Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will express to the Chinese Government, the Irish Government's concern at attempts to suppress dissent and introduce restrictions of movement of dissidents within China in preparation of an atmosphere for international presence on the occasion of the Olympic Games. [24987/07]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 309: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the way it is proposed to reassert the opposition of the Irish people to human rights violations in China especially in the context of the forthcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. [24863/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 309 together.

My Department has already been involved in constructive discussions with the Chinese Government on the implications of the Olympic Games in Beijing next year. We have highlighted the opportunities which China's hosting of the Games present, in terms of show-casing the country and its many achievements. In that context, we have stressed that the international spotlight will be on China at that time, including on a range of international questions and on issues of human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. We have reiterated the great importance that the Government attaches to these issues, and our hope that every effort possible will be made to facilitate freedom of movement and expression, including the right to peaceful protest, in the run-up to — and during — the Games.

I welcome the decision by the Chinese authorities at the beginning of this year to lift temporarily some restrictions on foreign journalists working in China. A useful legacy of the Games would be if this easing of restrictions were made permanent and extended to all journalists working in China. This, I believe, would allow for a deeper and wider understanding of China and its development.

I am concerned by reports that the Chinese authorities may introduce restrictions on certain groups in China during the games. Whilst security issues are of course a key concern for the organisers, it is not clear that these would justify such measures.

On a more general level, concerns regarding the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in China are raised on a regular basis in our own bilateral contacts with the Government of China. Discussions in this regard take place at official level in Dublin and in Beijing and I myself raised my concerns in this regard when I met (then) Foreign Minister Li in Beijing last year.

Such issues are also discussed on a regular basis in the context of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, which is the agreed formal framework through which the EU raises human rights issues with China. The Dialogue, the most recent round of which took place in Beijing last week, has allowed the EU to engage with China on such issues as freedom of expression, the death penalty, the independence of the judiciary, freedom of religion and minority rights. The EU has used the Dialogue to press its case for Chinese ratification of such international instruments as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and for reform of the criminal justice system. The EU has also urged China to continue cooperation with, and to implement the recommendations of, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, including in particular the abolition of the "re-education through labour" system. The EU continues to use the Dialogue to raise significant individual human rights cases. These cases are followed up in subsequent contacts with the Chinese authorities.