加拿大向沙特出售武器令大陆移民伤心

联邦自由党政府已悄悄批准对沙特武器出售合同，同意加拿大向沙特阿拉伯出口价值$150亿元的轻型装甲车。这份利润丰厚的售武合同可为加拿大创造大量就业岗位和巨大经济利益。据联邦外长Stéphane Dion称，自由党政府继续履行这份合同是出于国家利益考量。

The Liberal government has quietly approved the Saudi arms deal and given the permit for Canada to export $15 billion in light armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia. The lucrative contract can create a large number of jobs in Canada, bringing great economic benefits in Canada. Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion says it is in the country’s interests to go ahead with the deal. 

但是，沙特劣迹斑斑的人权记录一直饱受国际社会诟病，Freedom House将其列为人权状况“恶劣至极的国家之一”。沙特最近发起的狂轰滥炸已对也门造成毁灭性打击，迄今已有6,000多人死于战火。2011年，沙特军队开着装甲车进驻邻国巴林,以武力镇压抗议民众。

But Saudi is a country with dismal human rights records. It is ranked by the Freedom House as “among the worst of the worst” on human rights. Recently, Saudi Arabia’s violent efforts in the war in Yemen have been devastating, with more than 6,000 people already dead. In 2011, Saudi troops — with armoured vehicles — were sent to neighbouring Bahrain to crush the popular protests.

政府动用装甲车等军事武器实施大屠杀显然是最令人发指的丑恶罪行。在历史上，西方国家一直对此类罪行深恶痛绝。

The mass murder committed by the government by using military weapons – including armoured vehicles is the most horrific and hideous crime. In history, such crimes have never been condoned by the Western society.

1989年6月4日，中国政府派出部队和装甲车前往天安门广场镇压大规模学生抗议活动。据2001年公开的共产党内部文件显示，当局下令38军的2000名士兵以及42辆装甲车对天安门广场进行扫荡，而当时有3000多名学生正聚集在广场上举行抗议活动。

 On June 4th 1989, the Chinese government sent troops and armoured vehicles to crackdown on a large scale of student protests in Tiananmen Square. According to internal Communist party files released in 2001, 2,000 soldiers from the 38th army, together with 42 armoured vehicles, were ordered to sweep across the square, at the time when 3000 students were in the square protesting.

CNN视频曝光了此次扫荡过程中最触目惊心的骇人场景：一名男子站在一列坦克前，试图凭一己之力阻止军队前行。虽然人们至今无从知晓这名坦克勇士的下落，但这些装甲车一直被视为中国政府意图屠杀平民抗议者的重要证据。

A CNN video shows the most shocking and disturbing scene, where a man stood in front of a column of tanks to stop its advance. While the tank man’s whereabouts is unknown till this day, the armoured vehicles have remained to be the crucial evidence of Chinese government’s intention to kill civilian protestors. 

在6。4事件后，时任美国总统布什宣布对中国采取军事制裁，包括暂停对华军事合同和技术转让，以及取消原定的美中军事谈判等。这些制裁措施得到了西方国家的普遍支持。

After the June 4th Incident, the US president George H.W. Bush announced  military sanctions against China – from suspension of military contacts and technology transfers to the cancellation of planned US-China military talks. The reaction gained widespread support from Western countries.

加拿大必须在经济利益与沙特极度糟糕的人权纪录之间权衡利弊。在四年合同期满大量武器运至沙特后，加拿大只能便听由沙特政权随心所欲地使用这些武器。实际上，某些战争报告已显示沙特军队早就开始使用加拿大制造的车辆。

Canada must weigh the trade-offs between economic benefits and Saudi Arabia’s abysmal human-rights records. In four years after the bulk of the exports set to ship to Saudi Arabia, Canada would have no leverage over how the weapons will be used by Saudi regime. In fact, reports from the war suggest that Canadian-made vehicles are already being used by the Saudi army.  

对于以富有同情心和捍卫人权而著称的加拿大来说，向以武力而镇压平民抗议者的国家供应武器装备的做法显然是无法让人接受的。这些向杀害无辜平民的国家理应受到国际社会的惩罚。

It is unacceptable for Canada with a reputation for its compassion and dedication for human rights, to supply arms to a country that uses military weapons to crackdown civilian protests. A country that killed innocent civilians deserves punitive actions from the international community.

向沙特出售武器不仅有损加拿大的国际形象，使加国价值观遭到扭曲。在6。4事件后，大量中国人逃至加拿大寻求庇护，在他们看来，加拿大是一个人权至上的国家，它尊重和保护无辜平民的人权。

Selling arms to a Saudi damages Canada’s global image and distorts Canadian values. In the wake of the June 4th Incident, a flood of Chinese people fled the country and sought refuge in Canada, a country they believed that respected and protected the human rights of innocent civilians.

显然，将经济利益凌驾于加拿大的道德义务之上的做法显然会让来自那些曾有不良人权记录之国家的移民们倍感伤心。

Apparently, allowing economic profits to outweigh Canada’s moral obligations will send a chilling message to immigrants from a country with a record of human rights violations and abuse.