Trudeau says he had 'firm and frank' talk with Philippines' Duterte about human rights abuses

After pleas from Filipino activists, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the issue of human rights violations withPhilippines President Rodrigo Duterte on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit Tuesday, a conversation Trudeau described as "cordial."

Human rights activists the world over, including some lawmakers in the European Union, have urged Duterte to end his bloody crusade against alleged drug dealers and addictsthat rights groups say has left at least 7,000 dead.

Duterte has saidall such killings are legal acts of self-defence by police or have been carried out by "vigilantes" with no ties to the president and he has vowed to continue theanti-drug campaign until the end of his presidential term in 2022.Dutertemaintains toughpolice action eliminating crime by eliminating criminalsis necessary to restore order in a country that has seen a surge in drug-related violence.

Dutertestaffer takes selfie with Trudeau

"Canada has earned a reputation for being able to have strong and frank, sometimes firm, discussions around the rule of law and human rights with its partners. It's very much what people expect of Canada and it comes as no surprise when we bring it up," Trudeau told reporters at the final newsconference of his whirlwind eight-day swing through Asia.

"The president was receptive to my comments, and it was, throughout, a cordial and positive exchange."

Indeed, as reporters were led into a room where Trudeau was poised to meet with ASEAN leaders for the first time, a member of Duterte's entourage approached the Canadian leader smiled, and asked to take a selfie with him, a potential sign the conversation on this difficult issue was not so frosty as to sully the relationship altogether. The man was later identified as Delfin Lorenzana, the defence minister in Duterte's government.

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Canadian officials had previously warned reporters that a meeting between the two leaders was unlikely givenDuterte'sbusy schedule as the host for theASEANsummit, but a chance encounterahead of another previously scheduled meeting gave Trudeau the opportunityto put his concerns on the record with the colourful, and often controversial, Filipino leader.

The exchange with Duterte comes after a coalitionof Filipino and Canadian activists initiated a letter-writing campaign, urging Trudeau toraise the "appalling" state of human rights.

"This shocking number of killings is accompanied by what seems to be complete impunity for those responsible," the Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines said in a letter shared with CBC News. "We are deeply troubled that the victims of this state-sponsored violence are predominantly from poor, vulnerable and marginalized sectors of Philippine society."

Dutertesays he only answers to his people

Despite the selfies,Duterte,who has been called the Trump of the Eastfor his brash style, went on the attack when asked about Trudeau.

"I said I will not explain. It is a personal and official insult," the Philippines president answered,although he did not refer to Trudeau by name.

"'It angers me when you are a foreigner, you do not know what exactly is happening in this country. You don't even
investigate."'

It's not the first time Duterte has gone after a Western leader. Last year, he cursed former U.S. president Barack Obama for raising concerns about the war on drugs and he subsequently declared that he was breaking ties with the United States.

On Tuesday, Trudeausaid Canada is open to improving relations with ASEAN which includesSingapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar among its membersand has launched exploratory talks on afree-trade agreement, but any talk of trade must be paired with "constructive engagement" on human rights, he said.

The prime minister said it is not just killings in the Philippines that haspreoccupied Canada; he alsoreiterated his concerns about the plight of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

In his conversation with Duterte, Trudeau acknowledged Canada's record of human rights is not blemish-free. "We are the first to mention that we are not perfect either, that Indigenous Peoples in Canada have suffered, beenneglected, and faced marginalization and mistreatment for decades, indeed centuries."

After the brief bilateral meeting and that selfie with a staffer Trudeau made a pitch to ASEAN countries to allow Canada to join the East Asia Summit, akey forum for regional and global security discussions. Trudeau said Canada is a Pacific nation, and it needs to be part of the "central place" for discussing issues that arise in the region.

"Canada is deeply committed to multilateral institutionsand [forums], and the East Asia Summit is an important one in an extremely compelling region of the world," he said.

When he wasU.S. president, Barack Obama attended every East Asia Summit except one, when he faced a federal government shutdown in 2013ashe saw the EAS as the bestforum to assert American influence on Asia-Pacific affairs.

"Canada is not only willing, but ready to be a key partner," Trudeau said.

In addition to the speech before member countries, Trudeau has also appointedan ambassador to theASEANregion, Marie-LouiseHannan, following the recent appointment of envoys to Cambodia and Laos, meaning Canada has diplomatic representation in allmember countries postings from which a full-scale push for a seat can be launched.