Dear Editor,
Re: “Right to Write: Local activists confront China’s human rights,” Feature, May 26.
I wish you to relay my congratulations, admiration and respect to all those involved and mentioned in the Richmond News article, “Local activists confront China’s human rights.”
I congratulate those concerned for taking a stand and shining the light on an issue few care to admit exists — not only in Richmond, but throughout the world.
Having traveled through more than 50 countries, the fact is clear, few, so-called, second and Third World countries have escaped the back-handed generosity of the Chinese government.
A few years ago, I traveled through several African countries and was amazed by the influence those countries have allowed China to buy, by the building of roads, hospitals, etc.
“Well, isn’t that good of them to provide such infrastructures?” you may ask.
If the gifts were just that, “gifts,” yes. But they aren’t; they are bribes.
Worse, they serve as a source of blackmail into the future.
Further, Africans are rarely employed in the construction of said infrastructures or the mining and agricultural thievery which results; Chinese workers are shipped into the countries and often end up staying and setting up businesses — again, employing only fellow Chinese, not unlike what has happened with mines here in Canada.
The employment of critical thinking is required to understand the insidiousness of such ploys to establish influence around the world, and Richmond is not immune.
Canadians are often too docile to speak out.
Serious, professionally moderated dialogue between citizens, sponsored by a concerned organization, might go some way to ameliorating this growing and ugly phenomenon.
Yvonne Harwood
Richmond
