PEIAbout 250 people packed into the P.E.I Convention Centre in Charlottetown Sunday to hear questions about Buddhist monks and nuns living on P.E.I. — with many there calling for a public inquiry into the groups.‘I personally have not seen anything to prove that these claims are true’: Buddhist monk Eli KingstonWayne Thibodeau · CBC News · Posted: Jun 16, 2025 8:12 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours agoGarry Clement, a former national director of the RCMP’s proceeds of crime program, speaks to a group in Charlottetown on Sunday about possible Chinese influence on the groups that oversee the Buddhist monks and nuns in P.E.I. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)About 250 people packed into the P.E.I Convention Centre in Charlottetown Sunday to hear questions about Buddhist monks and nuns living in the eastern part of the province — with many there calling for a public inquiry into the groups’ possible connections to the Chinese government.About 700 monks of the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS) and about 600 nuns from the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute (GWBI) call the Island home. Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former CSIS intelligence officer, is one of the authors of the book Canada Under Siege: How P.E.I. became a forward operating base for the Chinese Communist Party. The book is co-authored by Garry Clement, who is a former national director of the RCMP’s proceeds of crime program.Juneau-Katsuya says it’s time, based on their investigation, for the federal or provincial government to call a public inquiry. He also wants to see the RCMP launch an investigation. “If you have honest MLAs, they cannot deny that there is something that has been going on for decades,” Juneau-Katsuya said in an interview with CBC News. ‘Identify what needs to be fixed'”The public inquiry will exactly identify what needs to be fixed,” said Juneau-Katsuya. “There’s a myriad of things that can be done by establishing policy, rules, regulations, how the cabinet functions, how people are vetting during the procurement process, how people coming from abroad to establish themselves here will be sort of vetted.”Four Buddhist monks sat at the back of the room, closely watching the documentary Game of Shadows — which follows Juneau-Katsuya and Clement from Ottawa to Washington and from P.E.I. to Taipei.Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former CSIS intelligence officer, is one the authors of the book Canada Under Siege: How P.E.I. became a forward operating base for the Chinese Communist Party. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)By times, the monks leaned forward, eyes glued to the two big screens in the front of the room, watching intently. Eli Kingston, one of the monks in attendance, said he didn’t hear anything in the documentary that he hasn’t heard before — and added that anyone who suspects illegal activity should reach out to the RCMP. ‘Nothing to raise any suspicion'”I’ve been in the monastery for over a decade now, 12 years. I’m in charge for quite a lot of matters with the monastery, and in every meeting, every board meeting, anything like that I’ve been involved with, I have nothing to raise any suspicion,” said Kingston, who was born and raised in P.E.I.”No one’s ever come to me and asked me to do things that are outside of my comfort zone … I personally have not seen anything to prove that these claims are true.” Four Buddhist monks sat at the back of the room, closely watching the documentary Game of Shadows, which follows Juneau-Katsuya and Clement from Ottawa to Washington and from P.E.I. to Taipei. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)Joe Donahoe, who lives in Uigg near the Buddhist nuns, was at the book and documentary launch Sunday.Donahoe also wants a public inquiry and is urging the P.E.I. government to put a halt to all land sales to the Buddhists until that investigation is complete. ‘It has to have some teeth'”A lot of the properties, the prices are driven sky-high and I can never see any of my children returning to the Island to own property in the Town of Three Rivers for sure, because they can’t afford it,” Donahoe said. Canada Under Siege: How P.E.I. became a forward operating base for the Chinese Communist Party was co-authored Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former CSIS intelligence officer, and Garry Clement, a former national director of the RCMP’s proceeds of crime program. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)Russell Compton of Belfast, who is featured in the documentary, echoed the call for a public inquiry.”If we have an inquiry, it has to have some teeth, it really does,” said Compton, the husband of Darlene Compton, who’s the Progressive Conservative MLA for Belfast-Murray River.Former Malpeque Liberal MP Wayne Easter, who joined the event Sunday by video, also wants to see an inquiry. CBC News reached out the P.E.I. government to see if it is prepared to launch a public inquiry but has not yet received a formal response.ABOUT THE AUTHORWayne Thibodeau is a reporter with CBC Prince Edward Island. He has worked in digital, radio, TV and newspapers for more than two decades. In addition to his role as a multi-platform journalist for CBC News, Wayne can be heard reading the news on The World This Hour, hosting Island Morning and Mainstreet and reporting for CBC News: Compass. You can reach Wayne at Wayne.Thibodeau@cbc.ca Follow @JWayneCBC on X
Former CSIS, RCMP investigators call for inquiry into Buddhist monks, nuns’ Chinese connections
