segunda-feira, abril 02, 2007
Amnesty queries China over Panchen Lama in rare talks
Human rights group Amnesty International raised concerns in a rare meeting Friday with the Chinese government about the detained child chosen successor to Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
In its first official meeting with the Chinese embassy in Washington, Amnesty's US office brought up the issue of the so-called Panchen Lama, who was six years old when he was detained by Chinese authorities in 1995 after the Dalai Lama named the boy his successor.
"We raised our concerns about the whereabouts of the Panchen Lama, who has not been seen for more than 10 years, and asked the Chinese authorities to allow him freedom of movement," said T. Kumar, Amnesty's Asia-Pacific director of advocacy.
Beijing has refused to permit access to the boy, identified as Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who will turn 18 years old in April. He was believed to be the world's youngest political prisoner when he was detained.The Chinese maintain that he is a "normal schoolboy" living in China, but has refused to permit anyone from the international community to visit him in order to confirm his welfare and well-being, the US State Department said recently.
"Verbal assurances are not sufficient to allay international concerns," US Under Secretary of State Paula Dobriansky told a Congressional hearing."Agreement to such a visit would send a very positive signal to the world about China's intentions with regard to religious freedom," said Dobriansky, the special coordinator for Tibetan issues in President George W. Bush's administration.
At the meeting with Chinese embassy counsellor Sun Baohong, Kumar said he also enquired about the conditions of three jailed sons of US-exiled leader of China's Uighur Muslim minority Rebiya Kadeer, and called on Beijing to stop the repatriation of North Korean refugees back to their country.The embassy agreed to the meeting to discuss with Amnesty the human rights situation in Sudan's Darfur province, where violence has left 200,000 dead and 2.5 million homeless since 2003.
While China is trying to pressure Sudan to allow the United Nations and African Union troops to enter Darfur, Beijing should play a "more active role" in promoting human rights there, Kumar said.
Amnesty members also held protests in front of the Chinese embassy on Friday to highlight the humanitarian plight in Darfur.
