Human Rights Dialogue Achieving Results - Downer

Published by: World Tibet Network News Thursday, December 11, 1997

ABC Radio News, Thursday, March 11

'Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer claims the policy of continued dialogue on the question of human rights in China is achieving results.

Mr Downer has raised the issue in talks with Chinese Premier Li Peng and a number of other Ministers in Beijing.

Mr Downer says human rights groups such as the Australia-Tibet Council have to realise Canberra is not going to get into a political game.

Australia's bilateral human rights dialogue, and action such as not sponsoring a United Nations Human Rights Commission anti-China resolution in May, drew criticism from lobby groups.

The Minister says Australian aid and a visit of a China human rights group to Australia are long-term projects which are starting to achieve results.

He says lobby groups cannot just set high-jump bars which cannot be crossed.

However, while pushing the dialogue approach for human rights abuses, the Minister is raising the plight of Australian businessman James Peng, who has been jailed for 18 years for embezzlement. '