Abstract:
Race discrimination; Community development--Government policy; Chinese--Canada
Subjects:
Race discrimination; Community development--Government policy; Chinese--Canada
Subjects Facet:
Race discrimination; Community development--Government policy; Chinese--Canada
Creator:
[No author identified]
Date:
2000-11-21
Date searchable:
2000-11-21
Date searchable:
2000-11-21
Genre:
articles
Genre Facet:
articles
Format:
image/tiff
Language:
Chinese
Language Facet:
Chinese
Relation:
Article from: World Journal（世界日報）
Rights:
Contact UVic Archives for access to the original resource and for reproduction requests (fee for reproductions).This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
Title-Alternative:
CCNC will File a Class Action Lawsuit against the Ottawa for the Head Tax Victims
Description-Abstract:
Keywords: Chinese Canadian National Council; Chinese Exclusion Act; Go, Avvy; Head Tax; China Immigration Act; Xie, Wanqing; Zheng, Mingmei; Chretien, Jean
Location(s):
Ontario--Toronto
Location(s) Facet:
Ontario--Toronto
Transcript:
華人將向渥京提人頭稅集體訴訟
【本報多倫多訊】曾令華人深受痛苦的人頭税及排華法已經由全加華人協進會(平權會)向聯邦部府提出集體訴訟。平權會昨天宣佈，巳獲得人頭税及排華法受害人及其家屬的授權，正式向聯邦司法部發出了律師信。
代表原告的律師吳瑤瑤昨天表示，在日前向司法部發出的律師信中，人頭税及排華法的受害人及其家屬表達了希望透過與政府方面的談判，來解決道歉與賠償問題。不過，如果政府對此不予回應的話，將透過法律層面尋求解決。平權會將十二月十五日定為截止期，届時如果政府對律師信不作出反應，原告將向安省最高法院對聯邦政府提出控告。至於要求政府賠償的金額，吳瑤瑤表示目前並無具體的目標。
從一八八五年至一九四七年長達六十二年的時間裡，加拿大政府向華裔移民徵收人頭税。開始時是每人徵收五十元，後來增至每人一百元，到一九〇四年時，更增加到每人五百元。期間共有八萬一千名華人移民成為人頭税的受害人，政府從他們身上總共徵收了二千三百萬元，這筆錢到一九八八年時，價值巳超過一億二千萬元。
此外，在一九二三年，政府通過了「排華移民法」，全面禁止華人移民進入加拿大。這項針對華人的歧視性法例，直到一九四七年才廢除。這期間只有不足五十名華人被准許進入加拿大境內，他們大多數為外交官與富商。
平權會行政主任謝婉卿昨天在宣佈此項消息的記者會上表示，這次向聯邦政府的集體訴訟行動目的是讓那些受到不公正待遇的華人及其家屬能夠得到昭雪和賠償。一九八四年時，共有千名人頭税受害人授權平權會向政府追討平反與賠償，但如今巳有很多人離世，有不少人失去了聯絡。這次給司法部律師信上簽名的原告只有三人，分別是一位受害人，一位受害人的未亡人和一位受害人的後裔。
吳瑤瑤表示，希望有更多的人頭税及排華法的受害人及家屬站出來，與平權會取得聯絡，加入到向政府追討平反和賠憤的行列中。
平權會全國會長鄭明美說，平權會為人頭税的平反和賠償已經作出了多年的努力。從一九八四年起，平權會發起平反人頭税及排華法的全國運動，期間先後與七任聯邦多元文化部長進行交涉，並向聯合國人權委員會上書提出申訴，但政府方面至今未向受害人作出道歉和賠償。
她表示，這次行動是在以往行動基礎上的進一步升級，為一項歷史性的行動，希望以此能促使政府解決這項歷史遺留下來的問題。
據了解，平權會在這個時候提出向聯邦政府的集體訴訟，也是為了能將此事提交到將於明年八月在南非召開的聯合國世界反種族主義會議上。
出席昨天記者會的人頭税受害人後人代表李先生表示，他的一家深受人頭税及排華法的痛苦，因此全家希望聯邦總理克里靖能拿出勇氣及誠意為受害人及家屬作出平反及賠償，也使這件令加拿大長期蒙污的事件，得到公平的結局。
他並表示，作為受害人之一的他的母親巳八十九歲高齡，渴望能在有生之年看到事件得到解決。
English translation: CCNC will File a Class Action Lawsuit against the Ottawa for the Head Tax Victims
World Journal Toronto Report
The Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) will file a class action lawsuit against the federal government for the victims who suffered from the head tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act. CCNC, with the authority to represent the victims and family members of the Head Tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act, has formally sent the lawyer’s letter to the Department of Justice Canada.
Avvy Go, the lawyer representing the plaintiff, said yesterday that in a lawyer' s letter sent to the Department of Justice Canada a few days ago, the victims of the head tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act and their families expressed their hope to resolve the issue of apology and compensation through negotiations with the federal government. However, if the government does not respond to the letter, they will try to find a solution through legal process. The CCNC will set December 15th as a deadline. If the government does not respond to the lawyer' s letter by then, the plaintiff will file a class action lawsuit against the federal government with the Supreme Court of Ontario. As for the amount of compensation they requested, Avvy Go said that there is no specific number at present.
In the sixty-two years from 1885 to 1947, the Canadian government imposed a head tax only on Chinese immigrants. At the beginning, $50 per person was levied, and that later increased to $100 per person. By 1904, the head tax had increased to $500 per person. During this period, a total of 81,000 Chinese immigrants became victims of the head tax. The government collected a total of 23 million dollars from them. The money was valued at over 120 million dollars in 1988.
In addition, the government passed the “China Immigration Act” in 1923, which completely banned Chinese immigrants from entering Canada. This discriminatory law against the Chinese was not abolished until 1947. During this period, less than 50 Chinese were allowed to enter Canada. Most of them were diplomats and wealthy businessmen.
Ms. Xie Wanqing, the executive director of the CCNC, said at the press conference announcing the news yesterday that the purpose of the class action lawsuit against the federal government is to enable those who were unfairly treated and their families to receive correction and compensation. In 1984, a total of about 1,000 victims of the head tax authorized the CCNC to request for redress and compensation from the government. But now many people have passed away and many have lost the contact with the CCNC. Only three people signed on the letter to the Department of Justice Canada. One is a victim, one is the wife of another victim and one is a descendant of a victim.
Avvy Go said that she wishes to have more victims and their family members stand up and get in touch with the CCNC to join the group that is asking the government to redress the unfairness and compensate the victims and their families.
Zheng Mingmei, the president of the CCNC, said that the CCNC has made many years of efforts for the redress and compensation of the head tax. Since 1984, the CCNC has launched a national campaign in order to redress the head tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act. Until now, the CCNC has negotiated with seven federal ministers of multiculturalism consecutively and filed a complaint with the UN Human Rights Commission. The federal government has neither apologized nor provided compensation to the victims and their families.
She said that this action is a further step based on past actions of the CCNC and it will be a historic action with a hope to urge the federal government to solve the problems left over from this history.
It appears that the CCNC chose to propose a class action lawsuit against the federal government at present so that the CCNC is able to submit the matter to the United Nations World Conference against Racism, which will be held in South Africa next August.
Mr. Li, a descendant of one head tax victim, attended the press conference yesterday. He said that his family has suffered a lot from the head tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act. Therefore, the whole family hopes that the Prime Minister Jean Chrétien could show the courage and sincerity to redress the mistake and compensate the victims and their families. It will also bring a fair ending to the incidents that have caused criticisms against Canada for a long time.
He also said that his eighty-nine year old mother, who is one of the victims, is eager to see the case resolved in her lifetime.
