Human rights protests anger China

(The Daily Telegraph, 22 October 1999)

THE visit of China's President Jiang Zemin to London was plunged into fresh controversy last night when Chinese officials criticised the British authorities for not stopping demonstrations by human rights protesters.

Although the Government and police have come under fire from MPs and human rights groups for their "heavy-handed" treatment of protesters, the demonstrations that have dogged the three-day visit have clearly upset Mr Jiang. His spokesman, Zhu Bangzhao, said: "During the visit, there have been some interruptions. We have taken note of the fact that the British side have taken necessary measures in addressing these issues. It is our view that some of these interruptive factors should have been avoided."

He accused those who claimed to be fighting for human rights in Tibet of being the inheritors of the "inglorious cause of imperialism and colonialism". Through an interpreter, he said they were "were not Tibetan or Chinese, they were those with characteristic high noses". The protesters were poorly informed about the situation in Tibet, which has been annexed by China.

Earlier, human rights campaigners bitterly denounced the Government for reneging on its promises to allow peaceful demonstrations. Amnesty International, the human rights organisation, was particularly incensed by its treatment outside Downing Street.

Mr Jiang was deliberately shielded from protesters who had been allowed to take up positions in Whitehall opposite the gates to Downing Street. He was driven into Downing Street through a side entrance, ensuring he was well out of sight of noisy protests. Several hundred demonstrators blew whistles and chanted: "Tony Blair - shame on you."

Alison Reynolds, director of the Free Tibet Campaign, said: "It's extraordinary that he should be trying to hide from protesters. It's like a criminal being taken into court." Downing Street officials were also accused of snubbing three leading activists who tried to present a letter to Mr Blair urging him to have "substantive, frank discussions" with Mr Jiang on human rights and Tibet.

At first, Downing Street said it would accept the letter but then changed its mind, keeping the three outside in the rain for an hour. The excuse given, according to Richard Bunting of Amnesty, was that the media was present. He said: "This is exactly what we have feared: that any discussion of human rights would be confined to hushed dialogue behind closed doors."

John Maples, shadow foreign affairs spokesman, said police had been "heavy-handed" in the way they stopped protesters from unfurling banners and pushed others out of the way.

Norman Godman, a Labour member of the Commons foreign affairs select committee, said: "If the protests are peaceful and lawful, there is no reason at all why such protests should not take place even if it embarrasses the President of China." Downing Street said Mr Blair had "no complaints" about police methods.

Mr Jiang tried to head off growing criticism of China's human rights record by raising the issue first during his talks with Mr Blair. Downing Street tried to play down human rights, insisting that it was not the issue by which relations with China should be defined.

Mr Jiang told Mr Blair that it was important that Britain could raise its concerns within the context of the new wider and deeper relationship between the countries. About 10 minutes of the 45 minutes of talks were devoted to human rights.

Mr Blair also raised Tibet, reaffirming Britain's view that it should be allowed to control its own affairs by becoming an autonomous region and it would be "helpful" if China entered into a dialogue with the Dalai Lama. The Prime Minister apologised for the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade by Nato during the Kosovo conflict.

Free Tibet campaigners and Chinese dissidents said they had been given to understand that they would be allowed to demonstrate, although they had been warned that demonstrations inside the royal parks would not be tolerated. At a press conference ahead of the visit, a specific assurance was given by a Buckingham Palace spokesman that protesters would be permitted to exercise their democratic rights. In fact, demonstrations have not been allowed anywhere that Mr Jiang could possibly see them and controversial tactics have been employed to prevent them.

Lucy Jing, a British citizen, said she had been hurt by police as she tried to wave a flag on Tower Bridge when Mr Jiang went by. The bridge is certainly not part of a Royal Park. She said: "They twisted my arms hard behind my back and pushed me all the way from the middle of the bridge to the end and off to the side. I screamed 'You are hurting me. Stop it' but they would not. This is just like fascism."

It remains unclear exactly who told police to adopt that stance. A Foreign Office spokesman denied that it had tried to influence police tactics. But a police spokesman said "all relevant bodies had been consulted".