Dharamshala October 1 – All major political parties of Canada support the exile Tibetan government’s policy of middle way approach of seeking genuine autonomy within the framework of the People’s Republic of China. The Canada Tibet Committee posted answers to five questions it posed to the major political parties of Canada on Tibet and China policies.
The Conservative Party says it is “committed to upholding core Canadian values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law around the world. We support the Dalai Lama’s position to seek genuine regional autonomy for the Tibetan people within China, and that this be achieved through substantive negotiations between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama.”
The Green Party says it supports the “position taken by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, which implies a distinct Tibet within and as part of China. This must be done through an agreement with the Tibetan government-in-exile that satisfies concerns around cultural survival, human dignity and religious freedom. This would also recognize the role of the Dalai Lama as spiritual leader.” The Green Party will encourage continued dialogue, and if called upon by both sides, we would be happy to facilitate the current dialogue process toward a peaceful resolution.
“We would work towards a formulating a Canadian government strategy with the goal of accepting more Tibetan refugees from Nepal and India,” said Green Party in an answer to one of the questions.
The Liberal Party stated it “always advocated and will continue to advocate for the respect of human and civil rights in Tibet. We strongly encourage the government of China to work with the Tibetan people in a constructive way to resolve the situation in Tibet in a manner that fully respects human rights, international law and Tibet’s unique cultural identity.”
“Liberal policy towards China is one of constructive engagement. We will be candid with the Chinese government in raising concerns about human rights, but the goal must be to get results. Public lectures of the Chinese may play well politically in Canada, but they tend to be counter-productive in our bilateral relations. We need to convey expectations to China, but we must understand that China views the Tibetan situation as a domestic issue.”
The New Democratic Party says China should engage in good faith negotiations to establish greater autonomy for Tibet within the greater Chinese family. It reaffirmed its commitment to support human rights in China, including the collective self-determination rights of the people of Tibet. “The government of China must respect the freedoms of religion, speech and assembly for Tibetans.”
“While Canada-China trade is an important component of bilateral discussions, Canada must adopt a more transparent, comprehensive, and publicly accountable bilateral process with China, one in which human rights concerns and the environment are central.”
