In Vancouver, 500,000 people claim ethnic Chinese heritage, including 188,000 mainland immigrants and 72,000 from Hong Kong. That is really problematic, especially for second-generation Canadians here," she said.Ĭanada has 1.8 million people of Chinese ancestry, making them the largest non-white ethnic group. "Normally you wouldn't think that could be an argument: 'the reason why you should think like this is because of your blood'. Sung said she objected to invoking racial unity to rally people against the protesters. The advertisements placed by the CBAV on June 21 provoked a sharp backlash from diaspora Chinese who supported the protesters, pushing long-standing differences over Hong Kong's fate into the spotlight of Canada's mainstream English-language media. "We don't have to agree on the same issue. In the Canadian democratic society have to learn to respect each other's opinions," he said. "There are differences of opinion, it has really divided up the community. Photo: Handout alt=Jun Ing, vice-president and director of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver. Jun Ing, vice-president and director of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver. In a telephone interview, Ing said he "wouldn't be surprised" that some groups named In the ad had been accused of United Front ties. "It must be pointed out that such accusations distort truth," the statement said. But in a statement posted on its website on June 19, the consulate denied meddling in Canadian affairs by trying to influence local Chinese community groups. They also opposed "the interference of any foreign forces", calling the Hong Kong unrest "an internal affair of China".įenella Sung, convenor of the Canadian Friends of Hong Kong, a group which has been broadly supportive of the protests, said the advertisements listed most of the groups that she and others suspected of carrying out United Front work in Canada, although others seemed innocuous.Ĭhina's consulate-general in Vancouver did not respond to an emailed request for comment on the ads. The CBAV's ads invoked blood loyalty among overseas Chinese, saying they were "obliged to unite with the Hong Kong residents and not to be taken advantage of by the separatist forces". The bill has been suspended, but many protesters want it completely withdrawn, fearing it represents a mainland Chinese incursion on Hong Kong's autonomy. The protests were among a series of demonstrations drawing hundreds of thousands of people " organisers estimated the one on June 16 drew two million " opposed to a proposed bill that would allow extradition to China. The ads condemned violence at the protests in Hong Kong on June 12, blaming "a small number of radicals". "I do not dispute there may be the so-called front organisations in list of names but CBA did not solicit their participation," he said by email, later clarifying that he was referring to United Front groups. Photos: Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver handout The CBAV ad denounces "radical" Hong Kong protesters, while the HKCOSA ad condemns actions that would "destroy the prosperity and stability" of Hong Kong. Photos: Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver handout alt=A combination image shows an ad placed by the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver (left) in Sing Tao and Ming Pao's Vancouver editions on June 21 and an ad placed by the group HKCOSA in Ming Pao's Toronto edition on June 16. A combination image shows an ad placed by the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver (left) in Sing Tao and Ming Pao's Vancouver editions on June 21 and an ad placed by the group HKCOSA in Ming Pao's Toronto edition on June 16.
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