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.
Keywords: Head tax ; National Congress of Chinese Canadians ; Chinese Cultural Centre ; Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association ; Chinese Canadian National Council ; Chinese Benevolent Association of Canada ; Chinese Freemasons ; Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society ; Tan, Ping T. ; Zhou, Minghui ; Canadian Chinese Community Foundation ; Human Rights Act ; Chinese Exclusion Act ; Ma, Kitty ; Guan, Qizong ; Foo, Tak Nam ; Ruan, Yaoyi
人頭稅 華聯會槓上平權會
這廂稱與多數僑領達共識 1250萬撥款成立基金 那廂質疑代表性
【本報記者阮耀毅溫哥華報導】全加華人聯會（NCCC)與中華文化中心、中僑互助會、中華會館、全加中華總會館、洪門民治黨及華裔軍事博物館等僑團共同宣布，已□聯邦就人頭稅議題達成「成立基金，承認錯誤但不道歉」共識,並在近期簽訂協議。
華聯會主席陳丙丁與多位僑團領袖宣布，25日起一連三天於溫哥華舉辦華人代表大會， 商討聯邦1250萬元撥款管理及運用事宜。華聯會強調代表多數華裔民意，目前與聯邦所達成的共識，是解決人頭稅這個歷史遺留問題最佳方式；但平權會質疑華聯會代表性，強調將繼續爭取個人賠償及公開道歉。
會前全加華人協進會（CCNC，簡稱平權會）代表周明輝等人試圖進入會場，但遭阻攔，引發雙方短暫言語衝突。
陳丙丁表示，根據協議聯邦 將撥款1250萬元成立「加拿大華人社區基金」，這筆經費顯示聯邦本著承認錯誤、紀念歷史和敎育後代三個方針，解決人頭稅問題的誠意。25日至27日止在溫哥華舉行的華人代表大會將商討如何管理及運用這屬於全體加拿大華人的共同資產。
他強調，人頭稅是歷史遺留問題，20年來全體華人無不希望政府給個交代，但過去聯邦一直以加國人權憲章已明訂各族裔一律平等做搪塞，不願正視人頭稅及排華法案問題，如今在華裔社區及華裔政治人物共同努力下終於願意面對，華裔社區應把握契機，解決這項歷史遺留問題。
他質疑平權會號稱代表四千名人頭稅受害人家屬，但眞實情況如何，不得而知，且繳納人頭稅者超過八萬人，其後代更超過數十萬人，因此平權會根本不能代表多數華人意見。若依平權會方案要求個人賠償與公開道歉，將使得解決人頭稅問題遙遙無期。
陳丙丁認爲，僑團抗爭對象應是政府，而非僑團內部，他否認華聯從未徵詢平權會及其他僑團意見，強調人頭稅議題中華文化中心主席馬林詠梅認爲，任何移民都須付出一定代價，如某些投資移民投資數十萬元卻血本無歸，不可能要求政府賠償。如果堅持要求政府對人頭稅進行個人賠償，可能永遠得不到賠償。
全加中華總會館理事長關啓宗呼籲僑界團結一致，別讓外界認爲華人是一盤散沙。中僑主席傅德枬表示，中僑樂見聯邦提撥更多經費從事反種族歧視敎育工作，歷史價値就在人們可從中學習，避免重蹈覆轍°
周明輝質疑華聯會代表性，他強調平權會有四千份人頭稅受害者委託書，代表受害者向聯邦政府爭取個人賠償與公開道歉，但華聯會根據什麼以全體華人代表自居？
他說，不管聯邦與華聯會達成何種協議，平權會都會繼續抗爭，平反人頭稅，直到聯邦同意個人賠償及公開道歉。
【圖片】：大溫僑團支持華聯會與政府簽訂協議，中為馬林泳梅及陳丙丁。 （阮耀毅/攝）
【圖片】：平權會代表周明輝強調繼續抗爭。（阮耀毅/攝）
English translation: The Head Tax: NCCC vs CCNC
NCCC Stated that Consensus Has Been Reached by the Majority of the Community Leaders to Establish a Foundation with an Allotment of 12.5 Million Dollars from the Federal Government while CCCNC Doubted the Authority of NCCC in Representing the Community
Reported by Ruan Yaoyi from Vancouver
Several Chinese Canadian societies including the NCCC, the Chinese Cultural Centre, the United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society (SUCCESS), the CCBA (Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association), the Chinese Benevolent Association of Canada, the Chinese Freemasons, and the Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society (CCMMS) jointly announced that recently they reached a deal with the federal government about the head tax issue. The consensus is that the government would pay $12.5 million for the creation of a new foundation, acknowledging the mistake but making no formal apology. The agreement will be signed soon.
Ping T. Tan, the chair of the NCCC and other community leaders announced that beginning on the 25th, they will spend three days holding the Chinese Canadian Congress in Vancouver to discuss the issues of how to manage and use the $12.5 million. The NCCC emphasized that the attendees represent the majority of Chinese Canadians. The current consensus with the federal government is the best way to solve the historical problem of the head tax. However, the CNCC questioned the representativeness of NCCC. The CNCC stressed that it will continue to fight for personal compensation and a public apology.
Before the meeting, Zhou Minghui and other members of the CNCC tried to attend the meeting, but were blocked, causing short verbal conflicts between the two sides.
Ping T. Tan said that according to the agreement, the federal government will allocate 12.5 million dollars to set up the "Canadian Chinese Community Foundation". This foundation shows the government's sincerity in resolving the head tax issue by recognizing mistakes, commemorating the history and educating future generations. The Chinese Canadian Congress, held in Vancouver from the 25th to the 27th, will discuss how to manage and apply the common assets of all Chinese Canadians.
He stressed that the head tax is an issue left over from history. In the past 20 years, all Chinese Canadians have hoped that the government would take accountability for it. However, in the past, the federal government kept saying that all ethnic groups are equal according to the Canadian Human Rights Act, and were reluctant to face the head tax issue and the issue of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Now finally, in a joint effort, the government is willing to face the issues. The Chinese community should seize the opportunity to resolve these problems left over from history.
Tan questioned the CNCC’s claim of representing the families of 4,000 head tax victims, indicating that no one knows the actual situation. The number of head tax payers exceeded 80,000, and the number of descendants exceed 100,000. Therefore, the CNCC cannot represent the majority. If the CNCC’s plan of individual compensation and public apology were pursued, it would make the settlement of the head tax issue impossible in the foreseeable future.
Tan believed that the opponent of the Chinese community societies should be the government, not another association in the community. He denied the criticism that NCCC had never consulted the CNCC and other overseas Chinese Canadian groups. He emphasized that Kitty Ma, the Chair of the Chinese Cultural center, thought all immigrants should pay a certain price. For example, if some investment immigrants invested thousands of dollars but had no gain, they would not be able to claim compensation from the government. If they insist that the government give individual compensation for the head tax, they may never get that compensation in the end.
Guan Qizong, chairman of the Chinese Benevolent Association of Canada, called on the overseas Chinese community to unite and not let the outside world think that the Chinese Canadian community acts in a state of disunity The president of S.U.C.C.E.S.S., Foo Tak Nam, said that S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is delighted to see the federal government allocate more funds for anti-racism and anti-discrimination work. The value of history lies in the lessons that people can learn from it and being able to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Zhou Minghui questioned the representativeness of the NCCC. He stressed that the CCNC has been given power of attorney from over 4,000 head tax payers. On behalf of the victims, the CCNC will seek personal compensation and a public apology from the federal government. But what evidence does the NCCC have to consider itself the representative of the whole community of Chinese Canadians?
He said that regardless of what agreement the federal government and the NCCC will reach, the CNCC would continue to fight to redress the head tax until the federal government agrees to personal compensation and a public apology.
[Photo]: The Chinese Canadian societies in Vancouver support the deal between the NCCC and the federal government. Kitty Ma and Ping T. Tan (the middle). (Photo taken by Ruan Yaoyi)
[Photo]: Zhou Minghui, CNCC representative, emphasizes the need to fight. (Photo taken by Ruan Yaoyi)
