International Reaction To 2008 Tibetan Unrest - Countries and Regions

Countries and Regions

Between March 28 and 29, 2008, the Chinese government organised a visit to Lhasa for 15 diplomats from Brazil, Japan, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Singapore, Tanzania, Australia and the United States. Several diplomats said they were satisfied by the level of candour shown by the Tibet Autonomous Region government. Diplomats from Singapore and Tanzania expressed support for the actions of the Chinese government.

• Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has urged the Chinese government to show "restraint," saying, "These are significant developments and therefore have been the subject already of communication diplomatically between our two governments, and I imagine that those communications will continue." He said Australia recognised Chinese sovereignty over Tibet but called for dialogue between the two sides when he was giving speech in Peking University on April 9, 2008.
• Brazil - The Brazilian Government deplores the events in the Autonomous Region of Tibet which have led to the loss of human lives. In recalling its traditional support to the territorial integrity of the People’s Republic of China, the Brazilian Government expresses its steadfast expectation that self-containment be exercised, so as to make possible an enduring solution which promotes peace and understanding in the Autonomous Region of Tibet, with full respect to cultural and religious differences.

• Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper made a public statement on March 20, 2008, saying, "Canada shares the concerns about what is happening in Tibet. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama told me when I met him and as he has been saying recently, his message is one of non-violence and reconciliation and I join him in that call. Canada calls upon China to fully respect human rights and peaceful protest." Canada also calls on China to show "restraint in dealing with this difficult situation."

• Colombia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia issued a statement saying that Colombia expresses its concern over recent violent events that have taken place in the People's Republic of China in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The Colombian Government is confident that necessary measures are taken to prevent the escalation of violence and to ensure the return to normalcy in this region. Colombia hopes for the successful realization of the Summer Olympic Games in the People's Republic of China in the current year, as they are independent of the events of Tibet.

• Cyprus - Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou underlined that Cyprus supports the principle of “a single China” with its territorial integrity safeguarded. Referring to the recent developments in Tibet, he expressed the hope that the situation does not deteriorate, that there is no more loss of lives and that peace and stability will prevail in the region.

• Czech Republic's government demanded that the repressions cease immediately and all the preventively detained persons be released. Czech government also called on the Chinese government to enable independent journalists to enter the area and have access to unbiased information. Czech President Václav Klaus also expressed concern about the current disturbances in Tibet and said that violence is no solution either in Tibet or elsewhere in the world."We have been following with deep concern the reports on the current developments in Tibet that have taken a considerable toll in injuries and lost lives. We condemn violence against peaceful and unarmed protesters who seek to freely express their opinion. The use of force only leads to further worsening of the situation; that is why we call for maximum restraint.", said Karel Schwarzenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
• The interim government of Fiji, led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama, sent an official letter to the Chinese government expressing support for China's actions to halt dissent in Tibet. Parmesh Chand, the Permanent Secretary of Fiji's Prime Minister's office, also commented that "...Fiji also believes that this is an internal matter for the Chinese government to deal with."

• On March 19, the French State Secretary in charge of foreign affairs and human rights, Rama Yade, requested China "to stretch out hand to the Dalai Lama" and to respect the Tibetans, while underlining that if this is not the case the international community "will draw the consequences from this". On March 24, the French president Nicolas Sarkozy requested that the Chinese President Hu Jintao show restraint and called for "the end of violence through dialogue in Tibet." On March 25, he said : "I have an envoy who spoke with the authorities closest to the Dalai Lama and accordingly, I want the dialogue to begin, and I will adjust my response following the response given by the Chinese authorities." He also said that if he was not satisfied, he would not go to the Beijing Olympics. Sarkozy then turned up for the Beijing Olympics opening celebration, which showed that he was satisfied with Beijing's actions concerning Tibet.
• Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement on March 15 that "she was watching the violence in Tibet with concern." The German Foreign Ministry released the statement: "Everything must be done to prevent a further escalation of the situation and to enable a peaceful end to the conflict. Minister (Frank-Walter) Steinmeier calls on his Chinese counterparts to offer as much transparency as possible over the events in Tibet." Germany is one of the countries where a high number of media misreported violence by police in Nepal as violence in Tibet.

• Hungary - State Secretary László Várkonyi said that Hungary goes along with the Declaration issued on March 17 by the European Union’s Slovene Presidency expressing the EU’s deep concern over the disturbances in Tibet, warning the involved parties to exercise self-restraint, calling the Chinese authorities to respond to the demonstrations in accordance with internationally recognised democratic principles and urging the Chinese government to properly address the concerns of Tibetans with regard to issues of human rights.

• India's Ministry of External Affairs released the following statement: "We are distressed by reports of the unsettled situation and violence in Lhasa, and by the deaths of innocent people. We would hope that all those involved will work to improve the situation and remove the causes of such trouble in Tibet, which is an autonomous region of China, through dialogue and non-violent means." The statement was criticised by some opposition parties, who described them as an "inadequate response". Conservative Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)member and Senior Vice President of the Indian Olympic Association MP Vijay Kumar Malhotra said in the parliament "Over 100 innocent protesters have been massacred in Lhasa in the past one week by the Chinese security forces which are involved in ethnic cleansing... this house should condemn the incidents."
  • The 14th Dalai Lama in India called on the Chinese government to stop using force, and later urged the Tibetans to refrain from violence. He accused China of cloaking soldiers as monks to incite riots, and gave a picture as proof. Later, Xinhua found that that picture, also used in 2003 by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, was taken in 2001 when some Chinese soldiers were acting during the shoot of a movie. He restated said that he is pursuing greater autonomy for Tibet, as opposed to full independence, and that he has "no desire to sabotage" the 2008 Summer Olympics.

• Ireland: On Sunday April 13, 2008, the Irish Environment Minister John Gormley condemned Chinese suppression and exploitation of Tibetans and called on the Chinese government to enter into immediate negotiations with the Dalai Lama. The Chinese ambassador walked out of the Green Party conference in Dundalk, Co Louth, when Gormley referred to Tibet as a "country".
• Italy's Foreign Ministry Massimo D'Alema said, "The Dalai Lama doesn't want independence, he's not trying to break up one China, but he does want recognition for the Tibetan people's rights, their history and their religious expression."
• Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura has stated that the unrest is "basically a domestic issue for China but we hope that both sides will exercise self-restraint so that the disturbance will not spread." Secretary Machimura has also stated: "I would like to know clearly what the situation is and the facts behind what has happened. I hope all parties involved will deal with this calmly and ensure that the number of those killed and injured does not worsen any further." Kazuo Kodama, press secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement that Japan is concerned about the situation in Tibet and was "closely watching the current situation in the city of Lhasa."
• Myanmar's government issued a statement saying it opposed move to link the Beijing Olympics with the unrest saying Tibet was an "internal affair" of China.
• Netherlands Member of Parliament Hans van Baalen (VVD) stated in the Dutch news' television show Netwerk that China should refrain from any violence other than absolutely necessary to maintain order in the region, and that China should start a dialog with the Dalai Lama in order to come to a peaceful solution. He also stated that any decision on whether or not to participate in the 2008 Olympic games was up to the athletes themselves.
• New Zealand's Parliament expressed its strong support for the right of people to protest peacefully and urged the Chinese authorities to react carefully and proportionately to protest and urged China to engage in meaningful dialogue with representatives of the Tibetan people in order to achieve a lasting resolution of problems in Tibet.
• North Korea denounced the unrest in Tibet and supported the efforts of People's Republic of China to stop the unrest. The Korean Central News Agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesman as saying, "Tibet is part of an inalienable territory of China. The DPRK government strongly denounces the unsavoury elements for their moves to seek ‘independence of Tibet’ and scuttle the upcoming Beijing Olympics."
• Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq denounced protests in Tibet and said Pakistan was firmly opposed to any attempt to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• Poland: Polish parliamentarians from the Parliamentary Group for Tibet issued a letter to Sun Rongmim an ambassador of China in Poland in which they expressed their demand of immediate release of the monks, while recalling that "it is not too late for an international boycott of the Beijing Olympics". In addition the ambassador was summoned by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to present the situation in Tibet and heard about the information on the number of victims. On March 17 group of Polish parliamentarians engaged in anti-communist opposition in the People's Republic of Poland issued an appeal calling for action "for the release of political prisoners in the People's Republic of China and respect for human rights and civil liberties in this country".
  • On March 18 Prime Minister Donald Tusk suggested the possibility of boycotting the Olympic opening by the representatives of the government. On March 19 a letter expressing support for the Dalai Lama was sent by president of the Constitutional Court - Jerzy Stępień. The same day, an official invitation to visit Poland wrote to the Dalai Lama Marshal of the Senate Bogdan Borusewicz.
  • On March 18 Presidium of the Home Commission of "Solidarity" communicated to the Embassy of the PRC and the International Labour Organization a letter, in which they urged the Chinese authorities to stop "persecution of the Tibetan people".
  • On March 21 his concern about the situation in Tibet has expressed the president of Poland - Lech Kaczyński. Also issued a statement in which he stressed that "only the dialogue and respect for human rights, including religious rights, and good will on both sides renouncing violence and force is the road that could lead to a lasting, peaceful solution to the conflict".
• Republic of China's (Taiwan) foreign ministry issued a statement saying, "We strongly condemn China's use of force to suppress Tibet and urge the international community to monitor the development in Tibet." The Mainland Affairs Council also condemned the Chinese response.
• Russia said on March 17 that hopes China's government "take all necessary measures to stop illegal actions and provide for the swiftest possible normalization of the situation." The Russian Foreign Ministry also said that any efforts to boycott the Beijing Olympics were "unacceptable." The Foreign Ministry also linked the events in Tibet with the recent declaration of independence by Kosovo, showing a growing movement of groups asking for independence.
• Serbia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its support in principle to the policy of one China and to the respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of People's Republic of China. Serbia maintains the stand that Tibet is an internal issue of China and respects the policy of the Chinese government regarding Tibet as an autonomous region.

• Singapore - Singapore supports the declared policy of the Chinese Government to protect the lives and property of its citizens from violent demonstrators with minimum use of force. We are opposed to the politicisation of the Olympics.

• South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson Cho Hee-young has stated that "the use of violence should be restrained, and the unrest should be solved peacefully without any further loss of human lives." Spokesperson Cho has also stated that the MOFAT is "closely monitoring" the situation and asks for full cooperation in ensuring the safety of any foreign nationals currently present in Tibet.

• Spain - The Government of Spain advocates that a lasting and acceptable solution should be reached through dialogue that preserves Tibetan culture within the People's Republic of China.

• Sri Lanka - The Government of Sri Lanka wishes to reaffirm its adherence to the “One China Policy” and the territorial integrity of China. Sri Lanka sincerely hopes that normalcy will return to the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China and further wishes that the disturbances will be brought to an end amicably with the Buddhist concept of “Ahimsa”.

• Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt condemned China for its crackdown on riots in Tibet, urging Chinese authorities to "fully respect Tibetan rights."

• Thailand - Thailand regards the Tibetan issue as an internal affair of the People’s Republic of China. Thailand is against any attempts to link the Tibet Issue with China’s hosting of the Olympic Games, which are mankind’s heritage since ancient times. Thailand is hopeful that the government of the People’s Republic of China will take measured actions that will soon bring back peace and harmony to the Tibet Autonomous Region in China.

• United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on March 19, 2008, that he has spoken to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to "urge an end to the violence". Mr Brown confirmed he will meet the Dalai Lama on his visit to Britain.
• United States ambassador to Beijing Clark T. Randt, Jr. urged China to exercise restraint. While meeting with the Dalai Lama in Dharmsala, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for an international investigation into the violence in Tibet and dismissed China's claim that the Dalai Lama was behind the unrest as making "no sense." President George W. Bush called President Hu Jintao of China on March 26, 2008. The President raised his concerns about the situation in Tibet and encouraged the Chinese government to engage in substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama's representatives and to allow access for journalists and diplomats. Speaker Pelosi introduced and the House of Representatives passed a resolution that characterized China's response as "disproportionate and extreme". The resolution called on China to stop the crackdown on Tibetan dissent, to release all Tibetans imprisoned for nonviolent protests, and to begin an uncondition discussion with the Dalai Lama for a long-term solution that upholds Tibetans' human rights and dignity.

• Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez said "the (U.S.) imperialists want to divide China. And they're causing problems there in Tibet. They're trying to sabotage the Olympics in Beijing, and behind that is the hand of imperialism. We ask the world to support China to neutralize this plan. You see the images of the violence in Tibet. Who is that against? Against China. It's the (U.S.) empire that wants to weaken China, because China is rising up." Also according to Reuters, some leftists in Latin America see the Tibetan independence movement led by the Dalai Lama as a pro-Washington group of conservative monks.
• Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI during a weekly audience appealed for dialogue and tolerance between Chinese and Tibetans, expressing "sadness and pain" over the violence in Tibet.
• Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement calling all Tibet-related issues as China’s internal affairs. "We believe that the Government of China will take appropriate measures to ensure public order and maintain social stability and economic development in Tibet in particular and China in general."