Published by: World Tibet Network News, Saturday, June 29, 1996

By Per Kvaerne, Oslo,

June 29 1996

While politicians from all political parties in Norway step up criticism of the police silencing of all demonstrations in Oslo during Chinese president Jiang Zemin's official visit, and amidst scathing editorial comments in major newspapers, Minister of Justice Ms. Grete Faremo stated at a press conference yesterday that the right to demonstrate is fundamental and cannot be overruled, thus severely criticizing Oslo Chief of Police, Ms. Ingelin Killengreen. Prime Minister, Ms. Gro Harlem Brundtland also stated yesterday that she was "far from happy" at the deployment of police to shield China's president from seeing demonstrators.

Later in the afternoon, the Chief of Police apologized to Palden Gyatso, the 65 year old monk who escaped from Tibet after spending 33 years in jail, for the police action against him on Thursday.

In spite of these statements, police action continued unabated in Oslo yesterday. Protestors wearing the by now famous yellow T-shirts with the Chinese characters "Human Rights" and weaving Tibetan flags were kept far away from president Jiang Zemin and his entourage of armed Chinese security personnel. Nevertheless, a lone protestor, waiving a Tibetan flag, was able to walk almost right up to the president while he was visiting the Vigeland Sculpture Park with his host King Harald, before being shuttled off by plainclothes policemen. Outside the park, Chinese dissident Mo Lihua, who spent 3 years in jail in China, was taken into custody when attempting to approach president Jiang Zemin.

A scandalous incident was reported by Norway's largest newspaper, the Verdens Gang, today. During the non-violent, silent attempts at demonstrations against president Jiang Zemin in the centre of Oslo Thursday, a Foreign Ministry senior official, Mr. Geir Grung, on his own initiative, ordered a Polish woman to remove the small paper Tibetan flag she was holding. Thinking he was a plainclothes policeman, she complied. Mr. Grung, who has no police authority and who later said he regretted that he had acted rashly, is due to present his credentials as Norway's ambassador in Rome.

Please send a Tibetan flag and, if you wish, a polite letter expressing your surprise at his action to:

MR. GEIR GRUNG

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

P. O. BOX 8114 DEP. N-0032 OSLO, NORWAY

If you wish to protest against the Norwegian authorities' denial freedom of expression in connection with president Jiang Zemin's visit, send a fax to:

Foreign Minister BJORN TORE GODAL

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Oslo

47 - 22 83 39 34