Letter to an alternate universe
Thursday/04 February 2010
Here is the full text of an email sent
to Gary Lunn, Member of Parliament (Canada) for Saanich and the
Gulf Islands. See the previous billblog post for reference. I will
let billblog readers know of the response to this email.
February 4, 2010
Dear Minister Lunn,
On January 7, 2010 I emailed you with a concern, namely, the termination of the inquiry into the treatment of Afghan detainees and the question of Canadian complicity in their torture. Unfortunately you or your staff must have read my email in haste. I received a letter from you this week and it had nothing to do with the detainee torture issue.
Your letter mainly told me how hard you are working during this period of prorogation. Thank you for your hard work. However, that wasn't my issue. The use of prorogation to derail the inquiry into the treatment of Afghan detainees — Taliban prisoners and innocents alike — is the issue.
I want my Government to investigate the detainee torture issue with transparency and persistence, via independent public inquiry. It is important that we know the truth. It is important to the Afghan people that they can count on Canadians to treat them humanely.
Will you push for a new inquiry? Will you publicly say so?
Do you personally think that even Taliban detainees deserve to be treated in accordance with the terms of the Geneva Convention?
Do you personally believe that if there is doubt about Canadian adherence to the Geneva Convention that it should be vigorously investigated thoroughly and transparently?
Thank you.
sincerely,
Bill Davidson
Saanich BC
(Please do not reply by snail mail -- it's not a conservationist style of communication. If you wish to reply, you have my email address now.)
February 4, 2010
Dear Minister Lunn,
On January 7, 2010 I emailed you with a concern, namely, the termination of the inquiry into the treatment of Afghan detainees and the question of Canadian complicity in their torture. Unfortunately you or your staff must have read my email in haste. I received a letter from you this week and it had nothing to do with the detainee torture issue.
Your letter mainly told me how hard you are working during this period of prorogation. Thank you for your hard work. However, that wasn't my issue. The use of prorogation to derail the inquiry into the treatment of Afghan detainees — Taliban prisoners and innocents alike — is the issue.
I want my Government to investigate the detainee torture issue with transparency and persistence, via independent public inquiry. It is important that we know the truth. It is important to the Afghan people that they can count on Canadians to treat them humanely.
Will you push for a new inquiry? Will you publicly say so?
Do you personally think that even Taliban detainees deserve to be treated in accordance with the terms of the Geneva Convention?
Do you personally believe that if there is doubt about Canadian adherence to the Geneva Convention that it should be vigorously investigated thoroughly and transparently?
Thank you.
sincerely,
Bill Davidson
Saanich BC
(Please do not reply by snail mail -- it's not a conservationist style of communication. If you wish to reply, you have my email address now.)
