Ottawa must speak out for jailed Canadians

Meng Wanzhou wants us know she’s grateful for how she’s been treated in Canada.

On the first anniversary of her arrest at the request of U.S. authorities seeking her extradition, she released a letter describing her life in Vancouver and saying she appreciates “the kindness of people here in Canada.”

Being under house arrest in a $13-million Vancouver mansion, it turns out, has its advantages.

But imagine, if you will, what kind of letter the two Canadians imprisoned in China in retaliation for Meng’s arrest might write should they be allowed to do such a thing next week when they mark a year in captivity. Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, and Michael Spavor, a consultant, were detained nine days after Meng’s arrest and face trumped-up charges of espionage.

They aren’t enjoying the comforts of their own homes. They aren’t allowed to roam around Beijing during the daytime. Instead, they have been held for almost a year in isolation in so-called “black jails.” There, they have been kept under 24-hour surveillance in cells that are lit around the clock. They have not been allowed to see lawyers or their families and visits from Canadian consular officials have been allowed only sporadically.

Even aside from the clearly arbitrary nature of their arrest and the absurd charges they face, this is disgraceful treatment. After a year of this, it’s high time that Canada, along with its allies, acted much more forcefully to demand their release.

But, so far, a kitten could roar more loudly than Canada and its friends have. The only thing that can be said is that a considerable number of countries are on side, however ineffective their voices may be. They include Australia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, NATO, the EU and the G7.

It’s true that Canada is caught between a rock and a hard place. Any action it takes must be weighed carefully, considering what is at stake for Kovrig and Spavor. China can also retaliate against Canada’s economy, as it did by banning imports of canola and pork and beef for a time this year.

But our government’s softly-softly approach hasn’t worked. It’s clear that China doesn’t respect restraint and sees the relationship as a one-way street. Its new ambassador started his tenure here by, in effect, telling Ottawa to shut up about the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and threatening unspecified consequences if it dares to defy Beijing.

In fact, Canada needs to raise its voice. To start with, the government should not shy away from speaking up about the danger to democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong, home to some 300,000 Canadian citizens. It should also not feel restrained about criticizing Beijing over the recent revelations about human rights abuses against the Muslim Uighur minority in China’s far-western territory.

Potentially, it could go even further and target Chinese officials who have transferred their wealth to Canada under the Magnitsky Act, which allows this country to seize their assets. And if China escalates by targeting other Canadian goods, Ottawa could retaliate with trade sanctions of its own. After all, Canada did precisely that when the United States imposed punitive tariffs on steel and aluminum.

We should also not underestimate our own influence. China is surely sensitive about the long-term effects of destroying trust with Europe, Japan, Australia and others. As well, other countries might do well to consider that if they don’t kick up a fuss over the arbitrary detention and torture of Canadians, their own citizens may be next.