Canadians deported from China following pro-Tibet demonstrations

The Canadian Press

August 10, 2008 at 9:51 PM EDT

BEIJING — Several more Canadians have been deported from China following pro-Tibet protests in Beijing.

Steve Andersen, from Edmonton, and a Tibetan-German, were arrested by plainclothes police officers after they unfurled a Tibetan flag.

A short time after the arrests, Mike Hudema, a spokesman for Greenpeace in Alberta, was arrested with four other people from Edmonton.

“They came into our apartment. They ransacked our entire apartment, went through all of our bags, all of our luggage, despite the fact that we never consented to any searches,” Mr. Hudema told CTV in a telephone interview.

“We were taken to the police holding facility and interrogated for several hours before we were deported.”

Mr. Hudema said that he and several members of the group were in Beijing to observe and did not take part in any protests.

Another Canadian, 24-year-old Chris Schwartz, was also reportedly deported from China.

Mr. Schwartz, a student at Montreal's Concordia University and a long-time member of the pro-Tibetan movement, was taken into custody after a mock “die-in” at Tiananmen Square to protest China's occupation of Tibet.

Wrapped in Tibetan flags, he and a small group of people covered their mouths with fake blood before denouncing the occupation.

Police quickly moved in and detained them.

During the lead-up to the Olympics, Tibetan activists have tried to ramp up pressure on China, especially in the wake of violent protests in Tibet back in March.

Many Tibetans believe China forcibly annexed their territory when Chinese troops invaded in 1950. China insists Tibet has always been part of its territory.

Most of the deported Canadians are either in Hong Kong or Laos and will eventually catch planes to Vancouver.

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Ottawa Mens Centre.com, from Ottawa, Canada wrote: In Canada if your criticize the Judiciary you end up repeatedly arrested on fabricated criminal charges, have your right to access to the courts removed, and Canadian citizens face effective deportation from Canada or they will be indefinitely repeatedly incarcerated till they die. Canada has a very sick judiciary hell bent on flagrantly abusing their powers. The worst are found in the Ottawa Family Court. Around 10% of the judiciary make 60% of the horrible decisions that are just part of an undeclared war on fathers. It makes Chinese justice look remarkably fair. www.OttawaMensCentre.com

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