Greens: condemn China, trade deal or not

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Green MP Keith Locke is calling on the Government to condemn China's actions against protesters in Tibet.

Chinese officials have declared a "people's war" of security and propaganda against support for the Dalai Lama in Tibet after riots racked the regional capital Lhasa, with some reports that dozens had died in the turmoil.

Residents of the remote city high in the Himalayas said on Sunday that anti-riot troops controlled the streets and were closely checking Tibetan homes after protests and looting took place in the heavily Buddhist region.

Two days ago Tibetan protesters, some in Buddhist monks' robes and some yelling pro-independence slogans, trashed shops, attacked banks and government offices and wielded stones and knives against police.

China has said at least 10 "innocent civilians" died, mostly in fires lit by rioters.

But an outside Tibetan source with close ties in Lhasa said that number was far too low. He cited a contact who claimed to have counted many more corpses of people killed in the riots or subsequent crackdown.

Mr Locke said New Zealand should not give the impression it cared more about the upcoming trade deal with China than Tibetan's human rights.

"New Zealand cannot stand silently by while Tibetan protesters are drowned in blood," Mr Locke said.

"Our Government should speak out against the repression in Lhasa in the same manner as it did last year when the Burmese junta fired into crowds of protesting monks."

Not speaking out would leave the Government open to charges of hypocrisy and fuel suspicion New Zealand had gone soft on Beijing because of the free trade deal due to be signed with China in April.

"Surely, we must put the fate of the Tibetan people first," Mr Locke said.

The self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile in northern India has said some 30 people were killed in clashes with Chinese authorities. Beijing bans foreign reporters from freely reporting in Tibet, so the conflicting claims cannot be easily checked.

The convulsion of Tibetan anger at the Chinese presence in the region came after days of peaceful protests by monks and was a sharp blow to Beijing's preparations for the Olympic Games in August, when China wants to showcase prosperity and unity.

The monks took to the streets on Monday to mark the 49th anniversary of an earlier uprising.

Chinese authorities have now signalled a sweeping campaign to redouble security in the region and attack public support for the Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in 1959 after that year's failed uprising.

Guy Cotter, a New Zealander leading an expedition to Mount Everest, also called on the Government to help him get access to the region.

Mr Cotter is to leave tomorrow but access to Mount Everest has been blocked by the Chinese.

The Chinese are planning to film the Olympic torch being carried to the summit of Mount Everest around May 1-10.

Due to Beijing's concern that there will be free Tibet protests at the mountain, it closed access to Mt Everest from the north, which is the Tibetan side, 10 days ago.

Two days ago they closed all access to Tibet to tourists and now the Chinese government has forced the Nepalese government to follow suit and close the mountain to all climbers on the Nepal side until May 10, when the torch carrying activities have been completed.

Mr Cotter said he was poised to embark on his annual expedition up the world's tallest mountain from the Nepal side.

"But we have been caught in the middle of a political wrangle to satisfy China's Olympic image," Mr Cotter said.

Mr Cotter asked the Government to lobby the Chinese and Nepalese on behalf of the climbing industry to request reconsideration of their stance.

Miss Clark spokeswoman said: "The Government is concerned at the reports of violence and is trying to obtain more accurate information.

"It calls on all sides to exercise restraint.

"An updated travel advisory from MFAT (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade) advises New Zealanders not to visit Lhasa or Tibet and, if New Zealanders are there, to remain indoors and register with MFAT."

- NZPA