Canberra, November 10. A resolution supporting human rights in Tibet was passed without dissent in the Australian Senate this morning. The hard-hitting motion was moved by the Australian Democrat's Foreign Affairs and Human Rights Spokesperson, Senator Vicki Bourne. The resolution was passed only days after a controversial visit to the Senate by Chinese leader Qiao Shi led to a group of Tibetans and Australia Tibet Council members being ejected from the public gallery after they unfurled the Tibetan flag and shouted "Free Tibet". Commenting on the timing of the Tibet resolution, the first to be passed by the Senate since December 1989, Senator Bourne said, "This motion is significant and, in one sense, more powerful because it shows the Australian Parliament is prepared to express such sentiments during the visit to Australia of a very high ranking Chinese official". The motion states:

That the Senate:

a. notes that, during the week beginning 6 November 1994,

the Chairman of China's National People's Congress, Mr

Qiao Shi, is on an official visit to Australia;

b. recognises that during the 1989 pro-democracy protests,

Mr Qiao Shi served as head of China's security services;

c. expresses its concern that the human rights situation in

Tibet appears to have deteriorated and that the Tibetan

people continue to be denied their fundamental human

rights and freedoms;

d. endorses the representations made by the Australian

Government and by members of this Parliament to the

People's Republic of China on human rights in Tibet;

e. urges the Chinese Government to recognise the fundamental

human rights and freedom of the Tibetan people and to

enter into genuine dialogue with representatives of the

Chinese Government and to ensure that they understand the

depth of the Australian community's feelings about these

matters; and

f. requests from the Chinese Government a commitment that it

will not deny visas to exiled Tibetan women from any part

of the world who wish to attend the United Nations World

Conference on Women which is due to be held in Bejing in

1995. (EuroTibet News nr.5)