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B.C. gov't ordered expanded police in Wet'suwet'en area: letter

Gov't ordered police presence

Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs say Premier John Horgan wasn't truthful when he said the province had no control over the RCMP before Mounties enforced an injunction against pipeline opponents in northern British Columbia last month.

The chiefs have jointly released a letter with the B.C. Civil Liberties Association and the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs that they say was sent by Solicitor General Mike Farnworth to RCMP Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Strachan on Jan. 27.

The RCMP and spokespeople for Horgan and Farnworth could not immediately be reached for comment.

In the letter, Farnworth declared a "provincial emergency" under the Provincial Police Service Agreement and authorized the internal redeployment of resources within the provincial police service.

Ten days later, the RCMP began enforcing an injunction granted by the B.C. Supreme Court to Coastal GasLink, which is building a natural gas pipeline across northern B.C., on Feb. 6 and ultimately arrested 28 people on Wet'suwet'en traditional territory.

In a statement, the chiefs point to comments by Horgan to the media before and after the letter was sent claiming government does not direct the RCMP.

Na'moks, a spokesman for the chiefs, said in the statement the province bears responsibility for the heavy deployment of police resources and for the policing that occurred on the territory.

"We have come to the table with respect and truth but the province is not demonstrating respectful or truthful conduct," Na'moks said in the statement.

The chiefs reached a tentative deal with federal and provincial ministers on Sunday over the First Nation's claims of Aboriginal rights and title.

Clan meetings are underway for Wet'suwet'en members to discusses the details of the deal, which have not been made public. Na'moks said the deal does not concern the pipeline.



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