'It just makes no sense:' Son of Canadians detained in China
Christina Commisso, CTVNews.ca
Published Tuesday, August 5, 2014 7:59AM EDT
Last Updated Tuesday, August 5, 2014 12:45PM EDT The son of Canadian coffee shop owners detained in China on suspicion of stealing state secrets says he can't understand why his parents have been arrested after spending three decades in the country.
"My only assumption is that there was some sort of misinformation along the way," Simeon Garratt told CTV News Channel from Vancouver on Tuesday. "It's just an absurdly crazy story. It just makes no sense to me at all."
China's Xinhua News Agency said in a report on Monday that Kevin Garratt and Julia Dawn Garratt were being investigated by China’s state security bureau for suspected theft of military and intelligence information.
The couple has lived in China since 1984. They've run a popular coffee shop since 2008 in China's northeastern city of Dandong, which borders North Korea.
The couple is open about their Christian beliefs, but Garratt doesn't believe that somehow related to their arrest.
"It's never been a secret that they've been Christian," he said. "There's nothing that has happened in the last week or so that would have changed the situation."
Kevin Garratt was a guest speaker at Terra Nova Church in Surrey, B.C. in 2013, where he said he was focused on North Korea.
He said he felt called by God to go to the China-North Korea border in a guest sermon posted on the church's website.
"We're trying to reach North Korea with God, with Jesus and practical assistance," Garratt said during the sermon.
The couple is also affiliated with the B.C.-based charity North Star Air, which provides humanitarian aid to the people of North Korea.
Garratt's brother Peter was brought in on Tuesday for questioning at the state security bureau in Dandong where the couple is being held.
"From what I've heard from other people, they're doing OK," Garratt said. "They're just a little bit shaken up."
Canadian officials said in a statement on Tuesday that they're monitoring the case and they are ready to provide assistance.
The accusations against the Canadians come about a week after Ottawa accused China of being behind a sophisticated cyberattack against Canada's National Research Council, which forced a shutdown of the department's computers.
China's foreign ministry called the accusations "baseless" and said it was "irresponsible" of Canada to make such claims with "no credible evidence."
In December, a Canadian naval engineer was accused of trying to supply China with information about Canada's shipbuilding strategy, including plans to build warships and icebreakers.
Read more: Canadians detained in China on suspicion of stealing state secrets are 'shaken up': son | CTV News
I don't understand what's so perplexing about it, seems like the reason for it is this:
Christina Commisso, CTVNews.ca
Published Tuesday, August 5, 2014 7:59AM EDT
Last Updated Tuesday, August 5, 2014 12:45PM EDT The son of Canadian coffee shop owners detained in China on suspicion of stealing state secrets says he can't understand why his parents have been arrested after spending three decades in the country.
"My only assumption is that there was some sort of misinformation along the way," Simeon Garratt told CTV News Channel from Vancouver on Tuesday. "It's just an absurdly crazy story. It just makes no sense to me at all."
China's Xinhua News Agency said in a report on Monday that Kevin Garratt and Julia Dawn Garratt were being investigated by China’s state security bureau for suspected theft of military and intelligence information.
The couple has lived in China since 1984. They've run a popular coffee shop since 2008 in China's northeastern city of Dandong, which borders North Korea.
The couple is open about their Christian beliefs, but Garratt doesn't believe that somehow related to their arrest.
"It's never been a secret that they've been Christian," he said. "There's nothing that has happened in the last week or so that would have changed the situation."
Kevin Garratt was a guest speaker at Terra Nova Church in Surrey, B.C. in 2013, where he said he was focused on North Korea.
He said he felt called by God to go to the China-North Korea border in a guest sermon posted on the church's website.
"We're trying to reach North Korea with God, with Jesus and practical assistance," Garratt said during the sermon.
The couple is also affiliated with the B.C.-based charity North Star Air, which provides humanitarian aid to the people of North Korea.
Garratt's brother Peter was brought in on Tuesday for questioning at the state security bureau in Dandong where the couple is being held.
"From what I've heard from other people, they're doing OK," Garratt said. "They're just a little bit shaken up."
Canadian officials said in a statement on Tuesday that they're monitoring the case and they are ready to provide assistance.
The accusations against the Canadians come about a week after Ottawa accused China of being behind a sophisticated cyberattack against Canada's National Research Council, which forced a shutdown of the department's computers.
China's foreign ministry called the accusations "baseless" and said it was "irresponsible" of Canada to make such claims with "no credible evidence."
In December, a Canadian naval engineer was accused of trying to supply China with information about Canada's shipbuilding strategy, including plans to build warships and icebreakers.
Read more: Canadians detained in China on suspicion of stealing state secrets are 'shaken up': son | CTV News
I don't understand what's so perplexing about it, seems like the reason for it is this:
Whether it has any basis in fact or not probably won't matter. The message being conveyed is 'see, you're doing it too'. I'm sure their religious affiliation has something to do with why they themselves were targeted and I wouldn't be at all surprised if there were many individuals on a list ready to be accused should the need arise. I don't trust the Chinese government.
