The two organizations suspected by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of harboring underground Chinese state police stations called for respect for the presumption of innocence on Tuesday and warned against amalgams that would stigmatize the community. Chinese.
The Center Sino-Québec de la Rive-Sud (CSQRS) and the Chinese Family Service of Greater Montreal (SFCGM) made this update after the RCMP confirmed last Thursday that it is investigating their activities.
“While the investigation is underway, we invite the public and the media to exercise caution and to be careful of amalgams, particularly in the context of the pandemic where the Chinese community has been strongly stigmatized, they indicated in a statement. Concluding the guilt of these organizations in the current factual vacuum risks causing irreparable damage to these two organizations. »
The two organizations say they were unaware of the existence of a police investigation targeting them until the information was released to the media last week.
“These two organizations wish to collaborate in this investigation while respecting the exercise of their fundamental rights”, they indicate.
Clandestine posts
The CSQRS and the SFCGM were aware of a report by the NGO Safeguard Defenders which claimed last fall that the Toronto area had three clandestine police stations that allegedly harass Chinese nationals on Canadian soil.
The two Quebec organizations said on Tuesday that they “condemn behaviors similar to harassment and intimidation and invite any victim to denounce these actions”.
The boards of CSQRS and SFCGM reiterated their full confidence in their director, Xixi Li, and thank her for her hard work. Mme Li is also a municipal councilor in Brossard, where the CSQRS is located.
The duty reported on Monday that the Quebec government has stopped funding these two organizations responsible for the integration of immigrants after noting problems in their management.
Devastating effects
The Montreal Chinatown Roundtable also pleaded for respect for the presumption of innocence on Tuesday in a statement of support for the two organizations.
“We are alarmed that since the RCMP publicly confirmed that they are investigating the Chinese Family Service of Greater Montreal and the Center Sino-Québec for being “Chinese police stations”, there have been devastating effects on the community,” the group said in a statement.
The Chinatown Round Table highlighted the contribution of the two organizations over the years in the fight against the isolation of the elderly, by offering support and referrals to victims of domestic violence, by offering French lessons and by relieving poverty.
“While we encourage victims of any type of harassment or intimidation to come forward, we discourage them from accusing a specific person or organization without specific evidence or allegations,” the group said.
On Monday, the RCMP said it had received 15 reports since last Thursday after confirming its investigation targeting the two agencies. According to the police, the allegations point to foreign interference on Canadian and Quebec soil.