#AMNESTY IS A #TERRORISFORSOCIETY as it excoriates #StephenHarper personally. ISH. ====================== Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press Published Tuesday, December 16, 2014 6:10AM EST OTTAWA -- Amnesty Internationals Canada branch has issued a wide-ranging attack on the Harper government for making economic development a higher priority than human rights -- especially in resource development. Alex Neve, Amnestys director general, said the organization wants human rights issues to be on the agenda for the expected federal election in 2015. Canadians will be talking about jobs and economic prosperity during next years election, and those issues are inextricably linked to questions of human rights, said Neve. RELATED STORIES Amnesty renews call for Ottawa to step up commitments to Syrian refugees Amnesty is accusing the government of doing too little to ensure that the rights of aboriginal people are adequately protected in the hundreds of major resource projects that are planned for the next decade. With all the attention that will be on jobs and the economy, we have to recognize how important it is to deal with indigenous peoples land rights, corporate accountability and a trade policy that is grounded in human rights, said Neve. All of that is not only good for rights and justice, but thats actually ultimately the road for more sustainable economic growth lies. A spokeswoman for Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford said the government has gone to great lengths to consult with First Nations on resources projects. Our government has taken substantial action to enhance participation of First Nations in resource development, said Alexandra Lemieux in an emailed statement. For example, we recently opened the Major Projects Management Office-West to enhance engagement between governments, industry and First Nations. Amnesty also said Canadian companies in the mining industry are not being held to account for human rights violations overseas. Neve said Amnesty remains a non-partisan organization, but it wants rights issues on the agenda for voters. We have laid out issues and recommendations that we hope people take seriously when they are figuring out what kinds of questions they want to ask their candidates, and ultimately how they vote. Amnesty said the government is selectively deciding to help some Canadians in prisons overseas and not others. For example, the government has intervened on behalf of Huseyin Celil in China, Bashir Makhtal in Ethiopia, Mohamed Fahmy and Khaled Al-Qazzaz in Egypt, but not Ronald Smith, who is on death row in the United States, or convicted terrorist Omar Khadr. A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird defended the governments record in defending human rights. Read more: ctvnews.ca/politics/amnesty-aims-wide-ranging-attack-at-stephen-harper-1.2149571#ixzz3MG2PZquU
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 13:58:53 +0000
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