(This
column was published in the North
Shore News on
Nov. 29, 2000)
Refugee process abused by criminals
By Leo Knight
BASKING
in the afterglow of the fourth B.C. Lions Grey Cup win, (I
purchased my first season's ticket in 1980 and still maintain my
regular chair), I was somewhat taken aback by a press release
emanating from Elections Canada on the eve of a federal election
called for no other reason than to assuage Jean Chrétien's
massive ego and to try and keep Paul Martin from taking his job.
Elections
Canada issued a press release on Grey Cup Sunday with a stern
warning for those who might choose to take part in our National
Party.
Here,
in its bureaucratic eloquence, is the release:
"Aware
of the passions that today's Grey Cup game can provoke,
Elections Canada reminds all election day workers that, no
matter how elated or disappointed they may feel about the
results of the game, Canadians are counting on them to be there
at polling stations tomorrow, election day, to exercise their
right to vote."
Interesting,
isn't it? The only reason that release needed to be written is
because Chrétien couldn't wait until next spring for an
election just in case Stockwell Day managed, with a little more
experience under his belt, to be a little more palatable to the
stupidest voters north of Palm Beach County, Florida. Yes, I do
mean the Greater Toronto Area.
But
to me, the real issue of this election has been the inability of
a great many of the electorate to recognize the
institutionalized corruption of the federal Liberals. Maybe I've
been a little too close to it all. With the whole Sidewinder
debacle being so close to my heart, it's been very hard to be
anything remotely resembling objective.
On
the weekend before the election, news broke that one of the
biggest alleged criminals in China was arrested in Canada. On
the run from authorities for being at the centre of the largest
corruption scandal in history, isn't it amazing that the country
of refuge chosen by the alleged gangster was Canada?
His
organization purportedly controlled the smuggling of guns,
drugs, stolen property and people. Yes, people, mainly from the
Fujian Province. Sound familiar?
Of
the nearly 200 so-called civilized nations of the earth, this
man chose our fine country. And why do you suppose that was?
Simple,
really. Our federal Liberal government has created an atmosphere
that he, and those like him, can do whatever they want with
virtual impunity.
What
kind of mugs are we to allow him to claim refugee status almost
a year after he actually came to this country illegally? Our
government has created such a fuzzy system of rules that this is
possible.
Let's
be realistic. If someone comes to this country with a bogus
passport created to escape a despotic regime, it's fair enough
if that individual puts up his or her hand at the airport and
says, "Hey, I'm here illegally but I want to claim refugee
status." No problem. But, to be here for a significant
period of time and, only after being outed, he then wants
protection under our refugee process, is so totally and
blatantly wrong.
Thus
far in the investigation in China, fourteen mid and low-level
government officials have been convicted and many sentenced to
death for their part in the scandal. Reports from South East
Asia indicate hundreds more government officials may be
involved.
Interesting.
But, I wonder how many of our government officials were
involved. A strong statement, you say? Not really. How else
might one explain how agents of the People's Republic of China
came to this country with a convicted criminal in tow, to
threaten Lai Changxing with the deaths of family members unless
he returned to China?
The
agents of the Chinese government used Lai's family as bait. It
is nothing less than extortion, which, I might add is a crime in
this country.
Don't
get me wrong in this. I believe Lai should never have been in
this country in the first place. I also believe he should be
returned to China post haste. But, that doesn't deal with the
salient questions in this whole affair.
Officials
of Canada Immigration knew of his illegal presence in this
country and did nothing about it except, apparently, to advise
the government of the PRC. Agents of that foreign, communist
government then came to this country and used methods of
intimidation that would land any Canadian police officer in
jail. And, apparently, this was all sanctioned by the Minister
of Immigration.
This
is just the beginnings of what promises to be yet another whiff
of scandal involving the federal Liberals, Asian organized crime
and the Government of the People's Republic of China.
It
just never ends.
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