Tibet
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Roger Williams (Brecon and Radnorshire, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with the Chinese government the number of self-immolation cases in Tibet and surrounding provinces.
Jeremy Browne (Minister of State (South East Asia/Far East, Caribbean, Central/South America, Australasia and Pacific), Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Taunton Deane, Liberal Democrat)
I raised my concerns about self-immolations with Vice Foreign Minister Madame Fu Ying during my visit to China in November last year. I also wrote to the Chinese ambassador regarding the situation at Kirti Monastery and called for restraint. I made a statement on
The right hon. Lord Howell of Guildford, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, raised our concerns about the situation in Tibet with the Deputy Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Hao Peng, on
Officials in London have also raised their concerns with the Chinese embassy here, and staff at our embassy in Beijing have done likewise with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant provincial authorities. Our officials in China make regular visits to Tibetan areas. We remain in frequent contact with the relevant authorities regarding access to these areas.
This issue was also discussed at the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January.