Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)

While we welcome any trade development for this country in the current circumstances, the Tánaiste is well aware of the brutal human rights record of the Chinese regime, its completely undemocratic character, its persecution of Falun Gong and the people of Tibet and its regular execution of political dissidents. Did the Tánaiste raise these issues with the Chinese authorities during his visit? Does the Tánaiste think it is right that the western world seems to be willing to turn a blind eye and pay lip-service to human rights issues in China because there is so much trade? We do not really put pressure on them to democratise and improve their human rights record.

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