Human Rights situation in Tibet and Hong Kong

Speech by Liz Lynne on Thu 15th Dec 2005

Mr President, two months ago we adopted an urgent resolution in this House regarding Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and he still has not been released from detention. Once again we are here, this time to seek to highlight the 'patriotic education' campaign conducted in Tibetan monasteries. Last month five Tibetan monks were arrested in Drepung Monastery. We hear they have also been tortured in detention. But what is their crime? Their crime is that they refused to sign declarations denouncing His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist.

Public education began as a tool of repression in 1996 in China, but it has escalated since 2005. The Chinese Government is attempting to brainwash the people. This is not public education, it is a suppression of human rights. No doubt the Chinese will again say this is an internal matter for China, but the international community cannot sit idly by when peace-loving people are subjected to this kind of treatment.

We need to know in particular what happened to the young Tibetan monk Ngawang Jangchub, who died in October during a 'patriotic education' session. The Chinese Government must listen to our calls for respect for human rights. If it does not, the least we should do - and I mean the least we should do - is maintain our EU embargo on trade in arms. Unlike one of the previous speakers, I would like to see the Dalai Lama coming here and addressing Parliament.