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David William Kilgour (February 18, 1941 – April 5, 2022) was a Canadian
human rights activist A human rights defender or human rights activist is a person who, individually or with others, acts to promote or protect human rights. They can be journalists, environmentalists, whistleblowers, trade unionists, lawyers, teachers, housing cam ...
, author, lawyer, and politician. He was also a Senior Fellow to the
Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (RWCHR) is a Montreal-based non-governmental organization dedicated to pursuing justice through the protection and promotion of human rights. The RWCHR's name and mission is inspired by Raoul Wallenbe ...
. Kilgour graduated from the
University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
law school in 1966. From crown attorney in northern Alberta to
Canadian Cabinet The Cabinet of Canada (french: Cabinet du Canada) is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada. Chaired by the prime minister, the ...
minister, Kilgour ended his 27-year tenure in the
House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Commo ...
as an Independent MP. Upon retirement, he was one of the longest serving members of parliament and one of few who had been elected under both the Progressive Conservative and Liberal banners.


Member of Parliament

Kilgour was originally elected as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1979. However, his first attempt at election, in the 1968 federal election in the riding of Vancouver Centre as a Progressive Conservative was unsuccessful. He ran again as a Tory in the 1979 election in
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...
, and was a member of parliament for about 27 years. In April 1990, he was expelled from the Tory national caucus after criticizing the Mulroney government's policies. He sat as an independent for several months before joining the Liberals. In the Liberal government, he served as the Deputy Speaker (1993–1997) and Chairman of Committees of the Whole of the House of Commons, Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa) (1997–2002), and Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) (2002–2003). In the Conservative governments of Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney he served as Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Privy Council, the Minister for CIDA, the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, and the Minister of Transport. As a Secretary of State, Kilgour was continuously vocal on many human rights violations around the world. In 2001 while visiting Zimbabwe, Kilgour was vocally critical of Mugabe's farm-invasions policy and pushed for increasing international pressure. In December 2004, he was among the Ukrainian election monitor delegation of the federal run-off elections. In April 2005, he received media attention when he speculated about quitting the Liberal Party because of his disgust with the
sponsorship scandal The sponsorship scandal, AdScam or Sponsorgate, was a scandal in Canada that came as a result of a federal government " sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec involving the Liberal Party of Canada, which was in power from 1993 to 2006. ...
, saying that the issue made Canada look like "a northern
banana republic In political science, the term banana republic describes a politically unstable country with an economy dependent upon the export of natural resources. In 1904, the American author O. Henry coined the term to describe Honduras and neighboring c ...
". On April 12, 2005, he announced that he would sit as an independent MP. He also cited Canada's lack of action on the crisis in Darfur,
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
, as reasons for quitting. He asserted that he has no plans to move back to the Conservatives, and stated that he had no plans to run for re-election. From
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...
to
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
, he represented the riding of
Edmonton—Strathcona Edmonton Strathcona (formerly known as Edmonton—Strathcona) is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1953. It spans the south central part of the city of Edmonton. ...
, but with shifting constituency lines moved to the
Edmonton Southeast Edmonton Southeast was a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 2004. Demographics Geography It was located in the city of Edmonton in the province of Alberta. History T ...
in
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
, and then again to
Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont (originally known as Edmonton—Beaumont) was a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2015. Geography Edmonton–Mill Woods–Beaumont ...
in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight ...
which he represented until he retired from politics at the 2006 election. Because of the unusual structure of the 38th House of Commons, in May 2005, David Kilgour's lone vote had the power to bring down or support the government. He used this influence to urge the Martin government to send peacekeepers to Darfur. He was an endorser of the Genocide Intervention Network. Then-Prime Minister
Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. The son ...
agreed to send humanitarian support but in the end, no peacekeepers were sent.


Electoral history


Democracy activism

While being a lifelong practicing Christian, Kilgour has worked on issues such as inter-faith dialog, personal freedoms, and democratic government throughout his career. In Parliament, he was active in prayer groups while at venues and publications across the country he has spoken specifically on religious themes and politics. Commonly, his topics have been on global religious and political persecutions. He served as a fellow of the Queen's University Centre for the Study of Democracy; a director of the Washington-based Council for a Community of Democracies (CCD), and co-chair of the Canadian Friends of a Democratic Iran, and has hosted an Iran pro-democracy rally attended by approximately 90,000 in France in 2009. His personal religious beliefs landed him in the news in 2003 when he abstained from the same-sex marriage bill and was reprimanded by then Prime Minister Chrétien.


Organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners in China

In 2006, allegations emerged that a large number of
Falun Gong Falun Gong (, ) or Falun Dafa (; literally, "Dharma Wheel Practice" or "Law Wheel Practice") is a new religious movement.Junker, Andrew. 2019. ''Becoming Activists in Global China: Social Movements in the Chinese Diaspora'', pp. 23–24, 33, 119 ...
practitioners had been killed to supply China's organ transplant industry. With David Matas he released the Kilgour-Matas report,David Kilgour, David Matas (July 6, 2006, revised January 31, 2007)
An Independent Investigation into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China
(free in 22 languages) organharvestinvestigation.net
which stated "the source of 41,500 transplants for the six-year period 2000 to 2005 is unexplained" and "we believe that there have been and continue today to be large-scale organ seizures from unwilling Falun Gong practitioners". In 2009, they published an updated version of the report as a book. They traveled to about 50 countries to raise awareness of the situation. In 2012, ''State Organs: Transplant Abuse in China'', edited by David Matas and Dr. Torsten Trey, was published with essays from six medical professionals,
Ethan Gutmann Ethan Gutmann is an American writer, researcher, author, and a senior research fellow in China Studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation whose work has investigated surveillance and organ harvesting in China. Education Gutmann earne ...
, David Matas and an essay co-written by Kilgour. Ethan Gutmann interviewed over 100 witnesses and estimated that 65,000 Falun Gong practitioners were killed for their organs from 2000 to 2008.
Jay Nordlinger Jay Nordlinger (born November 21, 1963) is an American journalist. He is a senior editor of ''National Review'', and a book fellow of the National Review Institute. He is also a music critic for ''The New Criterion'' and '' The Conservative''. I ...
(August 25, 2014
"Face The Slaughter: The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting, and China’s Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem, by Ethan Gutmann"
, National Review
Barbara Turnbull (October 21, 2014)

The Toronto Star
Ethan Gutmann (August 2014
The Slaughter: Mass Killings, Organ Harvesting and China’s Secret Solution to Its Dissident Problem
"Average number of Falun Gong in Laogai System at any given time" Low estimate 450,000, High estimate 1,000,000 p 320. "Best estimate of Falun Gong harvested 2000 to 2008" 65,000 p 322. amazon.com


Personal life and death

Kilgour was married to Laura Scott, with whom he had five children. He died on April 5, 2022, in Ottawa at the age of 81, from lung disease.


Articles


Organ Pillaging from Falun Gong in China
Subcommittee on Human Rights of European Parliament, Brussels, December 1, 2009


Books


Uneasy patriots: Western Canadians in confederation
(1988)
Inside Outer Canada
(1990)
Betrayal: The spy Canada abandoned
(1994)
Uneasy Neighbours: Canada, The USA and the Dynamics of State, Industry and Culture
(2007) with David T. Jones
Bloody Harvest: The Killing of Falun Gong for Their Organs
(2009) with David Matas


Recognition

Throughout his parliamentary career, Kilgour has been awarded a wide range of awards, including: the Kaputiman Award from the Council of Edmonton Filipino Associations; the Special Award from the
Ukrainian Canadian Ukrainian Canadians ( uk, Українські канадці, Україноканадці, translit=Ukrayins'ki kanadtsi, Ukrayinokanadtsi; french: Canadiens d'origine ukrainienne) are Canadian citizens of Ukrainian descent or Ukrainian-born p ...
Congress (Alberta Provincial Council); an Outstanding Service Award from the Edmonton
Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
community; the Religious Liberty Award from the International Religious Liberty Association in Washington, D.C.,
Liberty Magazine Liberty magazine may refer to: * ''Liberty'' (1881–1908), a political magazine published from 1881 to 1908 by Benjamin Tucker * ''Liberty'' (general interest magazine), published from 1924 to 1950 * ''Liberty'' (libertarian magazine), publis ...
and the
Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
; and as Chairman of the Parliamentary Group for Soviet Jewry, he was recognized by
B'nai Brith Canada B'nai Brith Canada ( ; BBC; from he, בני ברית, b'né brit, Children of the Covenant) is a Canadian Jewish service organization and advocacy group. It is the Canadian chapter of B'nai B'rith International. Mission The organization presen ...
for his effort and commitment to bringing the plight of the Soviet Jewry to the attention of Canadians. In May 2006, he received an honorary
Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...
(D.D.(Hon)) degree from Knox College, University of Toronto. Kilgour, a
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...
, was recognized for his commitment to human rights in Canada and abroad and particularly his challenge to the international community to respond to the plight of Darfur, as well as in Burma, and Zimbabwe. For their
organ harvesting Organ procurement (also called organ harvesting) is a surgical procedure that removes organs or tissues for reuse, typically for organ transplantation. Procedures If the organ donor is human, most countries require that the donor be legally de ...
work, Matas and Kilgour won the 2009 Human Rights Award from the German-based
International Society for Human Rights The International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) is an international non-governmental, non-profit human rights organization with Participative Status with the Council of Europe and is a member of the Liaison Committee of the Non-Governmental Or ...
and were nominated for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.


Relations

He is the brother of
Geills Turner Geills Turner (née Kilgour; born December 23, 1937) is a Canadian businesswoman and the widow of John Turner, the 17th Prime Minister of Canada. Her first name is pronounced like "Jill". Early life and work Turner, the eldest of three children ...
, who is married to former Canadian Prime Minister
John Turner John Napier Wyndham Turner (June 7, 1929September 19, 2020) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th prime minister of Canada from June to September 1984. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and leader of t ...
. Kilgour and his sister are the great nephew and niece of
John McCrae Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae (November 30, 1872 – January 28, 1918) was a Canadian poet, physician, author, artist and soldier during World War I, and a surgeon during the Second Battle of Ypres, in Belgium. He is best known for writing the ...
, the soldier and poet who wrote ''
In Flanders Fields "In Flanders Fields" is a war poem in the form of a rondeau, written during the First World War by Canadian physician Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. He was inspired to write it on May 3, 1915, after presiding over the funeral of friend and ...
'', and also the great nephew and niece of John Wentworth Russell, who painted the portrait of Sir
Wilfrid Laurier Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier, ( ; ; November 20, 1841 – February 17, 1919) was a Canadian lawyer, statesman, and politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. The first French Canadian prime mini ...
, which hangs in the House of Commons.


Documentaries

He appeared in ''Red Reign: The Bloody Harvest of China's Prisoners'' (2013), ''Davids and Goliath'' (2014),"Davids and Goliath" (part 1 of 5)
(14 minutes) youtube, November 28, 2014
and was interviewed in '' Free China: The Courage to Believe''. He is also briefly in the 2012 documentary film "Death by China."


See also

* Organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China * Persecution of Falun Gong *
Ethan Gutmann Ethan Gutmann is an American writer, researcher, author, and a senior research fellow in China Studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation whose work has investigated surveillance and organ harvesting in China. Education Gutmann earne ...
* David Matas


References


External links


Official website
david-kilgour.com *
An Independent Investigation into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China
(2007) David Kilgour, David Matas
Killed for Organs: China's Secret State Transplant Business
(2012) YouTube video, 8 minutes {{DEFAULTSORT:Kilgour, David 1941 births 2022 deaths Canadian Presbyterians Independent MPs in the Canadian House of Commons Members of the 26th Canadian Ministry Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Alberta Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Lawyers in Alberta Liberal Party of Canada MPs Progressive Conservative Party of Canada MPs Politicians from Winnipeg University of Manitoba alumni University of Toronto Faculty of Law alumni Deaths from lung disease