PM urged to raise Tibet human rights
THE Austrailan Tibet Council has written to Prime Minister Julia Gillard as she's about to touch down in China for a six-day visit.
PRIME Minister Julia Gillard is being urged to raise the issue of human rights in Tibet when she meets China's new president Xi Jinping on Sunday.
Ms Gillard starts a six-day visit to China on Friday and will be one of the first world leaders to meet with President Xi since his elevation to the job.
The Australia Tibet Council (ATC) has written to Ms Gillard and Foreign Minister Bob Carr, who is travelling with her, urging them to raise the issue of Chinese government repression in Tibet.
There have been more than 100 self-immolations by pro-Tibet protesters in the past six months, during China's leadership transition.
"Unfortunately, instead of seeking to address Tibetan grievances, China's leaders have continued the repressive 'stability maintenance' approach, ramped up anti-Dalai Lama propaganda, criminalised protests and introduced harsh new security measures for the Tibetans," ATC executive officer Paul Bourke says in the letter.
"Failure to offer frank advice on the human rights situation in Tibet, and in China at large, will only ensure the continuity of the decades-long repressive policies, undermining basic human values such as freedom, dignity and justice."
A senior government official says human rights will "definitely" feature in the leaders' talks.
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