Chinese law-makers meet French law-makers on issue of Tibet
Friday, 24 November 2006, 9:30 a.m.
Paris: The President of the Tibet Study Group of the National Assembly of France, Mr Lionnel Luca (UMP party), and four of his colleagues have met this Wednesday a delegation of the Chinese parliamentarians who are on their visit to Paris.
This is the first ever such meeting.
Mr Luca was accompanied by Mr Dominique Tian, Mr Jean Marc Roubaud and Mr Jacques Remiller of UMP party, and Mr Philippe Folliot of UDF party, and Mr Marcel Dehoux of PS Socialist party.
They were able to meet the Chinese MPs through the good offices of Mr Guy Drut, who presides over the France-China group at the French National Assembly.
According to Mr Luca, Mr Drut made the request to the Chinese ambassador in Paris who allowed this meeting to take place.
Mr Luca expressed to the Chinese delegation about the concerns of his Group over the situation in Tibet and raised the recent issue of video film of Romanian TV on the shooting in September by the Chinese on the Tibetan refugees fleeing into Nepal.
On this issue, Mr Luca after the meeting, stated that the Chinese delegation led by the President of China-France group, Shi Guangsheng, said “not being aware of this matter”, while insisting that “to speak about Tibet, one should know well its history”. The Chinese also assured that ” all is going well in Tibet and that Tibetans are happy”.
Mr Luca transmitted a message of “the attachment of France over the human rights issue in China” and also the concern of the French parliamentarians who want to see “a dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama”. He also indicated the desire of the parliamentarians of Tibet Group of France to visit Tibet.
During the meeting which lasted for half an hour, the French parliamentarians have put on their coat a pin of Tibet flag bearing this slogan: “Long live Free Tibet”.
Translated from the original French into English by Bureau du Tibet, Paris.