M-13 Honorary Citizenship for Jimmy Lai

That:

(a) the House recognize that,

(i) Jimmy Lai stands for many of the values championed by Canadians, most importantly media freedom, respect for the rule of law, and doing what is right,

(ii) Mr. Lai, now 77 years-old and diabetic, remains imprisoned in torturous conditions for championing these shared democratic values, and faces the possibility of life behind bars under Hong Kong’s repressive National Security Law, the provisions of which are inconsistent with international human rights law,

(iii) the House, on December 12, 2023, and the Senate, on December 15, 2023, by unanimous consent, resolved to “call upon the Hong Kong authorities to release Jimmy Lai and cease prosecuting him and others charged under the National Security Law”,

(iv) the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development held two meetings in February 2024 to examine Mr. Lai’s case, issuing a news release on March 20, 2024, to “call for the release of Jimmy Lai, and express their solidarity with everyone advocating for freedom and justice in Hong Kong” echoing that Jimmy Lai “stood up for truth and for his fellow Hong Kongers, and now we must stand up for him.”,

(v) Mr. Lai has strong and deep connections to Canada, through his immediate Canadian family, through his own major investments and long-standing commitment to the Canadian tourism economy in local communities, and the over 1,500 Canadians he employs,

(vi) Parliament has a proud history of global leadership in standing up for those like Mr. Lai who embody such values and exhibit such strong affinity with our country and ethos, including Russian dissident and pro-democracy leader Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was granted honorary Canadian citizenship by unanimous consent in June 2023; and

(b) in the opinion of the House, the government should proclaim Jimmy Lai an honorary citizen of Canada.