Vol 21 - Issue 45
Chinese ‘secret police station’ in Vancouver uncovered The revelation that Vancouver has at least one secret police station operated by Chinese authorities is a cause of great concern, say local experts. A Spanish civil rights group, Safeguard Defenders, revealed in a report that there were Chinese police operations around the world, including three in Toronto and at least one in Vancouver.
Victor Ho, the former editor of the Sing Tao Daily – Canada’s largest Chinese-Canadian newspaper – and a Hong Kong democracy activist, said he was not surprised to hear the news and it has created a lot of insecurity in the Chinese-Canadian community. The report looked into how these police stations function under a “persuasion of return” strategy using intimidation and threats to enforce the “involuntary” return of immigrants back to China for persecution. The group claimed that between April 2021 and July 2022, Chinese police “persuaded” Continued on page 7
Saturday, December 10, 2022
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Jagrup Brar among 5 South Asians in new BC cabinet Jagrup Brar is the star addition to the new BC cabinet unveiled by Premier David Eby on Wednesday. He is the new Minister of State for Trade. Jagrup Brar was born at Deon, a remote village of Bathinda, Punjab. Along with him, Harry Bains, Rachna Singh, Ravi Kahlon and Nikki Sharma also inducted as ministers. Nikki Sharma was appointed as Attornery General of the BC government while Jagrup Brar (right) being welcomed into the cabinet Bains retained Labor Ministry, by Premier David Eby (left). Kahlon took the new portfolio of Housing, Child Care. Premier Eby unveiled new Rachna Singh is responsible for Education cabinet on Wednesday that places women
India set to become first country ever to receive $100 billion a year in remittances Inward remittances, accounting for around 3% of India’s GDP, surged 12% from 2021. Besides a large working population of Indians living abroad, there were other reasons, too, for this increase. For instance, students are the other big constituents of the Indian diaspora. They eventually form high-income groups, with direct implications for remittances. The depreciation of the Indian rupee has Continued on page 18
and people of colour in high-profile roles and promotes rising stars to two new ministries for housing and emergency preparedness. Katrine Conroy will hold the province’s purse strings as finance minister, bumping Selina Robinson from the portfolio. Niki Sharma is the new attorney general, making her the first South Asian woman to serve as the province’s top lawyer. Sharma, elected MLA for Vancouver–Hastings in 2020, has experience representing Indigenous people and residential school survivors and said she will tap into that background as she looks for solutions to the public safety issues in urban communities. Continued on page 6
South Asian woman, 21 shot dead while working at gas station in Mississauga
India is home to great diversity of faiths: USA
Police have identified a 21-year-old woman who was fatally shot at a gas station in Mississauga on Saturday night. Investigators were called to a Petro-Canada in the area of Creditview and Britannia roads at around 10:40 p.m. Police say the woman was shot “multiple times” outside the station and was pronounced dead at the scene. She has since been identified as Pawanpreet Kaur .of Brampton. Police later confirmed that Kaur
India, the world’s largest democracy, is home to a great diversity of faiths, the United States said Tuesday noting that it will continue to encourage New Delhi to uphold its commitments to protect religious freedom for all. The United States has designated 12 countries, including China, Pakistan and Myanmar, as
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MANMOHAN SEKHON M.Sc., M.Phill Life and Health insurance Advisor
604-358-0590 Unit 252 - 8138, 128 St, Surrey, BC V3W 1R1 www.manmohansekhon.com