A Liberal-appointed senator is accusing Canada’s political and security establishment of persecuting former Liberal MP Han Dong under the guise of fighting foreign interference.Sen. Yuen Pau Woo, speaking in a University of Victoria webinar, said police, Parliament, and media worked together in what he called a “witch hunt” driven by “foreign interference hysteria.” Blacklock's Reporter said Woo claimed Dong, who represented Don Valley North, Ont., was forced from the Liberal caucus after surveillance reports about his contacts with the Chinese consulate in Toronto were leaked to the press.“If even a person like Han Dong who was an MP and had some status can be targeted in this way through the power of the state… who else can be targeted as well?” asked Woo. .He accused intelligence agencies of surveillance overreach and said leaks to journalists created sensationalist stories that destroyed reputations.Dong was dropped as a candidate in the April 28 election after the Prime Minister’s Office disclosed last fall it would not allow him to sit on the Commons Special Committee on Canada-China Relations “because of concerns that officials had.”Woo argued Dong was singled out due to anti-China sentiment in Canada, which he says runs deep across politics, government, and the media. “We are led to believe the most important foreign policy challenge for Canada is to counter China,” Woo told the webinar.“This is not simply about hurt feelings,” he said. “It’s about the state allowing persecution based on suspicion, accusation, and innuendo. That is a dangerous path.”
