Alleged Chinese police stations still open in Quebec, despite minister's claims
Two Montreal-area community groups under investigation for allegedly hosting secret Chinese government police stations say they continue to operate normally, contradicting claims by the public safety minister that all the clandestine stations in Canada have been shut.
The two groups -- Service a la Famille Chinoise du Grand Montreal, based in the city's Chinatown district, and Centre Sino-Quebec de la Rive-Sud, in the Montreal suburb of Brossard, Que. -- say the RCMP has taken no action against them.
"We have not received any closure requests from the RCMP," they said Friday in a joint statement. "Our activities are proceeding normally." They added that they had lost funding, however, following media coverage of the RCMP allegations.
Meanwhile, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told a parliamentary committee last Thursday, "the RCMP have taken decisive action to shut down the so-called police stations."
Mendicino's office did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.
In mid-March the RCMP announced they were investigating the two Montreal-area groups -- along with alleged Chinese police stations in Vancouver and Toronto. At the time, RCMP Sgt. Charles Poirier said the Chinese government used the stations to put pressure on members of the Chinese community in Canada, sometimes by threatening friends or relatives living in China.
The Spanish human rights organization Safeguard Defenders, which has identified more than 100 of the alleged police stations in more than 50 countries, has said the stations serve to "persuade" people who Chinese authorities claim are fugitives to return to China to face charges.
The Chinese government has denied those claims.
The RCMP said Monday they were still investigating the alleged police stations and had made no arrests. The Montreal-area Chinese groups said they have co-operated with the RCMP investigation but that communication between them and the police had ceased.
"Since the beginning of this saga, our organizations have called for prudence and for the right of our employees and directors to be presumed innocent," they said Friday. "We deplore the prejudice caused by the RCMP by the premature identification of our organizations."
The two groups are linked through Xixi Li, an administrator who sits on both of their boards of directors, and who is also a city councillor in Brossard. Many of the same people sit on both groups' boards.
Li had her right to attend council meetings suspended on April 13 after she failed to submit an annual financial report, according to a news release from the City of Brossard.
She did not respond Monday to requests for comment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.