The Australia Tibet Council welcomes the motion passed on Monday by the Australian Senate calling on China to respect human rights as it deals with protests in Tibet.

Government Support For Green’s Motion
Greens Senator Bob Brown moved the motion which urged the Government to pressure China to insist that rights are protected and not to deny the media access to hotspots.

The Government supported his motion and the Special Minister of State, John Faulkner, called on China to do more.

“We do believe … that an open and transparent approach to human rights issues would greatly assist China strengthen its standing in the international arena,” Senator Faulkner said.

Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett also backed the motion, but his criticism of China was much stronger. “This is a totalitarian regime that practices serious repression and oppression on its own people and supports serious repression and oppression in many other countries around the world,” he said.

“Its not alone in that but it is certainly up there as one of the most serious.”

Text Of Senator Brown’s Motion:

“That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

The bloodshed in Tibet and the need for strong, decisive action by the government to insist that international laws and norms, including those safeguarding human and political rights and media access are observed by China.”

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