Cecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position in relation to the subject matter of Parliamentary Question No. 206 of 5 May 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27069/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The subject matter of the parliamentary question to which the Deputy refers is the continuing house arrest in Burma of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The Government has consistently highlighted the abuse of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Burma and condemned the lack of progress towards democracy. The continuing house arrest of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, other opposition activists and a number of MPs elected in 1990 remains of grave concern to Ireland and our EU partners.

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, representing Ireland at the opening session of the Asia-Europe meeting, ASEM, of Foreign Ministers meeting on 6 May 2005 in Kyoto, Japan, expressed Ireland's grave disappointment and concern that the Burmese authorities had failed to create the conditions for political parties to participate in the national convention now in recess. He also urged the Burmese authorities to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners. European and Asian Foreign Ministers participating in the meeting collectively expressed to the Burmese Foreign Minister their concern at the situation in Burma and expressed the hope that all restrictions on the democratisation process would be lifted at the earliest possible opportunity.

On 7 May 2005, the EU Troika of Foreign Ministers met the Burmese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. U Nyan Win, in the margins of the ASEM meeting and expressed similar concerns about the situation in Burma. The EU Troika called on the Burmese authorities to enter into a constructive dialogue with the opposition National League for Democracy, NLD, other legitimate representative bodies and ethnic groups. The EU Troika also called for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners. The Troika further appealed to the Burmese authorities to establish permanent and sincere co-operation with the UN Secretary-General's Special envoy on Burma, Mr. Razali Ismail, the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma, Mr. Sergio Pinheiro, and all relevant UN agencies. The Burmese Foreign Minister undertook to consider the demands expressed by the EU but I regret that in the period since then there has been no progress.

In my statement on behalf of Ireland at the 60th session of the UN General Assembly on 19 September, I referred to the continuing denial of human rights and democracy in Burma. I stated that this was most acutely symbolised by the continued detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and that her ordeal was not forgotten by the people of Ireland. I pointed out that the cumulative length of her detention is now very close to ten years.

The Government's continuing goal, and that of the EU, remains the release and restoration of liberty to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and others under house arrest, return of democracy to Burma, an end to human rights violations there and the realisation of peace and prosperity for the long suffering people of Burma.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government has raised the issues of human rights abuses and the continued occupation of Tibet with the Chinese authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27078/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Government takes concerns about the human rights situation in Tibet, and elsewhere in China, very seriously. Human rights issues are a constant point of discussion in our bilateral, and European Union level, dialogue with the Chinese authorities. Ireland established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China in 1979 and has from that time recognised Tibet as an integral part of China.

Tibet regularly features in our discussions within the EU, at EU-China meetings and in our bilateral meetings. The EU-China human rights dialogue, established in 1996, is the agreed formal framework through which the EU raises its concerns about individual human rights cases and more general issues, such as the protection of freedom of religion, which is particularly important for the people of Tibet. These issues were raised by the EU side at the EU-China summit held in Beijing on 5 September 2005 and the EU's wish to highlight freedom of religion issues during the upcoming EU-China human rights dialogue was expressed. The cases of a number of Tibetan individuals have been included in the list of human rights cases to be discussed with the Chinese authorities during the dialogue, which will be held in Beijing from 24 October 2005.

During his visit to China in January 2005, the Taoiseach discussed a wide range of issues, including human rights, with Chinese leaders. On 16 November 2004, I raised the issue of Tibet, and recent developments there, during official talks with Vice Premier Huang Ju in Dublin.

Ireland, together with our EU partners, encourages the continuation of the dialogue between the Chinese authorities and representatives of the Dalai Lama. I am pleased that representatives of the Dalai Lama met the Chinese authorities in Beijing from 12-29 September 2004. Previous meetings between China and Tibetan envoys took place in September 2002 and May-June 2003. This third meeting in September 2004 was generally characterised as positive by Mr. Lodi Gyari, the special envoy of the Dalai Lama. For the first time, there was a substantive discussion between Chinese and Tibetan representatives on major, sometimes fundamental differences, including the issue of the delimitation of Tibet and the scope of autonomy.

The statement by the Dalai Lama on 10 March 2005, in which he reiterated his commitment to the "Middle Way" approach which addresses the issue of Tibet within the framework of the People's Republic of China, was welcome.

Together with our EU partners, the Government will continue to encourage the Chinese authorities to respect fully the human rights of all citizens, including those of the people of Tibet. For my part, I will continue to avail of my discussions with Chinese representatives to express our position in regard to these matters.