By author.

Visiting Zhang Xinyan at Suan Phlu

I went to visit Zhang Xinyan at Suan Phlu Immigration Centre on Tuesday. (I’ve been away from AN for a couple of days.)

Most of you already know the story. Xinyan had overstayed her tourist visa but was approved as a political refugee by Canada. She was arrested at the airport May 7 about to board a flight to Vancouver on May 7.

Shamefully, no Canadian consular representative has seen her at Suan Phlu since May 27!

Canada has a reputation for fairness & acceptance. The Canadian Embassy in Bangkok is not proving that true.

Unless there are private negotiations, Canadian Ambassador Ping Kitnikone has not appeared to intervene with Thai govt to prevent her extradition to China.

In China, the Draconian Security Law would be applied to Xinyan as a leader in the Hong Kong Umbrella protests. The Security Law carries a minimum of three years up to life imprisonment.

Do Canadians not want to protect their refugee?

Following my visit to Xinyan, I immediately went to the Canadian Embassy. As a Canadian, I own that Embassy! 

I had to raise quite a fuss in the lobby to get to see anyone in their own aerie refuge. I finally got to see the Consul, not the Ambassador or the Charge d’Affaires as I had hoped.

Of course, due to Canada’s Privacy Act, the Consul kept telling me he couldn’t tell me anything about Xinyan.

However, it was telling that he didn’t even know Xinyan had Canadian refugee status. However, I related everything as Xinyan told me in person.

I really hope this guy will actually get Ambassador Ping to do something to FREE XINYAN!

So, if you want to help someone less fortunate than you, here how to visit Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre.

0) MUST arrive between 9:00 and 9:30 for a 10:45 to 11:30 visit.

There is always a massive scrum of people wanting to visit their loved ones. Expect a lot of tears and a few disabled people.

Make sure the disabled get in first. Guards don’t do this. Then women. You’ll get a locker for stuff you don’t want to leave for Xinyan.

You have to shout across a grate with a two foot space between. Remember 50 prisoners and 50 relatives are also shouting.

Suggestions for things to leave.

a) Canned tuna for protein, instant noodles. A box of each can be shared with other prisoners.

b) Good toothpaste and toothbrush.

c) Women’s items: face cream. Girls, help me out here!

d) Good feminine hygiene products.

d) Chapstick and Thai crystal deodorant.

These will be put in a basket and searched.

Prisoners depend on sharing and giving. Be assured your contributions, however modest, will be used. 

d) MONEY! You can hand this directly to Xinyan. Both Xinyan and guards assured me there is no theft. I left B1,000 and the guards called me a cheapskate!

No gratuities are necessary for guards but I bet if you brought in some nice coffees from outside, they’d like you.

If a Canadian embassy official really wanted to see her, they could. American officials visited the IDC regularly to interact with refugee who were in the resettlement pipeline. Definitely a choice on the part of the Canadians to not visit.

6 hours ago, TimBKK said:

If a Canadian embassy official really wanted to see her, they could. American officials visited the IDC regularly to interact with refugee who were in the resettlement pipeline. Definitely a choice on the part of the Canadians to not visit.

This is not a consular affairs matter. Consular representation is an activity on behalf of citizens of the Consul's country. The person in question is NOT a Canadian citizen. She is not even a landed immigrant. All that she is, is someone with leave to enter Canada, should she get to Canada. A consul cannot act on behalf of non nationals. The exception is when there is a recognized treaty, and a host country agrees that the consul can act on behalf of specified foreign nationals. For example the Canada–Australia Consular Services Sharing Agreement is a bilateral agreement between the two governments, with Canada acting for Australia in multiple countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Iceland and Hungary. In return Australia acts on behalf of Canada in multiple countries in the South Pacific and Asia Pacific region.

If this is a matter of importance, the foreign affairs department can make representations, since it is a diplomatic and political issue. Hopefully, the Canadians do not poress the issue. The woman is a member of the Falun Gong cult, and Canada is negotiating trade agreements with China. The last thing Canada can afford to do is to upset China again, and lose out on much needed billions of $$ in trade revenue. Thousands of Canadian jobs depend on regaining access to the Chinese market, especially now that the USA is trying to kill CUSMA. Canada should never have agreed to accept this placement. It is one of the Trudeau governments shortsighted blunders that haunts the current Carney administration. With luck, she gets on a plane and returns to China.

6 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

This is not a consular affairs matter. Consular representation is an activity on behalf of citizens of the Consul's country. The person in question is NOT a Canadian citizen. She is not even a landed immigrant. All that she is, is someone with leave to enter Canada, should she get to Canada. A consul cannot act on behalf of non nationals. The exception is when there is a recognized treaty, and a host country agrees that the consul can act on behalf of specified foreign nationals. For example the Canada–Australia Consular Services Sharing Agreement is a bilateral agreement between the two governments, with Canada acting for Australia in multiple countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Iceland and Hungary. In return Australia acts on behalf of Canada in multiple countries in the South Pacific and Asia Pacific region.

If this is a matter of importance, the foreign affairs department can make representations, since it is a diplomatic and political issue. Hopefully, the Canadians do not poress the issue. The woman is a member of the Falun Gong cult, and Canada is negotiating trade agreements with China. The last thing Canada can afford to do is to upset China again, and lose out on much needed billions of $$ in trade revenue. Thousands of Canadian jobs depend on regaining access to the Chinese market, especially now that the USA is trying to kill CUSMA. Canada should never have agreed to accept this placement. It is one of the Trudeau governments shortsighted blunders that haunts the current Carney administration. With luck, she gets on a plane and returns to China.

Pat, there's so much deflection in your post. You may believe 'the law is the law' but, as a Canadian, I know Canada to be compassionate to its refugees. Whether she is a citizen or landed immigrant is immaterial in the bigger picture--giving her up to serve decades in a Chinese political prison. Or be executed for her kidneys as Falun Gong claims. Canada has a moral responsibility to this woman. Morality always trumps law.

And what's up you tuches about Falun Gong. From their newspaper, they are rabidly right-wing, fit right in in the US. Other than that, what harm is a bunch of Tai Chi? All religion is bullsh*t and this one no worse than the others. China doesn't like 'em because they see people who are loyal to their religion are less loyal to the state.

I'm going to put considerable effort into saving Xinyan. The only way to do that is to make Canada look unreliable.

5 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Pat, there's so much deflection in your post. You may believe 'the law is the law' but, as a Canadian, I know Canada to be compassionate to its refugees. Whether she is a citizen or landed immigrant is immaterial in the bigger picture--giving her up to serve decades in a Chinese political prison. Or be executed for her kidneys as Falun Gong claims. Canada has a moral responsibility to this woman. Morality always trumps law.

And what's up you tuches about Falun Gong. From their newspaper, they are rabidly right-wing, fit right in in the US. Other than that, what harm is a bunch of Tai Chi? All religion is bullsh*t and this one no worse than the others. China doesn't like 'em because they see people who are loyal to their religion are less loyal to the state.

I'm going to put considerable effort into saving Xinyan. The only way to do that is to make Canada look unreliable.

Once again you are pointing your finger with faux outrage. Are you dense? Canada cannot provide consular services to non citizens or those not covered by agreement. Canada has no legal standing. There is no deflection. You want something that cannot and should not be provided. Canada has no moral responsibility for the claimant. She was assigned to Canada from the international refugee pool that Canada will take people from. She has no relationship to Canada and Canada owes her nothing.

Your claim that the person's kidneys will be harvested is unsubstantiated and irrelevant.

The government has changed. Gone is the daily virtue signalling. The Canadian taxpayers are done with the bogus refugees and others.

It is why the family reunification program has been suspended. You do not speak for Canada nor know the underlying public sentiment, most likely because you are not providing any of the money you want handed out.

3 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

Once again you are pointing your finger with faux outrage. Are you dense? Canada cannot provide consular services to non citizens or those not covered by agreement. Canada has no legal standing. There is no deflection. You want something that cannot and should not be provided. Canada has no moral responsibility for the claimant. She was assigned to Canada from the international refugee pool that Canada will take people from. She has no relationship to Canada and Canada owes her nothing.

Your claim that the person's kidneys will be harvested is unsubstantiated and irrelevant.

The government has changed. Gone is the daily virtue signalling. The Canadian taxpayers are done with the bogus refugees and others.

It is why the family reunification program has been suspended. You do not speak for Canada nor know the underlying public sentiment, most likely because you are not providing any of the money you want handed out.

It’s a shame that you cannot discuss the topic without resorting to insults; this and your angry tone undermines any good points that you make. Not worth the time or effort, I’m sorry to say.

3 hours ago, TimBKK said:

It’s a shame that you cannot discuss the topic without resorting to insults; this and your angry tone undermines any good points that you make. Not worth the time or effort, I’m sorry to say.

Yes you should be sorry. The comments that were addressed come from a person who constantly posts incendiary opinions, and inflammatory inaccurate accusations and claims. It is a continuous bombardment of bankrupt and politically motivated lectures akin to Soviet Union era forced political education. There is no intent of discussion: It is an aggressive pushing of 1970's political themes and slogans. A false narrative is presented and when shown to be inaccurate, is met with a doubling down of the political missive. It's like the shopping channels that try to sell some miracle product that in reality is a pile of crap.

All readers are welcome to ignore my posts lest they suffer faux outrage.

If you care about freedom, go visit Zhang Xinyan. As I said, I intend to shame the Canadian govt into acting for her. You really don't need to be onboard for it. I don't care. Yeah, I'm a 60s radical. What do you care? Don't read me!

This message is a public service announcement by The Shopping Channel™.