Uyghur group asks Canada to go beyond ‘vague’ response to China ethnic-unity law

OTTAWA — A Uyghur rights activist says Ottawa’s reaction to a new Chinese law on ethnic unity is tepid and does not live up to Canada’s promise to tackle transnational repression.

Beijing has enacted a law giving a legal basis for the Chinese government to prosecute people or organizations outside China if their actions are deemed to harm the progress of “ethnic unity.”

China says the law promotes harmony among the country’s 55 ethnic groups, who make up just under nine per cent of the country’s 1.4 billion population.

Canada’s representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council said Ottawa is concerned about the law and that minority rights must be respected.