Vol. 395 No. 3
74 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to reports of the continued oppression against students and others who took part in the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in 1989; if he has raised this matter with the Chinese authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
My attention has been drawn to such reports.
I deplore the repressive measures taken by the Chinese authorities in the wake of the Tiananmen Square events. Our strong disapproval has been conveyed to the Chinese authorities on a number of occasions. The Twelve, under Ireland's Presidency, issued a statement on 18 January in which they noted the recent lifting of martial law in Beijing and expressed the hope that this decision would lead to an improvement of the human rights situation in China. In my statement, on behalf of the Twelve at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on 2 February last, I called upon the Chinese authorities, in keeping with their international obligations, to guarantee full respect for the human rights of their citizens throughout China.
