World Tibet Network News Wednesday, June 3, 1998

UNITED NATIONS, June 2 (AFP) - China on Tuesday blocked a UN Security Council briefing by UN human rights commissioner Mary Robinson, western diplomats said.

Council president Antonio Monteiro told reporters after a closed-door council meeting that he had asked Robinson, who is currently in New York, to brief the 15 members on the human rights situation in Rwanda and the Great Lakes region.

"It was not possible to reach a consensus today for this briefing," Monteiro said, because "one delegation" objected.

Western diplomats noted that it was the second time in recent months that China has refused to endorse a council invitation to Robinson.

China, a permanent council member with veto power, is ticklish about human rights issues being discussed by the council, apparently fearing that a precedent could be set for discussion of China's occupation of Tibet.

China's permanent representative Qin Huasun explained that his country opposed the invitation because human rights issues were not dealt with by the council but by the UN economic and social department ECOSOC, diplomats said.

Monteiro expressed the hope that a council briefing by Robinson could be organised in the future.