Right Hon. Stephen Harper
Prime Minister
Dear Mr.Harper
I am writing you this letter as a Chinese-Canadian in East Scarborough/> regarding Canada/>/>’s inadequate response to the horrific earthquake in China/>/> on May 12, 2008/>.
As we all know, the peaceful and beautiful city of Beichuan/>/> in Sichuan/> Province/>/> has disappeared from the face of the Earth, Adding to this heartbreak is the fact that thousands of children either lost their lives or got trapped when their school buildings collapsed. Over the past 72 hours, the Chinese government and all the Chinese from China/>/> and the world have been reacting as fast as they can to rescue the people suffering from the earthquake. Meanwhile, some other countries in various ways have delivered their precious support to China/>/> as well. So far, there are still at least 14,000 people buried in collapsed buildings. Time is everything. The more help, the more lives and the lower chance of diseases spreading. We are not talking about just a handful of human beings. The estimated death toll stands at over 50,000, but there are countless others trapped under the rubble. Till EDT morning May 16th 2008 ,The official death toll issued by authorities in SC Province now stood at 22,069,with 14,000 still buried, 159,000 injured and 4.8 million homeless, according to China's XH state news agency.
However, we still have not heard any major statement from the Canada/>/> government vowing to offer ongoing assistance in this time of crisis. I have to say that your silence is very discouraging and disappointing. The famous Canadian values of compassion and humanitarianism were among the factors that impressed me so much that I decided to immigrate to Canada/>/> and restart my career in the medical field.
We are living in the same “global village”, as your famous Canadian thinker Marshall McLuhan put it. Thus, helping others is helping ourselves. This is the principle that I always present to my child when we discuss various social issues. One of the Canadian values, which is a tradition in China/>/> also, is to treat the people in the way we like to be treated.
I am imploring you to put Canada/>/> at the forefront of the foreign rescue effort in China/>/>. Please put politics aside and do the right thing. A wealthy country like Canada/>/> could be stepping forward not only with financial aid and emergency supplies, but also with engineering expertise, rescue equipment and medical aid. China/>/> needs help immediately, and Canada/>/> surely has the capacity to help.
I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely
XXX
cced. The Hon. Peter McKay,
The Hon. John Norman
