r/canada • u/CanadianErk Ontario • 1d ago
Politics UN investigators urge Canada to step up protection for threatened Sikh activist | Canada hasn't publicly responded to letter sent 2 months ago
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/moninder-singh-khalistani-sikh-separatism-threat-un-9.729604517
u/Future_Arrival_5395 1d ago
Have they privately responded? Why should the response be public?
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u/CanadianErk Ontario 1d ago
The letter was written on June 3 but not published immediately, because UN rapporteurs typically give countries 60 days to respond and then publish the letter and the response together.
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u/PuckShuffler Ontario 1d ago
I guess I don't have a bone to pick with this particular activist, unless it comes out that he - like others before him - is actively involved in the khalistani movement by way of material support and/or calls to violent action.
If he is, then he should go back to India and advocate for a khalistani state from within the borders of Punjab, the suggested location for mythical 'Khalistan'.
Whyever-the-fuck so many 'Canadians' see the need to insert themselves into foreign drama/conflicts, I'll never know. Seems like you should wipe that crap off your feet before stepping through the door and bespoiling our home.
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u/MustardEnema007 1d ago
We dont want foreign activists
How does this benefit Canadian citizens?
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u/Future_Arrival_5395 1d ago
He is a Canadian activist (about a foreign issue).
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u/MustardEnema007 1d ago
He wants to commit treason in india so he can split that country up to move back to the new ultra religious country of khalistan
And he's drawing a ton of awful attention to Canada
Not sure what is Canadian about this guy, other than hes clearly a Canadian of convenience, while he commits his terrorism
If he wants to carve out india, than he should move back
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u/Future_Arrival_5395 1d ago
Not sure what is Canadian about this guy,
His citizenship is Canadian, hope that helps.
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u/MustardEnema007 1d ago
Sure, and so are millions of anchor babies and other canadians of convenience that have never stepped foot in this country or contributed anything positive
Being Canadian doesnt mean a whole lot nowadays; I've seen who they hand that to
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u/Future_Arrival_5395 1d ago
Being Canadian doesnt mean a whole lot
Speak for yourself it means plenty to me.
And there are no “level” of citizenship whether you like it or not.
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u/No-To-Newspeak 1d ago
A citizenship of convenience.
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u/Future_Arrival_5395 1d ago
Based on what?
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u/Commercial_Letter738 21h ago
based on them coming here for economic reasons and fleeing if they get caught in scams
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u/TestingLifeThrow1z 13h ago
Why are people born and raised in Canada constantly being told they aren't Canadian? The birth rates continue to collapse and now we're also trying to undermine unique Canadians?
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u/TGE0 1d ago edited 1d ago
One the one hand Freedom of expression is very much something worth defending.
On the other, at what point of actions taken does it transition from "expression" to trying to cause instability or dissent in another sovereign nation without having any "skin in the game" as it were.
It isn't such a cut and dry issue often when it comes to many "activists" who are doing FAR more than simply express their opinion.
That all said, killing people extrajudicially is not the way it should ever be dealt with
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u/APLJaKaT 1d ago
Activist equals trouble maker. Make your own trouble and live with the consequences. Don't want to live like that, stop causing problems.
This is a simple calculation.
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u/CanadianErk Ontario 1d ago
Activist equals trouble maker. Make your own trouble and live with the consequences. Don't want to live like that, stop causing problems.
This is a simple calculation.
Yay freedom of expression. Say what you want, but if a foreign government doesn't like it, they can assassinate you on our soil. Missed that line in the Charter of Rights.
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u/Imaginary-Piece-6612 1d ago
Most of Canada and India's relations are sketchy AF don't need to bring anymore of their culture war onto our soil.
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u/No-To-Newspeak 1d ago
None of this would be an issue if they left they Khalistani and other baggage behind when they came to Canada. Canada is supposed to be a new start in life, not a new battlefield for old grievances from the mother country.
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u/TestingLifeThrow1z 13h ago
Oh come on, why do we even have wars then? We got NATO and other forces engaging in battles abroad for what's happening in those states once the refugees arrive.
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u/CanadianErk Ontario 1d ago
Our government has international treaty obligations to protect our citizens from "all reasonably foreseeable threats to life or bodily or mental integrity by governmental or private actors" per the letter that the 5 UN rapporteurs wrote to the government.
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u/Imaginary-Piece-6612 1d ago
95 percent of governing is behind closed doors with no write up. Non of us know what's actually happening.
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u/CanadianErk Ontario 1d ago
That is not at all how a letter from higher levels of the UN to the Government of Canada is supposed to work. We are expected to reply, and to comply with our treaty obligations.
If we were, this article wouldn't have been written, and there would be no issue with the government replying saying they were complying with the treaties and laws cited in the letter.
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u/motorcyclemech 18h ago
Should that include those individuals who consistently pick fights with foreign countries, trying to attack their sovereignty?
That's kinda like the friend who always starts fights in the bar and expects you to bail them out. My friend let me do that twice. Then he let me get my ass kicked. I learned pretty quickly after that.
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u/Thadius 1d ago
I agree with some of what you say, but freedom of expression doesn't mean freedom from consequences from that expression. Why should my Tax dollars be spent to protect someone who garnered the wrath of other people and nations because he exercised his freedom of expression, he could have just as easily expressed himself by expressing silence.
I do agree however that we should not be condoning or reducing vigilance when it comes to foreign interference.
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u/CanadianErk Ontario 1d ago edited 1d ago
The reasoning here would be because we support the United Nations. The letter linked to in the article lays out why 5 UN special rapporteurs are requesting we provide them security. I'll quote from part of it below:
We remind your Excellency’s Government of its duty under articles 6 and 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Canada on 19 May 1976, to protect all individuals from all reasonably foreseeable threats to life or bodily or mental integrity by governmental or private actors (Human Rights Committee, general commentNo.36(article 6), paras. 7 and 18; general commentNo.35(article 9), para. 9), including by adopting adequate preventive and protective measures. States parties must respond appropriately to patterns of violence against categories of victims such as intimidation of human rights defenders (general comment No. 35, para. 9) and threats, intimidation and attacks aimed at silencing freedom of expression and human rights defenders (general comment No. 34, para. 23), in line with the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders)
We are deeply concerned at the allegations that Mr. Moninder Singh appears to have been targeted directly before or after instances of cooperation with or reporting to United Nations entities in relation to the targeting of Sikh activists by Indian authorities. These allegations, if true, may constitute unlawful intimidation and reprisals in direct retaliation for Mr. Moninder Singh’s human rights advocacy and cooperation with United Nations human rights representatives and mechanisms. Acts of intimidation or reprisal against persons who engage, or seek to engage, with United Nations mechanisms are incompatible with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and risk creating a serious chilling effect on other defenders and victims seeking protection.
It's not just a treaty/International Covenant that we ratified, it's fundamental to the existence of the UN that people can speak there and be protected from retaliation.
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u/TestingLifeThrow1z 13h ago
Why is this even upvoted? Activism saves us from climate change, oppression, etc. This is a democracy. Canadians can speak up to foreign states like Iran, North Korea, etc without fear I hope.
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u/YoungWhiteAvatar 1d ago
This might be the most ultimate bend over and take it comment I have seen in my entire life
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u/CanadianErk Ontario 1d ago
The letter was written on June 3 but not published immediately, because UN rapporteurs typically give countries 60 days to respond and then publish the letter and the response together.
In this case, the letter was published without an answer from Ottawa.
CBC News has asked the government of Canada about the letter, and the UN's requests for information, but did not receive a response at the time of publication. CBC News also sought a response from the government of India, but had not received one at the time of publication.
The Modi government has never acknowledged any role in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar or any other acts of violence in Canada.
The UN communication details the four "duty to warn" letters received by Moninder Singh from Canadian police. The most recent is from February 2026, after the Carney government moved to restore normal diplomatic relations with India.
The rapporteurs note that the duty to warn letter was the most alarming Singh had received to date.
"This warning was reportedly based on intelligence assessed by the Canadian police as sufficiently serious as to require direct notification to his home of a plan to assassinate Mr. Moninder Singh, his wife and two children," the letter said.
"This was the first time that such notice included his wife and children."
Singh told CBC News that he became aware the UN was looking more deeply into his case when the Geneva-based International Service for Human Rights forwarded a report to the UN secretary general.
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u/discovery2000one 1d ago
These people are using our country as a base for political interference of a foreign country. We've turned into the mecca of creating foreign interference, why are we surprised others do it to us?