A Hong Kong rights advocacy group in Canada is raising concerns over Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) members taking photos of protesters during an international police sporting event in Winnipeg. It is also expressing “outrage” at Canada’s decision to allow the HKPF to compete in the games while banning teams from Russia and some other countries.
“We were initially very surprised, because we felt that Canada, as a free and democratic country, should stand together with its allies that also believe in democracy and freedom. However, later on, in addition to being surprised, we were outraged, as we couldn’t understand why the Canadian government allowed this group of people to enter Canada and furthermore to be able to act freely,” Brian Cheung, a member of Winnipeg Hong Kong Concern, told The Epoch Times in Chinese.
Mr. Cheung says his organization is planning on filing reports about the incidents with the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
Photographing Protesters
As Mr. Siu departed from Winnipeg on July 30, protesters who gathered at the airport to express their opposition had their images captured on camera by HKPF members accompanying the commissioner, said Winnipeg Hong Kong Concern in an Aug. 3 statement posted on social media.The group expressed concern about the photographs potentially being used as evidence by the Hong Kong police to target the protesters, such as by “conducting secret investigations in Canada, or even intimidating, threatening, or even using force to attack them.”
Mr. Cheung told The Epoch Times that “over the past week, we have clearly discovered that they [the HKPF] have been intentionally filming our protests, including taking headshots of the protesters in Canada.”
“Much evidence tells us that they may be secretly looking for evidence,” he said. “Once this information is taken back to Hong Kong, we have no way of knowing whether they will use it in the courts to identify or target us, or how they will use these photos or video footage in the future.”
Mr. Cheung also expressed concerns about the Hong Kong police potentially engaging in intelligence collection during their stay in Canada. He pointed to the series of revelations over the past year about the Chinese Communist Party’s various foreign interference in Canada, such as meddling in the past two federal elections and establishing covert police stations on Canadian soil.
“So far, no government departments, including the RCMP or CSIS, have told us how many of these 300 police officers are genuine athletes,” he said, adding that it’s also an unknown “how many may be involved in national security work in Hong Kong.”
“How can the Canadian government, the RCMP, or CSIS ensure that they are in Canada solely for participating in this sports event? Will they conduct secret investigations outside of the event?”
The Epoch Times reached out to Public Safety Canada, the RCMP national headquarters and its Manitoba Division, as well as the Winnipeg Police Service regarding the concerns that protesters were photographed by the HKPF.
In an email statement dated Aug. 8, the RCMP said that if anyone experiences online or in-person threats or feels unsafe, they should promptly report any incidents to their local police or call 9-1-1.
Public Safety Canada told The Epoch Times via email that they will not be providing any additional comments on the Hong Kong police force attending the World Police and Fire Games, beyond the RCMP’s response. As of Aug. 8, The Epoch Times had not received a response from the Winnipeg Police Service.
Hong Kong Police Not Banned
Mike Edwards, WPFG’s chief operating officer, told CTV News that the organization works with “our federal partners” to identify countries they deem inappropriate for participating in the games. Russia, Belarus, and Iran were among the countries barred from attending.Drawing parallels to the police brutality by the Hong Kong police against democracy activists, Mr. Cheung questioned “Why would Canada allow such a police force to enter this country, moreover to act freely [here]?”
“The VSSDM views the Hong Kong police’s participation in the upcoming World Police and Fire Games, set to open in Winnipeg this Friday, as highly inappropriate,” VSSDM chair Mabel Tung told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement prior to the start of the games.
She added that many Hongkongers are living in exile in Canada to escape human rights abusers, and that the presence of the Hong Kong police “may trigger painful memories of violent attacks for some protesters, who may still be afraid to face any authority figures in uniform, such as our police in Canada.”
Global Affairs Canada said in an Aug. 4 statement emailed to The Epoch Times that the WPFG is “an independent organization and is responsible for decisions surrounding participation in the event.” GAC “was not consulted and did not provide advice on the participant list for the World Police and Fire Games,” the statement said.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said it could not provide a response by publication time.
