Gormley defends Tibet comments 13/04/2008 - 19:05:05
Green Party leader John Gormley today defended comments he made condemning human rights abuses in Tibet.
Environment Minister John Gormley made the remarks in his leader’s address at his party conference last night which led to the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland walking out.
Liu Biwei, who was attending the conference as a guest, stood up in protest while Mr Gormley delivered his speech to delegates on live television.
Mr Gormley had told the convention in Dundalk that the Green Party was not just a European party, but an all-island body, and that respect for human rights must extend to all cultures and countries.
He said: “One country which has been exploited and suppressed and suffered for far too long is Tibet.
“We have always enjoyed good relations with the Chinese people, but we must condemn this abuse of human rights and call on the Chinese government to enter dialogue with the Dalai Lama.”
As delegates applauded, the ambassador and two embassy aides left the room.
The Green Party said both Mr Biwei and Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern were aware of the contents of his speech.
Mr Biwei later said he hoped economic relations between the countries could continue.
Today, Mr Gormley rejected that he was simply taking a populist line and insisted that the situation in Tibet needed to be addressed.
“We need now to have between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama or representatives of the Dalai Lama to get this process going,” he told RTE radio.
“Because we need a peace process there, because I believe that the situation in Tibet is intolerable.”
Mr Ahern later said Mr Gormley’s remarks were in line with Government policy on Tibet and that call for dialogue had been outlined to the Ambassador on many occasions.
He added that talk of a diplomatic row with China over Tibet was overblown and said the problem may have been Mr Gormley’s reference to Tibet as a “country”.
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Green Party leader John Gormley today defended comments he made condemning human rights abuses in Tibet.
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