OTTAWA (CU)_The Canadian government has made changes to the country’s sanctions legislation, expanding its existing sanctions against China, Myanmar, Russia and Crimea.
A couple of weeks ago, Ottawa imposed sanctions against four Chinese officials and one Chinese entity over human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the measures were part of “intensive diplomacy”, in coordination with the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, in response to mounting evidence about serious violation of rights of the Uyghur Muslim people.
Accordingly, the listed officials will be banned from entering Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, while regulations also place an obligation to report to Canadian law enforcement on the property of the individuals listed. Moreover, regulated financial institutions in Canada are required to determine on a continuing basis if they are possession of property belonging to these persons.
Here, it is noteworthy that Ottawa chose to impose these sanctions under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA), instead of the Sergei Magnitsky Law. This means that the Canadian government may broaden the nature of these embargoes, such as an extension of the sanctions which would prohibit importing of goods from China or from the Xinjiang region in particular.
Earlier this year, Ottawa said it will be adopting “a comprehensive approach” to defend the rights of the Uyghur ethnic minority and other minorities within the region, which involves a Xinjiang Integrity Declaration for Canadian companies, a business advisory on Xinjiang-related entities, as well as the prohibition of imports of commodities produced wholly or in part by forced labour.
The Canadian government has also expanded its existing sanctions imposed in relation to Russia and Crimea, targeting additional individuals and entities. In late-March, the Foreign Ministry of Canada said new sanctions will be imposed on nine Russian officials over violation of human rights in the country.
According to the Ministry, the sanctions were a part of Ottawa’s efforts to bring pressure on senior government officials in Moscow who were involved in “the attempted murder” of prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, as well as his subsequent prosecution and the heavy handed, violent treatment of citizen protesters.
A few days later, the regulations were amended so as to target two additional individuals and four additional entities over the continued Russian occupation of the Crimea region.
The 1 February coup in Myanmar also prompted Canada to expand its existing sanctions against the Southeast Asian nation.
Therefore, the Special Economic Measures in relation to Myanmar was amended to target nine officials of the military junta over the crackdown which has already cost the lives of about 600 civilians. Accordingly, the regulations prohibit dealing in property belonging to 54 individuals and 44 entities, while trading in arms, as well as providing financial and other services for military activities in Myanmar are prohibited.
