卡舒吉被杀后 加拿大继续沙特输出装甲车让加国移民痛心

不遗余力地消除异己，打击言论自由的沙特政府残忍地将华盛顿邮报记者卡舒吉杀害。沙特的这种残暴行径完全有悖于尊崇民主自由的加国价值观。对此加国政府应作出严肃，坚定且实质性的反应，那就是加拿大对如此残忍之手段绝不姑息。但是特鲁多政府却在取消向沙特输出武器协议问题上迟迟不做出果断决定，称如果渥京取消这一协议，加国将遭受数十亿的经济损失。

Saudi‘s abhorrent killing of WSJ columnist highlights the autocratic regimes’ ruthless attempt to eliminate dissident and to crack down on press freedom. The behaviors are entirely against democracy and Canadian values. The Canadian government should provide a firm and substantial response indicating that Canada does not condone the killing. However, Trudeau government has balked at outright canceling of the arm exporting deal with the country, arguing that it could cost Canadians as much as billions if Ottawa abrogated the contract. 

2016年， 特鲁多政府悄悄地批准了价值高达$150亿的向沙特出售轻型装甲车协议，但当时的沙特已是一个人权记录极为糟糕的国家。这项武器输出协议可给加国带来巨大经济利益，为安省伦敦市的General Dynamics提供上千名的就业机会。

In 2016, the Trudeau government quietly approved a $15-billion-dollar deal to sell LAV to Saudi, a country with a dismal human rights record. The arms sale brought economic benefits to Canada, providing thousands of jobs to General Dynamics, a Canadian Corporation in London Ontario. 

我当时曾撰文批评自由党政府批准这项武器输出协议，因为向沙特输出装甲车无形中助长了专制政权疯狂地镇压来自平民百姓的大规模抗议活动。该文表示，加国向沙特输出武器会引发那些逃离以武力镇压人权之国家的移民们的不满之情。

I wrote a column back then criticizing the Liberal government approving a deal that can help an autocratic regime’s violent efforts to crush civilians and widespread protests. It would hurt the feelings of immigrants fleeing a country with a record of human rights violations and abuse, said the article.

卡舒吉的残忍被害为沙特政权强暴违反人权的冗长历史增添新败笔。至2016年，沙特在也门的战争已屠杀了上千名手无寸铁老百姓的生命。2017年的调查发现，利雅得使用加国提供的装甲车屠杀沙特居民。

The brutal killing of Mr. Khashoggi has highlighted the continuous growth of Saudi regimes’ long and atrocious list of human-rights violations. In its devasting war in Yemen, thousands of civilians lost their lives by 2016. In 2017, an investigation found that Riyadh deployed Canadian-made armored vehicles against Saudi citizens.

武器输出协议中的装甲车让人们联想起1989年中国政府残酷屠杀天安门学生运动。一段显示一位年轻人勇敢地站在一列坦克面前试图阻止其前行的CNN 视频就是向大众提出警示，如果这种暴力武器落入暴君手中，平民生命将遭涂炭，民主进程将危在旦夕。

The armored vehicles in the deal conjure memories of the Chinese government’s brutal crackdown of students’ protest Tiananmen in 1989. A CNN video showing a man standing in front of columns of tanks trying to stop its advances serves as a crucial warning that if the lethal weapon falls into the wrong hands, civilian lives would be in danger and democracy in peril. 

当然，加国经济损失是特鲁多政府目前面对的最大挑战，特别是联邦大选即将来临，而自由党政府急需以大量就业数据证实其政绩之际。但是，即使施行武器合同对加国来说有巨大的经济诱惑，特鲁多的外交政策也应在经济利益之外顾及到加国的民主价值观和政治原则。

The economic loss is the big challenge Trudeau government is facing in canceling the deal, particularly at a time when the Liberals need strong job growth numbers with the next federal election just months away.  However, despite the huge incentive to perform the contract, foreign policy requires the government to balance values and principles with economic interest.

美国政府在中国的天安门事件后就找到了这种平衡，而特鲁多政府应效仿之。当时美国的布什总统在保持与中国的外交关系的同时，向中国政府发出明确信息，那就是美国不会对如此残暴的屠杀行为听之任之。

Trudeau government must strike a balance, just as US government did after the Tiananmen protests. While trying to maintain the geopolitical relationship between the two countries, Mr. Bush wanted to send a clear signal to Chinese leaders that the killings wouldn’t be business as usual in future.

在天安门事件发生两天之后，布什总统停止了向中国输出价值数亿元的武器装备协议。美国国会通过了布什总统支持的进一步经济制裁措施。

Two days after the massacre, Mr. Bush suspended military arms sales to China worth of hundreds of millions. Congress imposed further economic sanctions against China that was supported by Bush administration.

在公众舆论压力之下，特鲁多表示他将考虑暂停向沙特输出轻型装甲车。但暂停协议执行与完全取消协议是两码事。暂停执行后协议可再恢复执行，即是武器输出协议在不久的将来将一如既往地执行下去。不是吗！加拿大曾以往数次停止向沙特输出武器，但协议本身却丝毫无损，仍以其巨大经济魅力吸引着特鲁多和自由党政府。

Trudeau, bending to public pressure, says that he is considering suspension of export of LAV to Saudi. However, freezing the deal is not the same as canceling it. The suspension can be soon lifted, allowing the arms shipments to resume. Canada’s LAV export deal with Saudi has survived multiple suspensions over the past. Yet, it has remained intact, enticing Trudeau and the Liberals with its economic appeal.

人权组织表示：“没有任何人能给人权做出明码标价。”民主和人权是加国的重要价值观，是吸引来自于人权遭践踏国家移民们的主要因素。让经济利益超越加国的价值观及民主理念则有损于加国形象。而对那些专制铁蹄下的幸存者来说，加国继续向沙特输出武器无异于在他们的伤口上撒盐！“

“Human rights do not and can never carry a price tag,” says human rights activists. Democracy and human rights are critical Canadian values and principles that appeal to immigrants from right abusive regimes.  Allowing economic interest to outweigh the Canadian values and beliefs would damage Canada’s image. For immigrant survivors of authoritarian rulers’ abuse, Canada continuing the Saudi arm selling deal is nothing less than rubbing salt on their wound.