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China raises pressure on Australian MPs' visit

By Daniel Flitton | The Age

Members of All India Human Rights Watch hold a placard and candles as they take part in a candlelight vigil to protest against the recent attacks on Indian students in Australia, in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh, 9 June 2009. Australian MPs from all sides of parliament will travel to Dharamshala to meet the Dalai Lama next month. The group will also meet Indian parliamentarians to discuss the recent violent attacks on Indian students.File photo/Reuters/Ajay Verma/India

China has stepped up its protest over a plan by Australian federal MPs to visit Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in India.

The Foreign Affairs Department has confirmed China has made “representations” to the Federal Government through diplomatic channels about the visit. Asked whether China had officially complained, a spokesman said representations were “discussions between countries”.

The cross-party group — led by Melbourne Labour member Michael Danby and including Liberal, Greens and independent politicians — will travel to Dharamshala next month for the meeting.

Beijing is acutely sensitive over Tibet and regularly harasses governments who host the Dalai Lama.

China accuses the Tibetan spiritual leader of agitating for Tibetan independence, a claim he denies.

A complaint from the Chinese embassy in Canberra last week said the MPs’ visit, in effect, supported Tibetan independence.

The foreign affairs spokesman said the Government could not intervene in parliamentarians’ travel plans.

“The Australian Government adheres to its long-standing ‘One China’ policy in which it recognises that Tibet is part of China,” she said.

The parliamentary delegation visit to the exiled Tibetan community is the first from Australia. The group will also meet Indian parliamentarians to discuss the recent violent attacks on Indian students.

Copyright © 2009 Fairfax Digital

Published in The Age