A London-based human rights organization has written to RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme urging Canada’s national force to launch a criminal investigation into Liberal MP Paul Chiang, following his alleged remarks suggesting that Conservative candidate Joe Tay be delivered to the Chinese Consulate in Toronto to collect a bounty placed on his head by Beijing’s national security police.

In a letter sent Monday, Hong Kong Watch said Chiang’s comments could violate Canada’s Criminal Code and the recently enacted Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act. The letter warns that the incident marks a serious international escalation in transnational repression and could constitute a breach of democratic integrity during an election campaign.

“We believe that Mr. Chiang’s comments may cross into criminality, and must be investigated by Canadian law enforcement authorities,” the letter states. “Mr. Chiang’s conduct would appear to fit within the parameters of counselling to commit the indictable offence of kidnapping, per Section 464 of the Criminal Code.”

The remarks in question stem from a January meeting between Chiang and Chinese-language journalists. Chiang reportedly said Tay’s election while under an arrest warrant in Hong Kong would cause “great controversy” and then added, “You can claim the one million dollar bounty if you bring [Joe Tay] to Toronto’s Chinese Consulate.” Tay, a Canadian citizen, is currently wanted under a warrant issued by Hong Kong police under the territory’s National Security Law. The law has been widely condemned by Western governments for its use in targeting dissidents abroad.

The RCMP letter, authored by Hong Kong Watch interim director Ed Simpson, urges authorities to investigate whether Chiang’s remarks amount to counselling to commit an indictable offence.

“It is without question that Mr. Chiang’s comments are an attempt to intimidate Mr. Tay and his supporters and to silence him during an election,” the international NGO director wrote. “It is without question that there are implicit threats of violence and an illegitimate reward in the form of a bounty. And it is certainly without question that the intimidation and threats are for the benefit of a foreign entity, namely the authoritarian Communist Party government in Beijing.”

It also cites Section 20 of the Foreign Interference Act, which prohibits inducing or attempting to induce actions on behalf of foreign entities through intimidation, threats, or violence.

Amid the controversy, new information has surfaced that highlights the wider risk facing diaspora communities in Canada. Laura Harth, campaign director for SafeGuardDefenders—the international NGO that exposed the existence of Beijing’s covert “overseas police stations”—confirmed to The Bureau that Chinese authorities have claimed dozens of “persuasions to return” involving Canadian residents over the past decade.

“Exclusively per Chinese Party-State media sources, at least 27 individuals were persuaded to return from Canada between 2014 and 2023,” Harth said. Her organization has tracked numerous instances in which citizens worldwide of Chinese origin were pressured to return to China through tactics ranging from threats to family members to covert surveillance and harassment.

This morning Tay revealed he has already engaged the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for personal protection, citing growing safety concerns — even before Chiang’s remarks became public.

“This situation has left me fearing for my safety,” he said.

In response, Dennis Molinaro, a former Canadian national security analyst, said such concerns were entirely justified.

“Tay would certainly have rational concerns. China has been targeting the diaspora in Canada for decades. It isn’t new,” Molinaro said. “They engage in rendition, such as through FOXHUNT and SKYNET. It’s serious and well known — and certainly [MP Paul] Chiang knows about it, being a former police officer.”

The growing scandal has sparked alarm among rights groups from Canada’s democratic allies. On Monday, more than 40 Hong Kong diaspora organizations across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany issued a joint statement condemning Chiang’s remarks and calling for immediate action from Prime Minister Mark Carney.

This morning in Toronto, Carney told national campaign reporters that Chiang still has his “confidence” despite what he called a “terrible lapse in judgment,” adding that the incident should serve as a “teachable moment.”

The statement from 40 Hong Kong diaspora groups described Chiang’s remarks as an endorsement of Beijing’s transnational repression tactics and a betrayal of the democratic values that Canada is meant to uphold. It also warned of a broader pattern of threats facing Hong Kong activists abroad.

“Such statements undermine the values of democracy and free speech that Canada stands for,” the groups said. “Furthermore, it is deeply concerning that neighbors of certain Hong Kong activists residing in the UK and Australia have received letters offering rewards in exchange for turning these activists over to the local Chinese embassy.”

“It is imperative that Canada remains a bastion of support for those fighting against authoritarianism,” the statement concluded, “rather than complicit in its enforcement.”

The groups called on Carney to respond without delay and to affirm Canada’s commitment to human rights and democratic accountability. “A response to this matter is urgently needed,” the statement said.

The Bureau has reached out to the RCMP and the Liberal Party of Canada for comment on this breaking story. The RCMP acknowledged receipt of the inquiry but has not yet issued a formal response. A spokesperson for the Liberal Party provided a statement from Chiang in which he apologized for his remarks, calling them a “terrible lapse in judgment” and affirming that “it will never happen again.”

As the international spotlight on Canada’s snap election sharpens, Hong Kong Watch warned that the implications of inaction are growing more serious by the day.

“As Canadians prepare to vote on April 28, you must provide reassurance that the RCMP is capable of countering foreign interference,” director Ed Simpson wrote. “It is totally unacceptable that foreign governments, amplified by some in Canada, make threats against political candidates. After years of revelations of Beijing’s interference in our democracy, it is long past time for Canada to take action.”