Splashed across front page of the most prestigious national
newspaper in Canada this past weekend was the disturbing image of a Summit
of the Americas protester, bloodied and shouting, being carted off by masked
and shielded riot police.
I believe Canada's international reputation as a staunch
defender of democracy and human rights has been seriously tarnished by recent
events in Quebec City.
Perhaps we need now to prove to the world that Canada's
pro-trade agenda is also pro-development.
One way would be for the Canadian government to implement
an idea already endorsed by both the Italian government and the European Community
— that of allowing the world's poorest nations unfettered access to the
markets of the world's richest.
A non-reciprocal waiver of all tariffs on any goods which
come into Canada from the world's forty-nine least developed countries would
not pose a major competitive problem for Canadian industry.
It would, however, represent the equivalent of an immediate
twenty-five per cent rise in foreign aid to poorer nations — providing,
for example, much needed money for basic health services and education programs.
My Canada, a Canada I still believe to be a peaceable and
caring land of plenty, can well afford to make this investment in our global
future.
Deb Ireland Chilliwack, B.C.
International rebuke for Panama's Ombudsman
While CPJ believes that journalists are responsible for
what they publish, we feel that civil libel law offers adequate remedies to
people who feel they have been defamed. The remarks of Panamanian people's
defender Juan Antonio Tejada, published in La Prensa, are thus highly unfortunate.
Mr. Tejada's observation that "disrespect" laws are needed
to teach citizens proper respect for officials shows a misconception of the
proper relationship between government and the press. Public officials have
willingly placed themselves at the heart of public debate and should therefore
enjoy less, rather than more, protection against criticism, in order to discourage
them from abusing their authority.
Panama's legal system has too often been used to harass
journalists. It is outrageous that Panamanian officials can use "disrespect"
laws to jail journalists without due process. We hope the discussion generated
by Mr. Tejada's intemperate remarks will result in a new effort to bring Panama's
legal framework up to par with international law.
Marylene Smeets Americas Program coordinator Committee to Protect Journalists
