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The Harper government’s hostility towards war resisters has been apparent since the Conservatives took power. It has lead to the government’s refusal to grant them refugee status, triggering their deportation back to the United States to stand trial for desertion.

On the other hand, 63 per cent of Canadians and the three Opposition parties in unison want war resisters to stay.

The power of war resisters lies in their refusal to fight; their negation of a military system that dishonours its own soldiers and violates international law. So far, the Harper government has been able to slink away from its responsibly to honour the voice of Parliament and the people of Canada.

But we are at the point with this pivotal election that might shake the Conservative foundation of power. 

Twice now — once in 2008 and once in 2009 — the majority vote in Parliament has been in favour of supporting war resisters who seek refugee status here in Canada.

Activists and politicians first brought their fight to Canadian Parliament on June 3, 2008, when the majority (a united opposition) of Parliament voted to pass a motion  — presented by NDP MP Olivia Chow — in support of war resisters by a vote of 137 to 110.

But the motion was non-binding and the minority Harper government chose to ignore it.

The motion was again brought to vote in Parliament the following year on March 30, 2009, and while it too was passed, the Conservatives again chose to ignore it.

Yup, that’s the same Stephen Harper who ejects potential dissenters from his campaign rally stops and refuses to take questions from the public during this election. The same Conservative government has been found in contempt of Parliament — for the first time ever in the history of the Canadian government.

Jason Kenney, the Conservative Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, has referred to war resisters as “bogus refugees.”

The fight for Canadian war resisters was also thwarted when the campaign lost a pivotal battle in Parliament on September 29, 2010, when Bill C-440 was defeated on its second reading by a vote of 143 to 136.

Bill C-440 was a private member’s bill brought forward by Liberal MP Gerard Kennedy on September 17, 2009 and seconded by New Democrat Bill Siksay. Bill C-440 was meant to amend Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection system to allow soldiers resisting wars not sanctioned by the United Nations to seek sanctuary in Canada and called for the immediate halt of all deportation hearings.

That’s the Conservative government stance on war resisters. Let me remind you that 63 per cent of Canadians and the three Opposition parties in unison want war resisters to stay.

Amnesty International believes that the right to refuse military service for reasons of conscience is inherent in the notion of freedom of thought, conscience and religion as recognized in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). 

Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, applauded the choice Iraq war resisters like Jeremy Hinzman and others made by following their conscience. He went further to state that if Jeremy Hinzman were to be incarcerated for deserting the U.S. military, Amnesty International would consider him a Prisoner of Conscience

Academy award winner Michael Moore called Canada’s treatment of current war resisters “shameful.” 

According to a War Resister Support Campaign, “The Harper government has been hoping that Canadians will forget about the Iraq War, and lose interest in the plight of the principled individuals who said no to that war. But Canadians have not forgotten — and Wikileaks has brought home the cruel reality of that war once again.”

This election, don’t forget which colour door has been opened wide to accept war resisters into Canada.

For more information, please read the backgrounder: U.S. war resisters: Warriors with conscience

Krystalline Kraus

krystalline kraus is an intrepid explorer and reporter from Toronto, Canada. A veteran activist and journalist for rabble.ca, she needs no aviator goggles, gas mask or red cape but proceeds fearlessly...