OTTAWA – Members of Parliament urged Prime Minister Jean Chretien to press Chinese authorities to improve their human rights record on Tibet and the Falun Gong when he makes a four-day official visit to China.
MPs from all five parliamentary parties, including Chretien’s governing Liberal Party, pressed him to “actively promote negotiations between Chinese authorities and representatives of the Dalai Lama” over the future of Tibet.
The MPs told reporters that more than 100 of the 301 members of the House of Commons had signed a letter calling on Chretien to take action, particularly because Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is scheduled to visit Canada April.
Chretien is scheduled to retire as prime minister in February. This will likely be his final official visit to China.
At another press conference, right-of-center MP Scott Reid, of the opposition Canadian Alliance, called on Chretien to urge Chinese authorities to release immediately Lizhi He, who is due to complete a three-and-a-half year prison sentence in less than six months.
He’s wife, Li Zhang, a permanent resident of Canada, said her husband was “illegally imprisoned” for expressing support for Falun Gong members. She has said he was arrested just a week after he had received a visa to emigrate to Canada.
PRESS RELEASE FROM CANADA TIBET COMMITTEE
More than 100 MPs Urge Prime Minister Chrétien to Promote TIBET Negotiations while in China
– New website to document negotiations process and opportunity for Canada to take action on Tibet
– Dalai Lama to visit Ottawa from April 21-24, 2004; public event planned with Alanis Morissette
Ottawa, October 20 – Before his final visit to China as Prime Minister of Canada, more than one hundred (100) Members of Parliament have written to Mr. Chrétien urging him to actively convene face-to-face negotiations between representatives of the Dalai Lama and China. The letter will be released today during a press conference with Members of Parliament at the Parliamentary Press Gallery at 10:00 am.
The letter requests the Prime Minister to play the role of honest broker in an effort to move forward the fledgling Sino-Tibet dialogue towards full-scale negotiations aimed at resolving the Tibet issue. The past year has seen new hope for negotiations, as special envoys of the Dalai Lama have twice visited China and Tibet for talks with officials there.
“Tibet provides an opportunity to highlight Canada’s international reputation as a peacemaker and defender of human rights,” emphasizes the letter signed by MPs to the Prime Minister. “We must use our friendship with the Chinese and Tibetan peoples to convene the negotiating process between them”.
“It is about time we start supporting non-violent groups like the Tibetans who have fought for their survival through peaceful means for the past fifty (50) years” said Thubten Samdup, National President of the Canada Tibet Committee. “If the international community is serious about eradicating terrorism, then it needs to show that peaceful struggles will be actively supported”.
Today the Canada Tibet Committee launched a new website for its “Tibet-China Negotiation Campaign” (www.tibet.ca/tibetchinanegotiation) which documents developments in efforts to bring Chinese authorities and representatives of the Dalai Lama to the negotiation table and the opportunity for Canada to take action on the Tibet issue.
The Dalai Lama himself will make his fourth visit to Canada next spring, which includes Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto, as part of his effort to build international support for the campaign. His visit to Ottawa from April 21-24, 2004 will include a public event with local singer Alanis Morissette and meetings with Members of Parliament, non-governmental organizations and academics.
Several prominent Canadians are lending their names in support of Dalai Lama’s visit objective. The “advisory committee” for the Dalai Lama’s visit to Ottawa includes Canadian singer Alanis Morissette, former leader of the NDP, Ed Broadbent and Canadian Labour Congress President, Ken Georgetti. The full list of advisory committee members will be released at the press conference as well as at www.tibet.ca/dalailamavisit2004
Contact: Tenzin Dargyal, Office: 514-487-0665, Cell: 514-235-0205
