Australian Parliamentarians ask PM Howard to raise Tibet during China visit

The Australian Parliamentary Group for Tibet (APGT) is writing to Australian Prime Minister John Howard to actively encourage the Chinese Government to begin negotiations on Tibet during his forthcoming China visit. This decision was taken during a special session of the Group held on August 13, 2003 during which the Representative of H.H the Dalai Lama Tenzin P. Atisha was invited to brief them on the status of Tibet-China contact.

Representative Atisha briefed the meeting on the visits of the Dalai Lama’s envoys to China and Tibet. “The parliamentarians spoke about their respective party’s support for Tibet and decided to ask the Australian Government to make all efforts to encourage the Tibetans and the Chinese to improve their relations,” Atisha told the Voice of Tibet on August 14, 2003.

Several Australian organizations, including Tibet support groups and the Tibetan community, have urged the Australian Government to take up the Tibet issue during the Prime Minister’s visit, Atisha added.

Representatives of Green, Democratic and Labor parties attended the parliamentarian meeting.