9. KEITH LOCKE (Green) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
Will she be meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama when he visits Parliament next Tuesday; if not, why not?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Acting Prime Minister) Link to this
I am advised that the Prime Minister’s programme for next week is under consideration.
Does the Prime Minister know that when a similar controversy blew up in Australia, after Prime Minister John Howard said he would not meet the Dalai Lama, the public outcry quickly convinced him to find a place in his diary; and why is it so hard to make room for the Dalai Lama in the Prime Minister’s itinerary?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
I think the member should check his sources again. That is a misreporting of what Mr Howard did.
Hon Peter DunneCan the Prime Minister give the House a categorical assurance that whether she meets with the Dalai Lama has not been the subject of representations from the Chinese embassy, and, if such representations have been made, that the Prime Minister will make up her own mind and not do as the Chinese embassy tells her?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
I am sure that if any representations are made—and I would not be surprised if the Chinese embassy made representations on such a matter—the New Zealand Government will still make up its own mind about what it does.
Can the Prime Minister assure us that, in principle, she is quite happy to meet the Dalai Lama when he visits here as a political leader of his people and discuss with him his proposals for a peaceful middle-way to give the Tibetan people their full rights within their part of China?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
My understanding is that the Dalai Lama has himself stated that this visit is as a religious leader not as a political leader and, indeed, that he himself has said he is now in semi-retirement and that Tibet has elected political leaders to carry on the struggle of autonomy.
I seek the leave of the House to table a section of the Amnesty International Report 2007 on China, which describes the many Tibetans detained or imprisoned.
Document, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.Amnesty International report