OTTAWA - NDP public safety critic Jenny Kwan says Canadians deserve to know what information the RCMP is sharing under an agreement with China's Ministry of Public Security.
In an open letter, Kwan urged Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand to disclose the full text of the memorandum of understanding.
Kwan said in the letter she wants to know if safeguards are in place to prevent Canadian information from being used against dissidents, human rights defenders, journalists or diaspora communities.
She also said she wonders what oversight mechanisms exist to ensure compliance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Canadian privacy laws.
Public statements indicate the memorandum concerns co-operation on transnational crime, cybercrime, narcotics, corruption and the establishment of bilateral law enforcement working groups, Kwan noted in her letter dated May 12.
She said the fact the text is being kept under wraps has created widespread uncertainty and legitimate concerns among Canadians, particularly within Hong Kong, Uyghur, Tibetan and broader Chinese diaspora communities dealing with transnational repression by Beijing.
