Mekelle, Tigray – May 23, 2025
Earlier this year, the Human Rights Coalition, a diverse alliance of diaspora communities representing Uyghur, Tibetan, Hongkonger, Falun Gong, Tigrayan, Eritrean, Cuban, and Tamil voices, took a united stand at a press conference responding to the Foreign Interference Inquiry Report in Canada.
The Coalition, formed to confront the mounting threats posed by transnational repression and disinformation, presented a joint statement that underscored the existential danger of misinformation to democratic societies—a sentiment echoed by Justice Marie-Josée Hogue in her official inquiry findings.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, one of two appointed representatives highlighted how disinformation campaigns are not theoretical dangers—they have already devastated lives.
“Disinformation has had catastrophic impacts on communities like Falun Gong and Tigrayans,” said the spokesperson. “It has limited our ability to participate in civic life and silenced our truths.”
The Chinese Communist Party was explicitly named for orchestrating targeted disinformation against Falun Gong practitioners, while the crisis in Tigray was spotlighted as one of the world’s gravest humanitarian catastrophes.
“In Tigray, up to one million people were killed in a genocidal war within just two years. Mass rape, starvation, and atrocities continue—largely ignored due to an organized disinformation campaign.”
The Tamil community similarly warned that Sri Lanka’s culture of impunity has fueled transnational repression, endangering Tamil Canadians.
The Coalition’s call to action was firm and specific:
- Justice and accountability for mass atrocities committed against the Tigrayan, Tamil, and Eritrean communities.
- A formal investigation into how charities and proxy organizations are used to intimidate Eritrean refugees in Canada—including the coercive 2% tax demanded by the Eritrean regime.
- Transparency in the sanctioning process, ensuring affected communities have a voice in decisions that directly impact them.
Above all, the Coalition urged for collective resistance:
“Authoritarian regimes collaborate to silence us. We must collaborate to resist. Share strategies, share resources, share truth.”
This press conference marked a new phase in coordinated diaspora advocacy—not just responding to injustice, but building a unified front to protect democratic spaces and human rights.
Full joint statement available here:
🔗 https://www.agvcommunity.org/post/joint-statement-in-response-to-foreign-interference-inquiry
