Wyndham Council flags possible China ban to show solidarity with Hong Kong

A ban on Chinese goods and services will be debated by councillors at a meeting in Melbourne’s west on Tuesday night in response to alleged human rights abuses committed by the secretive communist nation.

Wyndham Councillors will nut out a proposed ban on Chinese made and supplied goods and services at tonight’s council meeting.

Wyndham Councillors will vote at Tuesday night’s meeting on whether to adopt a blanket ban on the procurement of goods from Chinese backed companies.

The notice of motion, to be moved by Cr Tony Hooper, is being made in protest to the secretive communist nation’s treatment of Uighur Muslims, a marginalised ethnic minority group, and alleged human rights abuses of Hong Kong residents.

The motion cites news footage of shackled Uighur prisoners apparently being herded onto trains in China’s Xinjiang region en route to “re-education” camps as a cause for alarm.

It also slams Hong Kong’s controversial new national security laws imposed by China in June that sparked widespread protests.

“The law’s provisions criminalise a range of activities and give law enforcement agencies power to carry out sweeping surveillance and censorship measures … effectively put(ting) an end to the one country, two systems model,” the agenda states.

Cr Hooper notes in his motion that international policy is a matter for the Federal Government.

But given Wyndham’s big Chinese community as well as the large number of people of Muslim faith that live in the area, his motion states it is “within (the council’s) remit” to take a stance on the issue.

“We are proud of our multicultural nature, and equally proud, to reflect that nature in who we choose to engage in business with,” the motion reads.

If passed, the motion will ban the purchase of goods or services by the council from Chinese owned or part owned companies.

Mayor Josh Gilligan will also write to the Federal Government as well as to other councils across the country to notify them of its action and to encourage them to do the same.

View Wyndham Council’s meeting online via the council’s website.

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