Bill C-463
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1st Session, 36th Parliament, 46-47 Elizabeth II, 1997-98
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The House of Commons of Canada
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BILL C-463 |
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An Act to provide for compensation to those
Canadian veterans who were taken
prisoner by the Japanese in 1941 in Hong
Kong and forced to work in labour camps
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| Preamble
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WHEREAS over two thousand members of
the Canadian Forces were taken prisoner by
the Japanese forces who captured Hong Kong
on December 1941 and were subsequently
forced to work for forty four months in
Japanese labour camps; and
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WHEREAS the veterans were abused and
subjected to cruel and inhuman treatment and
many of them died as a result; and
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WHEREAS the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights has recognized
that this treatment was a gross violation of the
Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment
of Prisoner of War; and
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WHEREAS the veterans are entitled to
special compensation for the uncompensated
labour they were forced to carry out for the
benefit of Japan;
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NOW THEREFORE, HER MAJESTY, by
and with the advice and consent of the Senate
and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as
follows:
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| Short title
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1. This Act may be cited as the Hong Kong
Veteran Prisoner Compensation Act.
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| Definitions
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2. The definitions in the section apply in this
Act.
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| ``Hong Kong
veteran
prisoner'' « ancien combattant fait prisonnier à Hong Kong »
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``Hong Kong veteran prisoner'' means a
Canadian who was serving with the
Canadian Forces in Hong Kong during
World War II and was taken prisoner by the
Japanese forces when they captured Hong
Kong on December 25, 1941 and was
subsequently forced to work in a Japanese
labour camp without compensation;
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| ``Minister'' « ministre »
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``Minister'' means the Minister of Veterans
Affairs.
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| Compensa- tion
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3. (1) The Minister shall investigate the
claim to compensation made by Hong Kong
veteran prisoners and their surviving widows
and recommend to the Governor in Council,
no later than April 1, 1999 a program whereby
compensation shall be paid to every surviving
Hong Kong veteran prisoner and every
surviving widow of a Hong Kong veteran
prisoner.
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| Committee
recommenda- tion taken into account
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(2) The Minister shall take into account the
recommendation of the Standing Committee
of the House of Commons on Foreign Affairs
and International Trade that the compensation
be in the amount of twenty three thousand,
nine hundred and forty dollars to every
surviving Hong Kong veteran prisoner and
every surviving widow of a Hong Kong
veteran prisoner.
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| Report to
House
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4. No later than the first day on which the
House of Commons sits after June 1, 1999, the
Prime Minister shall announce to the House
the course of action the Governor in Council
will take with respect to the compensation, the
legislation that will be presented to Parliament
to make the payment and whether the
Government of Canada will pursue a claim
against the Government of Japan for the cost
of the compensation.
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