Yeah, listen, I'm from Canada, and I have been following this issue for a few years now, and while the hypocrisy of China calling us out for human rights issues is in no way lost on me, it's a calling out that needs to happen. Our Country has a long history of not giving a shit about aboriginal rights, and the current Conservative government has been more than living up to it.
Case in point: in 2007, the UN put forward a treaty called The Deceleration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Its stated goal being to ensure that Indigenous groups had "full and effective participation in all matters that concern them and their right to remain distinct and to pursue their own visions of economic and social development." Canada was one of only four countries in the world to vote against it. (The others being Australia, New Zeland, and the United States.) The government held out for three years before being forced to change their vote under heavy criticism.
Sometimes, I worry that the whole "nice guy" image we have makes it too easy for us to ignore serious problems and shortcomings when they occur. It's hard to get a country to change when everyone thinks they're the nicest people on earth.
Wait, North Korea?!?! As in, the "your whole family is put in jail for life if you 'vote' for the wrong person" Korea and not the one associated with Gangnam style? I don't know if that's funny or sad.
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Platus Moderator
Apr 13, 2015 at 12:46AM EDT
Roy G. Biv
Apr 14, 2015 at 12:58AM EDT