Concerns of backlash to memorial
Diplomats warn of `strong reaction' from Vietnam, a key trade partner
The Victims of Communism memorial to be unveiled in Ottawa sometime this year has a high degree of focus on Vietnam, potentially setting the stage for a strong negative reaction from that nation, Canadian diplomats have warned.
Vietnam is Canada's largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and as one of the world's fastest growing economies it will play a key role in Canada's Indo-pacific Strategy, according to Global Affairs Canada.
But Vietnam is also a key focus of the Victims of Communism memorial when it comes to the list of events to be displayed, a situation that could prove to be controversial.
“While there could be good reasons as to why Vietnam would appear more frequently on this list, omitting to highlight other countries or events where there were many victims due to communism would risk an even stronger reaction from Vietnam,” Canadian diplomats warned in a 2021 analysis. The records, released under the Access to Information law, were obtained by this newspaper.
The monument is supposed to be a memorial to those who suffered under communism and includes a wall of remembrance to list names of individuals, groups and key events. But the memorial could also cause political and diplomatic headaches for Canada, federal officials have warned.
“Highlighting events and names from countries where there were an important number of victims of communism will likely attract a negative reaction from counties cited,” the diplomats noted. “This will need to be a political decision.”
The memorial is already facing scrutiny after concerns were raised that alleged Nazi collaborators who participated in the Holocaust would be honoured on the memorial. Canadian government officials have warned in internal documents obtained by this newspaper that honouring such individuals has the potential to damage Canada's reputation and cause tensions with foreign governments.
Jewish groups have already warned the memorial is being used to whitewash the history of Nazi collaborators from eastern Europe who took an active part in the Holocaust.
Canadian government officials have identified some individuals who served with the Waffen SS among the names submitted for the memorial, according to the federal documents.
Other alleged Nazi collaborators associated with the memorial have also been identified by the Department of Canadian Heritage, but the exact number is censored from the records.
The Canadian government quietly postponed the planned November 2023 unveiling of the $7.5-million Memorial to the Victims of Communism, now essentially completed at a fenced-off site along Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa.
A statement posted on a government website for the project on Oct. 18 said that, “although the Memorial to the Victims of Communism — Canada, a Land of Refuge was scheduled to be inaugurated by the end of 2023, the Government of Canada is doing its due diligence to ensure all aspects of the memorial remain compatible with Canadian values on democracy and human rights.”
Canadian Heritage noted in a statement it is “reviewing all aspects of the project” before the unveiling. That includes the names of individuals, groups or events provided by Tribute to Liberty, the proponent of the project, according to the federal department.
No further information is being released at this time. The main spokesperson for Tribute to Liberty has not responded to a request for comment.
The federal records also noted other potential problems on which victims to highlight on the memorial. One historian who was consulting for Canadian Heritage raised the question of whether Canada wishes to honour Canadian sailors who were helping the Soviet Union, a Communist nation, during the Second World War. The Soviet Union was Canada's ally during that conflict.
In addition, questions were raised about whether to honour those killed in Yugoslavia by Communist partisans fighting the Nazis. Canadian commandos operated in Yugoslavia helping and advising those Communist partisans.
The Victims to Communism memorial has already been the focus of multiple controversies over its exact purpose, location, size and cost over the last 15 years. The price tag for the project has ballooned to an estimated $7.5 million — including $6 million in public funds — from an original budget of $1.5 million that was supposed to be funded entirely through private donations from Tribute to Liberty.