether wealthy nations also need to pay for losses and damages from climate change -- not just to pay for adaptation and mitigation. "We want that fund to be raised. Unfortunately we didn't get a good response from the developed countries," Sheikh Hasina said in her interview with AFP, which noted that wealthy nations agreed only to discuss the loss and damage issue through 2024. The UNGA this year featured repeated calls for climate justice with the leader of tiny Vanuatu urging an international treaty against fossil fuels while Pakistan’s prime minister warned that floods that swamped one-third of his country could happen elsewhere.  - Questions on Rohingya - The AFP commented that climate is not the only issue on which Bangladesh saw inaction from the West, the Rohingya crisis was another major issue from where the richer countries attention shifted with the outbreak of the COVID-19 outbreak and Ukraine war. It said some 750,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in 2017 after a scorched-earth campaign against the minority group by troops in neighboring Myanmar, a campaign that the United States has described as genocide. The international news agency also noted that while the world has saluted Bangladesh for taking in the refugees -- along with 100,000 who fled earlier violence -- attention has shifted since the Covid-19 pandemic and now Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "As long as they are in our country, we feel that it is our duty," Sheikh Hasina told the interviewer but added that for Bangladeshi hosts, patience was running thin. AFP also recalled the then UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet had commented on a visit in August this year that there was growing anti-Rohingya sentiment in Bangladesh. "Local people also suffer a lot . . . I can't say that they're angry, but they feel uncomfortable," the Bangladesh premier said. "All the burden is coming upon us. This is a problem." The Rohingya refugees, who are mostly Muslim, live largely in ramshackle camps with tarpaulins, sheet metal and bamboo. Bachelet on her visit said there was no prospect of sending them back to Buddhist-majority, military-run Myanmar, where the Rohingya are not considered citizens. But in her interview, Sheikh Hasina signaled that there were few options other than for the Rohingya to reside in camps. "It is not possible for us to give them an open space because they have their own country. They want to go back there. So that is the main priority for everybody," she said adding, “If anybody wants to take them, they can take them". Source: BSS AH

The U.N. rights office on Friday said that the Taliban response to peaceful marches in Afghanistan has been increasingly violent, with authorities using live ammunition, batons and whips that have resulted in at least four protester deaths. Ravina Shamdasani, U.N. rights spokesperson, told a U.N. briefing in Geneva that it had received reports of house-to-house searches for those who participated in the protests. Journalists have also faced intimidation and one of those who were beaten in custody was verbally threatened with a beheading, she added. Credit: News18