_EDITORIAL Bill C-157 menaces rights The internal spy network advocated by Solicitor-General Robert Kaplan to keep tabs on millions of ordinary Canadians has been denounced, and may be taken to court, by several of the provincial attor- -neys-general. In their opinion “the ordi- nary safeguards of our criminal law have been eliminated” in this ominous legisla- tion, Bill C-157. Civil rights organizations have likewise protested, as has the New Democratic Party. In a detailed letter to Prime Minister Trudeau, the Communist Party of Canada says: “We believe Bill C-157 is an ill-advised and ill-conceived document which not only takes away the basic rights of the Canadian people but takes away as well parliamient’s rights.” It is widely known from a CBC interview that Kaplan refused to say whether or not the Communist Party of Canada would be targeted by the spy force. Given the ex- tremes of Bill C-157, it is apt to recall Pastor Niemoller’s emotional recollection of the German nazis: they came for the commu- nists, they came for the trade unionists, they came for the minorities, and in time they came for those who had failed to de- fend the earlier victims. | One might add peace advocates to those threatened. On May 29, Kaplan made the . threat: “I wouldn’t want anyone to get the impression that a person is exempt from coming within the mandate (of the Security Service) if-they’re part of an authentic peace movement. It depends on whether they are doing, or planning to do(!) (Tribune emphasis) something illegal or unconstitutional.” What is illegal in the eyes of the Kaplan Corps? Bill C-157 casts an amazingly wide net. It is timely to ponder the “threats to the security of Canada” detailed in Bill C-157. {All emphasis by the Tribune). “(a) espionage or sabotage against Canada or any state allied or associated with Canada or activities directed toward or support of such espionage or sabotage.” Anyone advocating going through a fascist roadblock in Chile would be liable, not to mention actions for human rights in El Sal- vador, Uruguay or Argentina, or a strike by workers in Turkey, Canada’s NATO ally. “(b) foreign in fluenced activities within or relating to Canada that are detrimental to the interests of Canada or any state al- lied or associated with Canada and are clandestine or deceptive or involve a threat to any person.” Does this mean treating as a security risk to Canada, persons support- ing the courageous fight against apartheid tyranny in South Africa? “(c) activities within or relating to Canada directed toward or in support of the threat or use of acts of violence against persons or property for the purpose of achieving a political objective within Canada or.a foreign state.” Does Kaplan mean that support for the Palestinians’ struggle for their rightful homeland is punishable by imprisonment for Canadians? “(d) activities directed toward underm- ing by covert unlawful acts, or directed to- ward or intended ultimately to lead to the destruction or overthrow of, the constitu- tionally established system of government in Canada.” Like it or not, Canadians would be frozen into the worst features of capitalism, and the system protected from the Canadian people. As the Globe and Mail’s Michael Valpy noted: “Mr. (Stanley) Knowles (of the NDP) has advocated and worked actively for the ‘destruction’ of the Senate.” Kaplan’s sally into police state restric- tions has yet to be fully backed by his government, let alone parliament. This preying on all who advocate pro- gress, go on strike, support brothers and sisters battling for freedom abroad invites a powerful rebuke from all quarters. Not only should Bill C-157 be scrapped, but the prime minister is called upon to explain how this kind of plotting got as far as it did. U.S. impedes Mideast peace The efforts of the Reagan regime to es- tablish its permanent military and political authority in the Middle East are running into greater and greater trouble. The ac- companiment is an irrational intensi- fication of such efforts, however extreme, while papering them over with democratic protestations and the levelling of blame at peoples and governments indigenous to the region. Washington’s attempts to utilize its imperialist proxy, the crumbling govern- ment of Menachem Begin, whose military the USA has always kept armed for aggres- sion, are disastrously (for Reagan) out of sync. What should be read from this is not that the situation is less dangerous, but that the forces of imperialism are becoming more desperate and more threatening. Hence their eagerness to promote divisions, whether among Arab countries, within the Palestine Liberation Organization, or among forces for peace, and forIsraelitroop withdrawal. The Begin government managed a 55 to 47 vote against a Labor opposition motion PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JUNE 17, 1983—Page 4 in the Knesset that would have had Israeli occupation forces move from central to southern Lebanon, largely for their own safety. The Beirut-based Al-Safir reports that 500 Israeli officers and men were kil- led, and about 3,000 wounded in Lebanon during the year of their “stay”. Another 539 have been tried by tribunal for looting, robbery, drug-trafficking and othercrimes. The state of low morale of the occupa- tion forces, and the onward march of il- legal settlements by the decrepit Begin re- gime on the West Bank and Golan, the public bickering of government ministers, and the public denunciation of Israel’s military policies by members of the armed forces, leave the USA with a bundle of liabilities, These are not conditions conduc-_ ive to a successful campaign against Syria — political or military — which imperial- ism has constantly on its agenda. Most important at this juncture is the unity of the forces for a genuine Mideast peace strategy, and the only such strategy that can succeed is one including with- drawal of Israeli occupation forces, and full participation in the peace process of the Palestine Liberation Organization. ambitions!” harging me with imperial (As Soviet cartoonist Vsevolod Arsenyev sees Reagan) “That’s a laugh! They're c hil 7 Site] Flashbacks 25 years 50 years JOBLESS MARCH ON TO OTTAWA A motorcade of un- employed Windsor workers will leave this city for Ottawa on June 23. George Burt, Canadian UAW Director and General Vice-President of the CLC is making arrangements in Ot- tawa for a meeting with Hon. Ellen Fairclough, Acting Min- ister of Labor as well as other cabinet ministers. In the absence in Europe of CLC president, Claude Jo- doin, the brief will be pres- ented to the government by Mr. Burt. It contains a comprehensive program on the theme of “Jobs for All.” Tribune, June 16, 1958 Profiteer of the week Canada Safeway, with retail food stores from B.C. to OntariO: | and some food processing plants, came away with after-tax pro of $20,130,000 for 12 weeks ended March 26. In the same period a year ago, Safeway profit was $17,507,000.Pg. 10. ) CENSORSHIP ON KINGSTON TORONTO — A tight clamp has been placed on all information concerning con- ditions or developments if Kingston penitentiary where Tim Buck and his seven fel low political prisoners - are | serving a total of thirty-seve years. This is admitted by Warden McLaughlin as well as by Warden Allen of Collins Bay. The decree emanates from the Government at Ot tawa. When it was learne that a prisoner at Collins Bay had broken his arm the Wal den refused to give any information whatever to thé press about it, supporting himself on the latest instru tions from Ottawa. The Worket, June 10, 1933 Editor — SEAN GRIFFIN Assistant Editor — DAN KEETON Business and Circulation Manager — PAT O'CONNOR Published weekly at Suite 101 — 1416 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. V5L 3X9. Phone 251-1186 ‘Subscription Rate: Canada $14 one year; $8 for six months: © All other countries: $15 one year. 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