Slander campaign around Sharon protest |

By CLAIRE DASYLVA

MONTREAL — ‘‘Not protesting
against Sharon’s visit here would have
been an insult to the Palestinian people’,
Confederation of National Trade Unions
general secretary Sylvio Gagnon
(CNTU) said June 1 outside the Ritz
Carlton Hotel.

The CNTU was part of the “‘No to -

Sharon’’ Coalition which organized the
protest of the former Israeli defence min-
ister’s appearance at a fund-raising ban-
quet in Montreal for a Jerusalem hos-
pital. The coalition comprises some 30
groups including the Quebec Teachers’
Central (CEQ), the Montreal-Centre
Parti Quebecois riding association, the
Quebec-Palestine Association and
others.

The same day had seen two pro-
Zionist demonstrations, one outside the
hotel welcoming Sharon and another
outside the CEQ protesting president
Yvon Charbonneau’s outspoken support
of the national rights of the Palestinians.

The Zionists have been conducting a
vicious campaign against Charbonneau
and the CEQ accusing them of being
‘racists’ and spreading anti-semitism in
the schools. This is a reference to posters

and educational materials the CEQ
distributed among its members and
asked them to publicize, urging support
for the rights of the Palestinians and
financial relief for the victims of Israel’s
war against Lebanon.

The anti-CEQ campaign is headed by.

federal Liberal MPs Pierre Deniger,
David Berger and Cecile Hervieux-
Payette as well as the president of the
Montreal Catholic School Commission,
Luc Larivee.

The anti-Sharon coalition called a
press conference May 31 to make it clear
that the anti-Charbonneau and anti-CEQ
campaigns were aimed at making the
public forget Ariel Sharon’s respon-
sibility for the Sabra and Shatila mas-
sacres. This was the conclusion drawn
by Israel’s Kahan Commission
investigating the atrocity.

The anti-Sharon coalition recalled the
massive demonstrations last year against
the Begin government’s policy in Leba-
non and that Sharon was characterized
by many protesters at that time as a “‘war
criminal’’.

‘‘Were all those people who protested
against the war anti-Semites’, Char-
bonneau asked? He noted that today
thousands of Israeli citizens were

circulating peace petitions inside thé
country calling for the government to
withdraw its troops from Lebanon.
The CEQ’s campaign is being con-
ducted jointly with the CNTU and CISO,
an international solidarity committee as-
sociated with the CEQ. It is aimed at
raising relief funds for the tens of thou-
sands of Palestinian and Lebanese vic-
tims of Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. *
Charbonneau noted that the CEQ in
‘the past has conducted similar humani-
tarian campaigns in support of the people
of Nicaragua and South Africa, and he

TRIBUNE PHOTO — CLAIRE DASYLVA

that the Canadian Jewish community,

asked some direct questions to MPs and |
MLAs attacking the CEQ’s support for
Palestinian human rights. ~

‘Do the MPs and MLAs support the
Begin government’s policies, such as its
most brutal manifestation at Shatila and |
Sabra?’’ he asked. “‘If not they should
say so, and if they do, then they should
also say so. That way people will see that
their one-way campaign, or maybe it’s a
smokescreen, is aimed at protecting
Ariel Sharon from the anger of Quebec-
kers from all regions.”’

The coalition also mentioned the fact

including Montreal’s is deeply divided
over the war and Sharon’s role. Many
politicians, including Quebec Education
Minister Camille Laurin, who defended |
the CEQ against the anti-Semitism
charges, have publicly questioned the
former Israeli defence minister’s visit.

The anti-Sharon coalition, which in-
cluded the Group for an Israel-Palestine
Dialogue, and its spokesperson Janet
Weinroth, stressed «that without the
recognition of the Palestinian people’s
national rights, recognition of the PLO as
the Palestinians’ sole representative and
negotiator, peace in the Middle East
will never -be realized.

bill C-157

our Brief to the Commission of Inquiry concerning cel
tain activities of the RCMP we outlined what we believé
should be done. We said then that:

“The way to come to grips with the illegalities pet
petrated by the Security Branch is by democratization of
the RCMP and by undertaking effective parliamentary
control over its activities. There cannot be two laws, oné
for the RCMP and another for the Canadian people. Thé
RCMP must uphold civil and democratic rights. Cana
dians must not allow a situation in which, to all intents
and purposes a state operates within the state and
outside the control of the democratic institutions of the
Canadian people. To prevent this, the RCMP and thé
armed forces must be subordinated to civil law and to the
democratically designated authorities and all parano!
and anti-democratic elements removed from these 10”

Trudeau urged to scra

We write you to express our deep concern with Bill
C-157, an act to establish a Canadian Security Intelli-
gence Service.

The Bill which is directed to spy on Canadians goes in
a dangerous direction. In the name of security it gives
wide-ranging powers to the CSIS. These include under-
taking actions previously considered illegal. These il-
legal actions and every other dirty trick will now be
legitimized. '

In the name of security, legitimate dissent will be
under constant surveillance as was the case before. Mr.
Kaplan says legitimate dissent will not be ‘“‘targeted”’,
but this is so much deception. The main aim of Bill C-157
is in fact to spy, disrupt and destroy legitimate dissent.

The ‘‘threats to security’’ in Canada are so wide-rang-

Deeply concerned at Bill C-157’s threat to the
rights of Canadians, the Communist Party of
Canada, in the accompanying letter to Prime Min-
ister Trudeau, requests withdrawal of the Bill. It
seeks clarification of government policy versus
Solicitor-General Kaplan’s personal views. The
letter, signed by party leader William Kashtan for
the Central Executive, revives some proposals in a
CPC brief (Fan. 1978) to the McDonald Commis-
sion inquiring into RCMP activities.

security. Indeed, if our program were implemented it

would strengthen democracy .and the real security of

Canada.
Let me illustrate.

ing as to encompass any act of any Canadians who
challenge the status quo, who call for changes in
government foreign policy or who express active sup-
port to peoples striving for their freedom and
independence.

Mr. Kaplan says that Canadians can trust him. Why?
He promised to destroy the ‘‘security”’ list of over
800,000 names. He has yet to do so. Mails are not sup-
posed to be tampered with. But the press drew attention
to such tampering. Presumably wiretapping also goes
on.

To place trust in Mr. Kaplan in these circumstances
would be an act of stupidity.

Multi-National Threats
It is interesting to note that the threats to security do
not encompass U.S. interference in the internal affairs of

Canada as in the matters of NEP (National Energy Pro-

gram) and FIRA (Foreign Investment Review Act), acid
rain, extraterritorial jurisdiction. Nor the role ofthe U.S.
mutli-nationals in our country as Trojan horses for the
U.S. administration. The threats to security do not cover
the more than 1,000 Nazi killers in our country.

Apparently the authors of Bill C-157 have their own
unique conceptions of what the threats to Canada’s
security are. |

The far-reaching character of Bill C-157 is seen in the

~ way the solicitor general treated the question: **Will Bill
C-157 be used against the Communist Party of Canada.
Will that Party be targeted?’’ He evaded answering this
and this evasiveness suggests Bill C-157 will be used
against the Communist Party of Canada.

Is this Mr. Kaplan’s personal interpretation of Bill
C-157 or is this the position of the government?

We would like a reply to this.

We have enough historical experience to go on, to
show that whenever a Communist Party is under attack
democracy goes out the window. Hitler fascism gives us
one example. We have many other such examples, not
least the illegalization of the Communist Party of Canada
in the Hungry 30s.

The Communist Party of Canada is a legal political
party. Its program, aims and policies are well known.
None of them infringes on democracy and Canada’s
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JUNE 17, 1983—Page 8

The Communist Party of Canada calls for a policy of
full employment. Monopoly interests in this country
want a policy of high unemployment, and government
economic and social policy have brought their wishes
about. ;

The Communist Party of Canada calls for the working
people to have a say over economic policy and techno-
logical change.

Monopoly interests deny this basic democratic right.

The Communist Party of Canada calls for a truly in-
dependent foreign policy based on peaceful co-
existence, detente and disarmament, a break with U.S.
control over the Canadian economy.

The multi-nationals and their U.S. Government want -

instead to absorb Canada.

The Communist Party of Canada called and continues
to call for a Canadian Constitution which would incor-
porate the basic national rights of the French Canadian
people, their right to self-determination and equality, as
well as the national rights of the Native peoples,

The multi-nationals and monopoly interests in Canada
oppose this.

Policies to Ensure Security

Who then is for.a truly united Canada and whose
policies lead to the fragmentation of Canada? Who
threatens Canada’s security and who advocates policies
which would ensure that security?

Why is it suggested that the Communist Party of
Canada be targeted while the real culprits are allowed to
undermine Canada’s real security?

We believe Bill C-157 is an ill-advised and ill-con-
ceived document which not only takes away the basic
rights of the Canadian people but takes away as well
parliament’s rights. Notwithstanding what Mr. Kaplan
says, Bill C-157 is outside parliamentary control as it is
outside the law. Indeed Bill C-157 goes in an opposite
direction to the Charter of Rights. Were Bill C-157
adopted the Charter of Rights would become a worthless
piece of paper. ,

’ For all these reasons we add our-voice to the many

‘Canadians and their organizations in opposition to Bill

C-157. We believe the best thing to do in the circum-
stances is to withdraw the Bill and draft another Bill. In

stitutions. We have enough lessons from history, if
cluding the more recent period, to emphasize how 1
portant that is.

Vestiges of Cold War

‘*A major conclusion from the events being examiné
is the necessity for a specific code of conduct whic?”
clearly delineates the nature and scope of security. With:
in this context the time is long overdue to eliminate #
vestiges of cold war in the various institutions of
government and the state as well as in the minds of
people. -

‘The cold war, based on the myth of a ‘Soviet thr al
permeated most facets of life in Canada. It still find
expression today in the various activities of the Securit)
Branch aimed against the working class and democrat?
movements. It is here that one finds the roots of thé
problem. It is more than time to dismantle these relics @
the cold war and of McCarthyism. Indeed, unless this
done, Canada will continue to be plagued by attacks of
civil and constitutional rights, all in the name of nation®
security. This emphasizes the need for acode of condue
which establishes a clear separation between what 8
security and what is legitimate political dissent. If the
state has no business in the bedrooms of the natio™
neither has the Security Branch of the RCMP any bus!
ness to interfere in the democratic political life of thé
country.
- **A- specific code of conduct could go a long wa)
toward overcoming paranoic and anti-democratic tet
dencies and thereby strengthen democratic and constit?
tional rights which have. been the main victims of thé
illegalities. In addition to the above, a Bill of Rights ®
called for which has within it effective measures 0
guarantee the democratic and civil rights of Canadians.

We believe these views continue to have merit.

Mr. Kaplan has proposed that the timetable for ado?
tion of Bill C-157 be extended. We believe more than thi!
is required in the interests of defending and extendi?
democratic rights in Canada. We join other Canadians”
asking that Bill C-157 be withdrawn.

Hoping that you will give the views expressed nel
your careful consideration. é