March and having a private meeting with the Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury in December. These contacts, in the Dalai Lama's private and religious capacity, do not alter our view of the political status of Tibet. We have no dealings with the Dalai Lama's self-proclaimed government in exile, which is not recognised by any Government.
Human Rights
We are deeply concerned by reports of human rights abuses across the board in Tibet and indeed throughout China. We deplore such abuses wherever they occur and have made our concern clear to the Chinese authorities both in public and private on many occasions. Although we have not raised the case of the individual your constituent mentions, we ensure that human rights, including those of the Tibetans, are on the agenda of all meetings with Chinese Ministers. The Prime Minister for example specifically referred to human rights during his meetings with the Chinese Premier Li Peng in Peking in September, in New York in January, and in Rio de Janeiro in June. I raised human rights with Vice Foreign Minister Jiang Enzhu during his visit to London earlier this week. Chinese authorities should be in no doubt about the strength of our views.
The
The EC Presidency, on behalf of the Twelve, has repeatedly raised this subject in the UN Commission for Human Rights, calling upon the Chinese authorities to guarantee full respect for human rights throughout China, including Tibet, in keeping with their international obligations. We believe that showing our concern about Tibet in this way, with our European and other Western partners, is the course most likely to bring about real improvements in the conditions of the Tibetan people. At the meeting presided over by the Lord Chancellor, the Dalai Lama said that Britain should continue to have friendly relations with China, while speaking out about her wrongdoings when necessary. This is very much in accord with our longstanding policy.
محمد
Авто
ALASTAIR GOODLAD
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