The British government issued a Written Statement on 29 October by Foreign Secretary David Miliband addressing some issues regarding Tibet.

Mr Miliband stated that “no government which is committed to promoting international respect for human rights can remain silent on the issue of Tibet”.

In the statement the Foreign Secretary welcomed the next round of talks scheduled between Chinese officials and the representatives of the Dalai Lama and states that the Dalai Lama has already met the conditions the Chinese have set for dialogue. Mr Miliband says that “genuine progress at the next round of talks is essential to promote progress “on the issue of Tibet.

Mr Miliband also raised concern, for the first time in months, about the ongoing detentions and the restrictions placed on diplomats and the media in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and states that “these issues reinforce long-held unease on the part of the [British] Government about the underlying human rights situation in Tibet.”

Given the gravity of the current situation in Tibet, Free Tibet Campaign does not believe Mr Miliband’s statement went far enough.

TAKE ACTION!
Write to your MP and urge him or her to request urgent clarification of the following points:

1. As the talks between Chinese officials and the Dalai Lama’s representatives have so far borne no fruit, exactly how will the British government measure the effectiveness of, and progress made in, future rounds of dialogue?

2. What concrete action is the British government taking in response to the its stated ‘unease’ about the on the ground situation in Tibet

3. Will the British government make a public call for an international fact-finding delegation to Tibet? Such a call would signal to China that the British government will not remain silent on gross human rights violations in Tibet.

Address:
Name of your MP
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

You can find your MP and send him or her e-mail via the website www.writetothem.com. To find out your MP's name phone the House of Commons Information Office on 020 7219 4272.

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