Amnesty International Canada has expressed disappointment with Canada鈥檚 remarks to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in response to allegations of serious human rights abuses against the group of Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n pipeline opponents who have been arrested over the past few years.
Last week representatives of the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n Nation testified virtually to the commission about the 鈥渦njust criminalization of land defenders opposing the construction of the Coastal GasLink (CGL) liquified natural gas pipeline on the Nation鈥檚 unceded ancestral territory,鈥� Amnesty International Canada said in a statement.
The construction of the 670-kilometre-long pipeline in northwest B.C. has met with severe resistance from a group of Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n called the Gidimt鈥檈n Checkpoint and their allies who claim British Columbia approved the pipeline鈥檚 route without the free, prior, and informed consent of the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n hereditary chiefs.
On completion, the pipeline will deliver natural gas from the Dawson Creek area to an LNG Canada facility under construction in Kitimat.
Since 2019, there have been several protests and subsequent arrests after clashes with the RCMP. In December 2022, the arrest of several pipeline opponents, including key leaders, at the CGL construction site near Houston, B.C. for breaching court-ordered injunctions resulted in criminal convictions of five people by the Supreme Court of B.C.
Against this backdrop, Amnesty said Canada鈥檚 responses showed an 鈥渆mbarrassing disrespect鈥� for the rights and experiences of Indigenous Peoples and the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n Nation.
They also decried Canada鈥檚 and British Columbia鈥檚 decision to construct the pipeline through Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n territory without the free, prior, and informed consent of the Nation 鈥� a violation of the Nation鈥檚 rights under Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n law, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and B.C.鈥檚 on Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
Although the Canadian government had advance access to the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n Nation鈥檚 written submission to the IACHR, Hugh Adsett, Canada鈥檚 Ambassador to the Organization of American States and the government鈥檚 representative at the hearing, failed to respond to the Nation鈥檚 claims.
鈥淢y goal in participating today is primarily to gain a better understanding of the petitioners鈥� concerns and provide some general and initial context that may help inform the commission鈥檚 own analysis,鈥� he said in his introductory remarks.
鈥淐anada鈥檚 unwillingness to explain its actions shows an embarrassing disrespect for our Nation鈥檚 rights and the rights of all Indigenous Peoples in so-called Canada,鈥� said Chief Na鈥檓oks, of the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n hereditary chiefs, on July .
鈥淥ver and over, international human rights watchdogs and civil society groups have condemned Canada for violating our right to defend our territory, our laws, and our way of life. The government should have no trouble speaking to the attacks on our people that they have committed in the light of day.鈥�
Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada鈥檚 English-speaking section, said the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n Nation鈥檚 allegations demand a serious response from the Government of Canada.
鈥淐anada鈥檚 refusal to engage with the specifics of the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n Nation鈥檚 testimony raises uncomfortable questions about the government鈥檚 commitments to respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples,鈥� she said.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 lack of response reflects poorly on these commitments.鈥�
Canada鈥檚 comments also caused frustration among the members of the IACHR, Amnesty said in the statement.
鈥淚t is disappointing that the state did not prepare a full response to the allegations,鈥� Commissioner Carlos Bernal Pulido told the hearing.
鈥淣o one questions that Canada, in general, has a constitutional democratic framework. The point is not that. This hearing is about whether the allegations are true or not, whether the state has a response, whether there is justification for the behaviour of the police, and also whether there has been respect or violation to the rights of the Indigenous community in this specific case.鈥�
鈥淲e will continue to accompany the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n Nation in their pursuit of justice,鈥� Nivyabandi said.
鈥淚nvestment in fossil fuels is a severe threat to the rights, lives, and traditions of Indigenous Peoples today. Canada must listen to 鈥� and ultimately, respect the rights of 鈥� Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n land defenders rather than punish Indigenous Peoples for protecting their territories and the environment.鈥�
editor@interior-news.com
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