Foreign interference commissioner seeks to reassure diaspora groups anxious about inquiry

The commissioner leading the public inquiry into foreign interference said Thursday the inquiry has taken steps to protect members of diaspora groups who say they fear for their safety if they participate.

"Some members of diaspora communities have told us that they fear reprisals if they provide information to the commission," Justice Marie-Josée Hogue said in a media statement.

The Canadian Friends of Hong Kong (CFHK) announced earlier this week it would be boycotting the commission. And last month, the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project withdrew from the inquiry's proceedings entirely.

"We have grave concerns regarding the objectivity and the security integrity of the Foreign Interference Commission Inquiry, primarily due to standing being granted to individuals suspected to have strong ties to Chinese Consulates and their proxies," the CFHK wrote in a statement posted to its Facebook page.

Now Independent MP Han Dong celebrates with supporters in Toronto in 2014 during a rally in Toronto while a Liberal candidate. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)

The organization cited the participation of Independent MP Han Dong, who quit the Liberal caucus after a story by Global News last year alleged he had told a senior Chinese diplomat that Beijing should not free Canadian prisoners Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig. Dong has denied the allegation and is pursuing Global legally.

The CFHK also named Sen. Yuen Pau Woo and former Ontario Liberal MPP Michael Chan, who also deny allegations of ties to China.

The commission granted Dong and Chan full party standing, and Woo intervenor status.

"By granting standing to individuals with alleged ties to the Chinese embassy, we are potentially offering incredible insight to our adversaries, enabling them to design and execute more effective interference operations," the CFHK said.

CFHK's complaints followed two official requests from a coalition representing various human rights groups asking that the commission withdraw standing from Dong, Chan and Woo. The commission turned them down.

Hogue said the commission has created a confidential email address with "strict controls in place to protect the confidentiality of any information provided" and said participants can testify and produce documents in private when necessary.

She also said the commission has "the ability, in appropriate circumstances, to redact sensitive information from documents before they are provided to the commission."

Hogue added the commission "must reach out to all those with a real and direct interest in the subject of the inquiry. This includes those who are the subject of the core allegations of foreign interference that this Commission is tasked with investigating."

She said it's "essential" for the commission to hear "different, and even divergent, points of view before drawing its own conclusions."