Human rights

Mrs. Beryl Gaffney (Nepean): Mr. Speaker on April 3 a prominent human rights activist Ajit Singh Bains was arrested in India.

This retired judge and current chairperson of the Punjab Human Rights Organization has been thrown in prison and denied the right to a full and legitimate trial under the rule of law.

Further the police confiscated valuable documents relating to his human rights work.

This incident has summoned condemnation from the international community. Prior to his arrest three Canadian members of Parliament from all three parties met with Bains in January in India. It is an insult this Canadian Parliament that this man was then arrested.

The World Sikh Organizations genuine concern for the human rights fall peoples cannot be ignored. The carnage continues in the Punjab in China and in many other areas of the world.

I urge the Secretary of State for External Affairs to voice Canada’s in the strongest possible terms to the Indian government the continuing violations of human rights and to call for the immediate release.

The Acting Speaker (Paproski):The hon member for Don Valley East.

Sikhs

Mr. Nelson A.Riis (Kamloops): Mr. Speaker Canada is home to the largest population of Sikhs living outside of India. Canadian Sikhs have declared this week as a week of mourning in commemoration of those lost their lives during the vicious attack by the Indian army on the Golden Temple at Amritsar that took place on June 4, 1984.

The Indian governments two-day military assault resulted in the deaths of thousands of Sikh men women and children To this day the Indian government continue to engage in activities that violate the most fundamental of human rights.

Amnesty International reports that Sikh prisoners have been detained for months or years without trial that incidents of torture during interrogation are common and that the arrest and detention of some detainees remain unacknowledged for weeks or months. This is a damning record for a country that billed itself as one of the world’s largest democracies.

Canada has very good relations with India I would ask the minister of external affairs to urge the Indian government to cease its persecution of Indian Sikhs. India’s actions against its own population are deplorable and thought should be given that present or future bilateral aid to India be made conditional on the commitment of the Indian government to solve its internal problems peacefully.

Ajit Singh Bains

Mr.Sergio Marchi (York West): Mr.Speaker on April 3 prominent human rights activist Ajit Singh Bains a retired judge and current chairperson of the Punjab Human Rights Organization was arrested in India.

To the surprise of his relatives living in metro Toronto the 7}-year old justice has been thrown in prison and denied the night to a full and legitimate trial under the rule of law.

In addition more than 300 police personnel took over his residence and without any warrants entered and confiscated documents relating to the human rights organization he heads.

The manner in which Justice Bains was arrested the forced entry into his home and the lack of any due legal process has evoked condemnation around the world.

I urge our government to voice Canada’s strongest disapproval of the violation of Bains fundamental human rights. I urge our Secretary of State for External Affairs to communicate this dissatisfaction immediately in the most forceful and concise terms to her counterpart in the Indian government.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 26, 1992