Told you, Harper has double standard on human rights

"Ugly Canadian"

Isn't it the height of hypocrisy for Stephen Harper to denounce China for its human rights abuses but say nothing of Colombia's? And shame on the mainstream media for being so unfair, in an almost deliberate manner.

UJJAL DOSANJH RELEASE –

Mr. Harper’s Unprincipled Foreign Policy

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s approach to foreign affairs continues to be guided by his own Conservative/Reform ideology rather than principle or consistent policy – as evidenced by his recent comments in Colombia, Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic Ujjal Dosanjh said today.

“Mr. Harper has done significant damage to Canada’s relationship with China. He has abandoned the long-standing Canadian approach of promoting trade and economic relations with other countries while communicating expectations on human rights,” said Mr. Dosanjh. “At the time, he claimed to be articulating a principled foreign policy. But yesterday he advocated for a different kind of policy with regard to Colombia.”

Mr. Harper has decided to pursue three-way trade talks involving Canada, Colombia and Peru. This is despite criticism by some that he has not paid sufficient attention to an unfolding scandal in which some of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe’s allies and relatives have been accused of connections to paramilitary militias in a conflict with leftist insurgents.

“Mr. Harper’s comment yesterday that it would be ‘ridiculous’ to expect countries to address all human rights and social issues prior to establishing trade relations clearly shows that he is not coming from a place of principle – either on China or on Colombia. He has unnecessarily damaged our relationship with China and is now completely ignoring human rights abuses in Colombia, “said Dosanjh. “Mr. Harper should give precedence to principle, rather than his Reform Party ideology, in Canada’s international policy.”

Until Mr. Harper puts principle ahead of political expediency, our international partners have no choice but to come to the same conclusion as Canadians at home already have: you simply can’t take this Prime Minister’s word at face value.
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ELIZABETH MAY RELEASE -

Harper’s jaunt to Latin America risks damage to Canada’s reputation: Green Party

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s trip to Latin America runs the risk of tarnishing our international reputation as a defender of human rights, said Green Party leader Elizabeth May today. On this trip, Mr. Harper marches in the footsteps of U.S. President George Bush, who embarked on a similar trade mission in March.

Instead of using his visit to Latin America as an opportunity to address countless abuses of human rights, advance discussion of fair trade partnerships and find solutions for environmental degradation, Mr. Harper has pursued highly controversial NAFTA-style trade agreements with developing countries and will today be promoting business-as-usual with Canadian mining companies who have among the worst human rights and environmental records in the developing world.

“This trip will accomplish Mr. Harper’s goal of raising Canada’s profile, but for all the wrong reasons. I am increasingly hearing of U.S. tourists who, thinking they will be better accepted overseas with a maple leaf sewn on their back pack, are being advised to take it off. The human rights and environmental abuses of Canadian mining operations in Latin America is creating a reputation for Canada that is uglier than the stereotype ‘Ugly American’.”

Mr. Harper should have used his meeting with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe as an opportunity to condemn abuses in Colombia that the United Nations has described as the worst humanitarian crisis in the Americas, said Ms. May. “It is also regrettable that Mr. Harper is missing the opportunity to meet with other leaders in Latin America, such as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Brazil’s Lula da Silva.”