International reaction to 2008 Tibetan unrest

This article gives the international reaction to the 2008 Tibetan unrest, from countries worldwide. The 2008 Tibetan unrest was a series of attacks and protests concerning human rights in China in the build up to the 2008 Summer Olympics. There has been a mixture of outrage and understanding from leading figures abroad.

Tibetan government in exile

*flagicon|Tibet The Dalai Lama, head of the Tibetan government in exile in India, called on the Chinese government to stop using force, and later urged the Tibetans to refrain from violence. He said that if the violence continued, he would resign as leader of the government-in-exile, and reiterated that he is only pursuing greater autonomy for Tibet, as opposed to full independence, which he described as "out of the question".cite news
first =
last =
title = China blames Dalai Lama for riots
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7302021.stm
publisher = BBC News
location =
date = 18 March 2008
accessdate = 2008-03-19
language = ] The Dalai Lama March 28 2008 rejected a series of allegations from the Chinese government, saying he does not seek the separation of Tibet and has no desire to "sabotage" the 2008 Summer Olympics.cite news |title= Dalai Lama pleads for peaceful dialogue on Tibet |publisher=CNN |date=2008-03-28 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/28/china.tibet/index.html|accessdate=2008-03-28]

* On March 29, in an interview with IBNLive, the Dalai Lama stated that China cloaked soldiers as monks to incite riots, and gave a picture as proof. [ [http://www.ibnlive.com/news/china-cloaking-soldiers-as-monks-to-incite-riots/62231-3.html?xml China cloaking soldiers as monks to incite riots] ] Later, Xinhua news found that picture was taken in 2001 when some Chinese soldiers were acting during the shoot of a movie. [ [http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/7084904.html 事实戳穿达赖集团所谓军人“假扮喇嘛”照片谎言] ] The same picture is also said had been used in 2003 by the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy. [ [http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/30178/7087778.html 戳穿十四世达赖的五大谎言] ]

* On April 2, 2008, in an interview with Radio France International's Chinese language program, Dawa Tsering, an Additional Secretary in the Department of Information and International Relations of the Tibetan government-in-exile, [ [http://www.tibet.net/en/cta/wwcta.html Who's who in Central Tibetan Administration] ] answered a question about why the Dalai Lama has not condemned the violent actions of rioters during the unrest. Speaking in Chinese, Dawa Tsering stated that: [cite news|title=西藏流亡政府回应北京的指控 (Tibetan Government-in-Exile respond to Beijing accusations)|publisher=Radio France International|date=2008-04-02|url=http://www.rfi.fr/actucn/articles/100/article_6734.asp|language=Chinese]

* On April 6, through a statement, the Dalai Lama gave his recommendations to all the Tibetans inside Tibet as well as in exile. He explains his political views both to request the end of suppression by the Chinese authority and to appeal to non-violence. [ [http://www.dalailama.com/news.222.htm Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to All Tibetans] ]
* On April 19, the Dalai Lama suggests one reason of the unrest is because Buddhism is being eradicated from the education of Tibetan youth in Tibet. [ [http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-41/1208585743175850.xml&coll=6 Dalai Lama brings message of peace] ]
* On April 24, the Dalai Lama sent an Appeal to all Chinese Buddhists. [ [http://www.dalailama.com/news.244.htm An Appeal To All Chinese Spiritual Brothers And Sisters] ]

International organisations

*EU leaders asked China to show restraint and for human rights to be respected. EU High Representative Javier Solana said this would not affect Europe's involvement in the Beijing Olympics. [cite news
url=http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-32492120080314
title=EU urges China to show restraint in Tibet
publisher=Reuters
date=14 March 2008
accessdate=2008-03-14]
*flag|UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour urged the Chinese government to allow protesters to "exercise their right to freedom of expression and assembly" and urged the Chinese government to refrain from excessive force or mistreatment of any individuals arrested. [cite news
url=http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-32493820080314
title=China should allow demonstrations in Tibet — U.N.
publisher=Reuters
date=14 March 2008
accessdate=2008-03-14] Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon urged for a "peaceful resolution" but said there would be no UN intervention. [cite news
first =
last =
title = UN calls for restraint in Tibet
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7301912.stm
publisher = BBC News
location =
date = 17 March 2008
accessdate = 2008-03-19
language = ]

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 url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2008-03/29/content_7881625.htm|title=外国驻华外交官“3•14”事件后访问拉萨 (Foreign diplomats in China visit Lhasa after "3.14" incident)|publisher=Xinhua News Agency|date=29 March 2008|accessdate=2008-03-31]

*flag|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." [cite news
url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/17/2191251.htm
title=Rudd urges China to show restraint over Tibet protests
publisher=ABC News
date=17 March 2008
accessdate=2008-03-17] 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 9th, 2008. [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7337940.stm
title=Australian PM speaks out on Tibet
publisher=BBC News
date=9 April 2008
accessdate=2008-04-09]
*BRA - 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. [ [http://www.mre.gov.br/ingles/imprensa/nota_detalhe.asp?ID_RELEASE=5264 Situation in Tibet] ]

*flag|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." [cite news
first =
last =
title = Statement from Prime Minister Harper on the situation in Tibet
url = http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=3&id=2031
publisher = Government of Canada
location =
date = 20 March 2008
accessdate = 2008-03-21
language = ] Canada also calls on China to show "restraint in dealing with this difficult situation." [cite news
url=http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gZS3kdnR6ob94FXdKxdRBSO9KCbw
title=Harper urges China to use 'restraint' in Tibet
publisher=The Canadian Press
date=21 March 2008
accessdate=2008-03-22]

*COL - 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. [ [http://web.presidencia.gov.co/sp/2008/marzo/26/22262008.html Comunicado del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores sobre situación en el Tibet] ]

*CYP - 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. [ [http://www.mfa.gov.cy/mfa/mfa2006.nsf/All/5B640E57BE973A1FC22574120050A086?OpenDocument Cyprus supports the principle of a ‘single’ China - 20/03/2008] ]
*flag|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 Vaclav 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. [cite news
url=http://www.ceskenoviny.cz/news/index_view.php?id=302648
title=Czech government condemns violence in Tibet
publisher=České Noviny
date=17 March 2008
accessdate=2008-03-22] "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. [cite news
url=http://www.mzv.cz/wwwo/mzv/default.asp?id=56737&ido=6573&idj=2&amb=1
title=Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic on the situation in Tibet
publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
accessdate=2008-03-25]
*flagicon|Fiji 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. cite news |first=|last=|title=Fiji Backs China On Tibet|url=http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2008/03/25/fiji-backs-china-on-tibet|work= Fiji Live |publisher=Pacific Magazine|date=2008-03-25 |accessdate=2008-03-24] 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."

*flagicon|France On March 19, the French State Secretary in charge of foreign affairs and human rights, Rama Yade, requested China "to stretch out [their] 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". [cite news
url=http://www.lexpress.fr/info/quotidien/actu.asp?id=468624
title=La France pourrait boycotter la cérémonie des JO
publisher=L'express
date=20 March 2008
accessdate=2008-03-21] 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." [cite news
url=http://www.liberation.fr/actualite/politiques/317532.FR.php
title=JO: Sarkozy n’exclut pas un boycott...
publisher=Libération
date=25 March 2008
accessdate=2008-03-25] 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.
*flag|Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement on March 15 that "she was watching the violence in Tibet with concern." [cite news
url=http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1395494.php/German_chancellor_concerned_at_violence_in_Tibet
title=German chancellor concerned at violence in Tibet
publisher=Monsters and Critics
date=15 March 2008
accessdate=2008-03-15] 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.

*HUN - 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. [ [http://www.kulugyminiszterium.hu/kum/en/bal/actualities/spokesman_statements/VL_Tibet_eng_080325.htm Hungary follows with concern the events in Tibet that have claimed many deaths – Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs] ]

*flag|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." [cite news
url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/16/stories/2008031659170800.htm
title= Tibet: India expresses distress, urges dialogue
publisher=The Hindu
date=16 March 2008
accessdate=2008-03-16] The statement was criticised by some opposition parties, who described them as an "inadequate response". Conservative BJP party 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." [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7300661.stm
title= Tibet violence 'concerns' India
publisher=BBC News
date=17 March 2008
accessdate=2008-03-17]

*flag|Ireland: On Sunday April 13 2008, the Irish Environment Minister John Gormley condemned Chinese supression 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, [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7345008.stm
title= Chinese Ambassador walks out form Green Party conference. - BBC
publisher=BBC News
date=13 April 2008
accessdate=2008-05-06] [cite news
url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0412/green.html
title= Chinese Ambassador walks out form Green Party conference. - RTE
publisher=RTE News
date=12 April 2008
accessdate=2008-05-06] when Gormley referred to Tibet as a "country". [cite web |title=Minister's speech
date=2008-05-06
url=http://greenparty.ie/en/news/latest_news/putting_vision_into_action] The Republic of Ireland was the first Western country that the Dalai Lama visited after going into exile in India. Indeed, Ireland was the first nation to raise the Tibet issue in the United Nations General Assembly in the 1960s, led primarily by former Irish Foreign Minister Frank Aiken, who voiced the Irish government's condemnation of the 1951 Chinese invasion of Tibet.
*flag|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." [cite news
url=http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/World/STIStory_217339.html
title= World condemns China over Tibet crackdown
publisher=Associated Press
date=2008-03-17
accessdate=2008-03-30]
*flag|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."cite news
first =
last =
title = In quotes: Reaction to Tibet protests
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7300157.stm
publisher = BBC News
location =
date = 17 March 2008
accessdate = 2008-03-19
language = ] 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." [cite news
url=http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/431221
title=Japan expresses concern about Tibet situation
publisher=Japan Today
date=16 March 2008
accessdate=2008-03-16]
*MYA'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. [cite news|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/27/asia/AS-GEN-Myanmar-China-Olympics.php|title=Myanmar opposes move to link Tibetan unrest with Beijing Olympics|publisher=International Herald Tribune|date=2008-03-27|accessdate=2008-03-27]
*flag|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. [cite news
first =
last =
title = Tibetaanse protesten tegen China monden uit in geweld
url = http://www.netwerk.tv/archief/6663776/2421/Tibetaanse_protesten_tegen_China_monden_uit_in_geweld.html
publisher = Netwerk
location =
date = 14 March 2008
accessdate = 2008-03-19
language = Dutch]
*flag|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. [ [http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/parliamentary+notice+motion+re+tibet Beehive - Parliamentary Notice of Motion re Tibet] ]
*flag|North Korea denounced the unrest in Tibet and supported the efforts of People's Republic of China to stop the unrest.cite news
first =
last =
title = North Korea denounces Tibet riots
url = http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008