News

The parents of homicide victim Amanda Zhao are dismayed that David Emerson cancelled a planned meeting with them yesterday, and plan to stay in Canada for much of this month in hopes of meeting with the Foreign Affairs Minister and the Justice Minister.

Ms. Zhou's parents met with Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day and Jason Kenney, the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism, for about 90 minutes, but a family spokesperson said they wanted to meet with the two ministers they see as having control of Canada's stand on their daughter's case.

“They understand there is an election next Tuesday and they hope whoever is going to be the future minister of justice and foreign affairs, [that] they will wait after the election and hope the new ministers will set up a meeting with them,” said Li Jun Jun, a cousin of Ms. Zhao.

“They did not feel their expectation was met,” she said, referring to the Canadian ministers present for the discussion in the ministers' regional office in downtown Vancouver. Mr. Emerson is currently Foreign Affairs minister.

Ms. Zhao, who was studying in Canada, was killed six years ago this week in a Burnaby basement apartment she shared with her boyfriend, Li Ang, a Chinese national who fled to China a few days after the 21-year-old's body was found in a duffel bag near a Fraser Valley lake.

He was later charged with murder, but has remained free in China while officials from China and Canada try to decide how to deal with the jurisdictional issues that have complicated action in the case and prevented his prosecution.

Canada is wary about co-operating with China because Mr. Li could face the death penalty.

Ms. Zhou's mother, Yang Baoying, and her father, Zhao Zisheng, did not attend yesterday's news conference because they are not feeling well due to cardiac issues and stress related to a memorial service held for their daughter this week in Vancouver, Ms. Li said.

Mr. Kenney said he and Mr. Day told the couple that the government would do everything possible to move the case forward, and explained that the RCMP was sending officers to China in two weeks to meet with officials there and brief them on the available evidence in the case.

“We are focused on ensuring the suspect is brought to justice. Everyone regrets the fact that this has taken so long,” the minister said in an interview.

“We are trying to deal with this with the appropriate discretion.”

The minister said he had advised the family and their supporters that it would be complicated to set up a meeting because of the federal election campaign.

A spokeswoman for Mr. Emerson said the minister was unable to get from Ottawa to Vancouver for the meeting because he had to deal with issues related to a report by the parliamentary budget officer on the costs of the war in Afghanistan.

As a result, the Foreign Affairs Minister asked Mr. Day and Mr. Kenney to meet with the family, Anne Howland said.

Mr. Kenney said it was a “difficult time” for dealing with the whole issue because it is not clear who will be in government after next week.

“The relevant ministries are all aware of the case and working together to seek a resolution as quickly as possible,” he said.

The case has drawn the attention of New Democratic MPs Libby Davies and Bill Siksay as well as MLAs Mike Farnworth and Jenny Kwan. All pledged yesterday to act as the family's champions even after they return to China.