CHINA has criticised the Rudd Government's stance on its treatment of ethnic minorities as ill-informed and expressed concerns about the state of human rights in Australia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
At a press conference yesterday at the end of the annual Australia-China human rights dialogue, China's assistant foreign minister, Liu Jieyi, said countries should seek "solid facts" before raising concerns about human rights in Tibet.
Asked about the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd's, public criticisms of the treatment of Tibetans during a visit to Beijing last year, Mr Liu said: "It is not an issue about human rights or religious freedom or culture. I believe the Australian side is very much aware of the Chinese position on this issue. An important thing in understanding of this issue is we must base our opinions on solid facts."
The two-day dialogue in Canberra came as China presented a periodic report to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva and was criticised by the Australian representative for the alleged harassment and detention of minorities, including Tibetans. In reply, the Chinese ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Li Baodong, said the forum should not be used for "politicised speeches" and singled out Australia for criticism.
"There were a few countries, like Australia, which made some ill-founded comments on question of Tibet," he said. "We would categorically reject this attempt to politicise the issue."
The dialogue, skipped last year, has come under criticism for being secretive and allowing China to avoid greater scrutiny at a multilateral level.
Mr Liu, who headed the Chinese delegation, and Gillian Bird, a deputy secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the talks had been frank and wide-ranging.
Mr Liu said the Chinese delegation had raised the treatment of Australia's indigenous population. "I do believe there is room for improvement in terms of human rights for Australia. The Chinese side wished to learn how the Australian Government is taking measures on the issue of indigenous people's rights."
The talks featured a range of non-government organisations, including Amnesty International, the Australian Press Council and the International Commission of Jurists.
