RCMP visit Richmond friendship society in investigation into Chinese ‘police’ stations | 24CA News
A friendship society in Richmond, B.C., has change into a spotlight in an RCMP investigation into allegations of secret Chinese “police” stations working in Canada.
Officers visited the Canada Wenzhou Friendship Society on Saturday and carried out interviews with individuals who dwell close by within the suburb south of Vancouver.
CBC spoke with neighbours who confirmed RCMP officers spoke with them, asking in the event that they’d seen something suspicious, and a marked cruiser was nonetheless parked outdoors the constructing on Tuesday.
The police exercise comes after the Spanish human rights group Safeguard Defenders revealed a report revealing the existence of two extra Chinese “police service stations” being operated inside Canada, together with one within the Vancouver space. Another three stations within the Toronto space are already underneath police investigation.
Safeguard Defenders alleges the stations are concerned in “persuasion to return” operations. The group says proof reveals people linked to those stations have been concerned in convincing nationals suspected of committing crimes to return to China to face legal proceedings.
Mounties will not say why they’re investigating the Canada Wenzhou Friendship Society particularly however despatched a press release saying they’re trying into “criminal activity at so-called ‘police’ stations nationally.”
The assertion acknowledges that Chinese Canadians are the targets of those alleged crimes.
“The RCMP takes threats to the security of individuals living in Canada very seriously and is aware that foreign states may seek to intimidate or harm communities or individuals within Canada,” the assertion says.
‘It’s completely ridiculous’
Vancouver activist Mabel Tung says the Chinese dissidents she works with within the area aren’t shocked by the allegations, and plenty of have confronted threats. To her, these stations really feel like open intimidation by the Chinese Communist Party.
“If you dare to say anything against them, we have a tool … to able to do something about you and your family in China,” she stated.
The existence of those centres has been reported by Chinese state-owned media, which calls them service stations, meant to assist Chinese nationals with non-criminal issues like eye exams for driver’s licence renewals.
But Tung does not purchase that clarification.
“I don’t believe them because it’s been done for the last how many years … through the Chinese Consulate,” she stated. “It’s totally ridiculous from my point of view.”
No one on the society answered the door when CBC knocked this week, and voicemail messages weren’t returned.
The society’s web site says it strengthens ties between individuals from Wenzhou and Canada. Members collect for celebrations and focus on entrepreneurship whereas proudly supporting the Chinese authorities.
The group’s attain has prolonged into Canadian politics as properly, and it has held dinners with visitors like Liberal MP Wilson Miao and Richmond Coun. Chak Au.
In an e-mail, Miao’s constituency workplace stated he receives various occasion invites yearly and appreciates the assist however understands the necessity to shield the general public from the specter of international interference.
Au stated that his participation in social occasions organized by a selected group “doesn’t mean that I endorse whatever they’re doing.”
The Canada Wenzhou Friendship Society has made headlines earlier than due to accusations it was providing cash for votes in three Metro Vancouver cities in the course of the 2018 civic elections.
Mounties investigated however discovered nobody prepared to come back ahead about the alleged vote-buying marketing campaign.
