STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS PEOPLE OF TIBET

OTTAWA, March 10, 1997

Mrs. Maud Debien (Laval East, BQ): Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Quebecois wants to mark today the 38th anniversary of the uprising of the people of Tibet against Chinese occupation.

On March 10, 1959, ten years after the invasion of Tibet by China, the people of Tibet people rose up against Chinese oppression. The Chinese army moved and quashed the legitimate public protest.

During the following weeks, more than 80,000 civilians died. The Dalai-Lama has been representing Tibetans in exile and peacefully crusading for his people's sovereignty and self-government ever since.

The Chinese government is pursuing settlement and assimilation in Tibet and will not act on UN resolutions demanding respect for the fundamental rights of the people of Tibet, including their right to self-government.

Canada cannot remain silent about the disastrous situation in Tibet, in its dealings with the Chinese authorities. Today, the official opposition reminds the Canadian government of its international responsibilities.

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