Pm Joins International Pleas For Restraint
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday March 18, 2008
THE Federal Government has called on China to exercise restraint in Tibet and raised concerns about its crackdown on protesters with both the Chinese embassy and officials in Beijing. The Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith, yesterday affirmed Australia's commitment to Chinese sovereignty over Tibet but urged China to encourage "greater respect and tolerance".
"The Australian Government remains deeply concerned about developments in Tibet and neighbouring areas," he told Parliament. These are significant developments. Australia of course recognises China's sovereignty over Tibet - that is not in question - but China should act with restraint in these matters and should deal with protesters peacefully." Mr Smith said consular officials had contacted 14 Australians in and around Lhasa - who are all safe - but urged people to try to avoid travelling to Lhasa and to exercise a high degree of caution in Tibet. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials yesterday met the Chinese charges d'affairs in Canberra to raise concerns about the violence. In Beijing on the weekend, the deputy head of the Australian embassy, Graham Fletcher, met officials from the ministry of foreign affairs. "The Government's concerns have been and will continue to be conveyed directly," said a spokeswoman for the department. The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said yesterday that he would raise human rights issues when he met the President, Hu Jintao, and the Premier, Wen Jiabao, in Beijing next month. "These most recent developments in Tibet are disturbing," he said. "I would call upon the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint."But the Greens senator Bob Brown said Mr Rudd lacked backbone and should send a delegation to investigate human rights abuses in Tibet. "[Mr Rudd] has called for restraint, whatever that means," Senator Brown said. "But we have seen nothing here from our own Prime Minister demanding that the Chinese Government allow access for the free media, that it guarantee the rights of the Tibetans." The Senate endorsed a motion by Senator Brown calling for China to uphold human rights in Tibet. Australia's plea for restraint echoed similar calls from the US and Europe. France said it was monitoring the situation in Tibet "with close attention with our European partners", and Germany has expressed serious worries to the Chinese Government. In Asia, official comments, if any, have tended to be circumspect. There have been daily pro-Tibet protests around the world since last Monday, the 49th anniversary of an uprising against Chinese rule.
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald