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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 19 Mar 1997

Vol. 476 No. 5

Written Answers - Human Rights.

Helen Keogh

Ceist:

30 Ms Keogh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps, if any, he proposes to take in relation to the Chinese authorities to protest at their continuing denial of human rights to large numbers of their own citizens and their continuing denial of human rights to the Tibetan people whose country they occupy by force. [7539/97]

I have raised the question of human rights at every appropriate opportunity with the Chinese authorities, most recently when I participated at the EU troika meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Qian Qichen, on 14 February. During this meeting, a full account of which has been given in reply to Question No. 44 of 11 March, the EU expressed its regret that China had not agreed to a new date for an EU-China meeting within the framework of the human rights dialogue initiated in 1995 and highlighted European interest in resuming such a dialogue. The EU also repeated its call that China become party to the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as that on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

We also sought the release of political prisoners in need of medical treatment and the agreement of China to facilitate prison visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Since the meeting, there have been indications that the Chinese authorities are considering, in particular, the issue of prison visits and the question of adherence to the two UN covenants which I mentioned.

One of the issues which the EU has consistently raised with the Chinese authorities is the situation which obtains in Tibet, including violations of human rights standards; the immigration into Tibet of persons of Han-Chinese origin; issues relating to religious freedom and the fate of the seven year old boy who is the Dalai Lama's choice as Panchen Lama. The Deputy will be aware that the annual session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights is currently taking place in Geneva. The commission is the major UN instrument in terms of the promotion and protection of human rights. Ireland is currently a member of the commission. In that capacity, and in tandem with our EU partners, we will be seeking to ensure that close attention is given during the session to the human rights issues that I have already mentioned.
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