David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A letter has been received from Senator McKim:

Pursuant to standing order 75, I propose that the following matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion:

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a leader of peace, compassion and non-violence in Australia and the world; the severe violations of religious freedom in Tibet and the policy of sinicising Tibetan culture and religion is concerning, and; decisions regarding the selection, education, and veneration of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders are exclusively spiritual matters that should be made by the appropriate religious authorities within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and in the context of the will of practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.

Is the proposal supported?

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

With the concurrence of the Senate, the clerks will set the clock in line with the informal arrangements made by the whips.

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I begin this debate by acknowledging that we're on the stolen lands of the Ngunnawal people and by noting the parallels of invasion and occupation of the lands of our First Peoples with the violent invasion and occupation of Tibet by the Chinese government 60 years ago. I acknowledge Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the chief minister of the Central Tibetan Administration, the democratically-elected government of Tibetan people living in exile. The Sikyong is visiting our parliament today. He is going to join us in the gallery, hopefully, within a number of minutes.

I want to deeply thank the Sikyong and all of the Central Tibetan Administration for their hospitality in April when members of the All-Parliamentary Group for Tibet visited Dharamsala in India, where the CTA headquarters are located. I found our visit to Dharamsala to be deeply moving. I, the Deputy Speaker of the House, the member for Macquarie and the member for Mackellar met with a huge range of Tibetan leaders and had the privilege of having an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who, as the motion we are debating today notes, is a leader of peace, compassion and nonviolence in Australia and the world.

I acknowledge the Sikyong now and all of the Tibetan delegation. Thank you, Sikyong, for visiting Australia. It's important you do, and it's a privilege to be debating this matter of public importance while you are in our parliament. I also acknowledge Karma Singey, who is the Australian representative of the Central Tibetan Administration.

There are many in this parliament, including all members of the Greens, who are very concerned at the actions of the Chinese government that have violated religious freedom in Tibet. As part of that approach the Chinese government have committed a prolonged attack on the Dalai Lama and have done everything they can to diminish his power. Tibetans inside and outside of Tibet continue to be persecuted by Chinese authorities for their culture and their beliefs and have become a minority in their own country.

Particularly worrying is that the Chinese government have made it very clear that they intend to interfere with the succession of the Dalai Lama. It is enshrined now in Chinese law that the Chinese government must approve all reincarnations of senior Buddhist Lamas, including the Dalai Lama. The Chinese government have form in this regard. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the Panchen Lama, the second most senior figure in Tibetan Buddhism, was taken by the Chinese government 28 years ago, at only six years old. Many human rights organisations call him the youngest political prisoner in the world. His whereabouts are still unknown. I've consistently noted my concerns about the disappearance of the Panchen Lama. I will continue to push for the Australian parliament to only recognise a Dalai Lama appointed by Tibetan Buddhist traditions and practices without interference by the Chinese government.

We believe that universal human rights are fundamental and must be respected for all peoples and in all countries. As the 10th Panchen Lama, Choekyi Gyaltsen noted:

Once a nationality's language, costume, customs and other important characteristics have disappeared, then the nationality itself has disappeared too—that is to say, it has turned into another nationality …

Tibetan sovereignty has never been ceded. I call upon the Chinese government to immediately cease its human rights violations and the prolonged attack on religious freedom and to respect the human rights of Tibetan people. We specifically call upon the Chinese government for the resumption of talks with the Dalai Lama or his representatives to resolve the ongoing Sino-Tibet conflict.

We urge the Australian government to oppose any effort to interfere with the practices of Tibetan Buddhism and to raise these human rights violations directly with their counterparts at every level. We call upon the Australian government to specifically put a policy in place and to advocate for the Chinese to protect the succession of the 14th Dalai Lama without any interference from the Chinese government.

Despite the dark history of Tibet and the countless callous attacks on the Tibetan people, I'm constantly amazed by the light, the warmth and the resilience of the Tibetan people and the community. I want those listening, including our special representatives in the gallery, to know that the Greens and I are committed to keep working side by side with you and with our allies around the world until we achieve justice and freedom for all Tibetan people.

Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, too, rise to speak in support of this motion. I also welcome the Sikyong and the Tibetan delegation here today. Human freedoms are universal and must always be fought for both here and overseas. Today these freedoms are under threat globally and nowhere more so than in Tibet. The coalition remains deeply concerned about the detention of Tibetans for the peaceful expression of political views, for restrictions on travel and China's sinicizing of policies on Tibetan cultural rights, religion and heritage.

Today I address increasing global concerns about severe violations of religious freedom in Tibet and the deliberate sinicizing of Tibetan culture and religion—in other words, cultural genocide. Australians will be shocked the hear that the Chinese government is forcing Tibetan children into boarding schools. In fact, it is now believed that up to 80 per cent—80 per cent!—of Tibetan children between the ages of six and 18 have been systematically separated from their families and sent to what the UN called 'colonial style' boarding schools with little or no access to their parents.

Earlier this year, UN experts expressed alarm at this practice, which they referred to as:

… what appears to be a policy of forced assimilation of the Tibetan identity into the dominant Han-Chinese majority through a series of oppressive actions against Tibetan educational religious, and linguistic institutions …

The UN experts' report describes these schools as:

… "colonial" in design and practice, serving the Chinese Communist Party's goals of "Sinicizing" Tibetans through immersion in Mandarin Chinese instruction and a "highly politicised curriculum."

The UN experts have also highlighted the coercive nature of these schools. And, shockingly, Tibetan parents are often faced with no choice but to send their children to these residential schools because of school closures and consolidation, and in some cases, accompanied by fines or threats of non-compliance. This is clearly a fundamental violation of the rights of Tibetan parents and children by interfering with their right to preserve the integrity of their own family units and stripping them of their right to choose the education, the language and the cultural features of their children.

The Chinese authorities appear to be pursuing a large-scale action to literally assimilate Tibetan culture and language—as I said, cultural genocide—assimilation by the state education system that forces children to be enrolled in Putonghua language in government schools that do not provide for a substantive study or if any at all of Tibetan history and culture. Enrolment in these residential schools is often made under pressure, and, in some cases, Tibetan parents and children are left without a choice. Many parents, it is reported, now barely see their children if at all.

As a result, Tibetan children are, increasingly, losing their native language and the ability to communicate easily and readily with their grandparents and now, in many cases, with their own parents. They have become extremely vulnerable, living in these very large residential homes, and they are losing their connectivity with their history, their culture and their very Tibetan identity. This residential schooling is forcing the separation from their families. It is producing deep and serious negative psychological and social impacts on these children—of any age—who, literally, have been ripped away from their families.

Reports are coming out that it's now about 80 per cent. That's eight in 10 Tibetan children who have been removed from their families, permanently. You can imagine that loss of family connection resulting in apathy, anxiety, interaction disorders, feelings of loneliness, isolation, alienation, terrible homesickness and pretty much any other form of physical or emotional distress that you could imagine. All of that has been done deliberately—to make sure these children grow up not as Tibetans but as Han Chinese.

The UN and the USA have both acted on this issue of cultural genocide in Tibet. I now call on the Australian government to do the same and—like the United States has done—to consider Magnitsky sanctions against the Chinese officials responsible for heinous and gross abuse of Tibetans.

Colleagues, the time for us to act is now. The fight for individual liberties and freedoms is enduring, wherever it occurs, here or anywhere else in the world. I support this motion. (Time expired)

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too acknowledge the presence in the chamber of Sikyong Penpa Tsering and the delegation of the Tibetan community and from Tibet.

I want to thank Senator McKim for advancing this matter of public importance motion for debate in the chamber today, and I have to agree with everything in his statement. It says:

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a leader of peace, compassion and non-violence in Australia and the world; the severe violations of religious freedom in Tibet and the policy of sinicising Tibetan culture and religion is concerning, and; decisions regarding the selection, education, and veneration of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders are exclusively spiritual matters that should be made by the appropriate religious authorities within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and in the context of the will of practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.

That statement is wholly and completely acceptable to any person who believes in the fundamental human right of individuals to hold a faith and to gather together to honour and celebrate that faith.

It was only in recent days that I spoke in this chamber regarding the movement towards a referendum acknowledging support of all of the faiths, in public statements, for our movement towards that referendum and a voice for Aboriginal people in this country. They have suffered exactly the sort of situation described by Senator Reynolds: the loss of family connection, the removal of language capacity, the diminishing of an entire culture and abrogation of the sense of right to identity that, clearly, belongs to the Tibetan people.

I'm very pleased to say that in my time here in the parliament I had the opportunity, with others, to have an audience with his Holiness the Dalai Lama, and I cannot think of that encounter without smiling. I think the joy, the peace and the happiness that is manifest in the way his Holiness interacts with the world has been instructive for the cause of peace in our time. That is why it is very important that we continue to stand and speak, to this issue, in sites such as our parliament that are beacons of democracy.

I'm pleased to say that the Albanese government speaks clearly and consistently in support of human rights around the world. We bring all aspects of Australian power to our foreign policy, and we employ every strategy at our disposal towards upholding human rights, consistent with our values and with our interests. The Australian government has been very clear and consistent in raising serious concerns about human rights in Tibet, publicly and privately, directly with China and in multilateral forums. The foreign minister, Senator Penny Wong, has consistently raised Australian government concerns about the erosion of rights and freedom in Tibet with her counterpart in China, and she will continue to do so. On 1 March, the assistant foreign minister, Minister Watts, delivered Australia's national statement at the high-level segment of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, expressing Australia's concerns about reports of the erosion of educational, religious, cultural and linguistic rights and freedoms in Tibet.

The government is very concerned about and very aware of disturbing reports by UN experts about the separation of Tibetan children from families in government run boarding schools. On 6 February this year, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the UN special rapporteurs had found one million Tibetan children separated from families in government run boarding schools, in a policy described by a term that's too familiar to Australians who study our own history—a policy of assimilation. We are gravely concerned also by reports of Tibetans being detained for peaceful expression of political views. The suppression of Tibetan religious expression, excessive security measures, mass surveillance, restrictions on travel and China's policies on Tibetan cultural rights and heritage are of concern, and they will continue to be of interest to the people of Australia.

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak in solidarity with the Tibetan people as a sovereign person of this country, to the sovereign people of your country. What is happening in Tibet is cultural genocide. It's what happens here as well, under this government and the last government. They continue cultural genocide today, here, on us. We are with you.

The Chinese regime is oppressing educational, religious and language institutions, which is against the cultural rights, the freedom of religion and belief, and the rights to education of the Tibetan people. Tibetan children are being forced into boarding schools run by the Chinese Communist Party and separated from their religion, families, culture and tradition. We also have 23,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children that have been taken from their mothers, and the government here still won't do anything. Again, we are in solidarity with you. To the sovereign people of Tibet I want to say that we see you, we hear you and we feel you. As First Peoples of this country now called Australia, we know exactly what it is like to have our children ripped away by a system that tries to erase you. That's what this place has tried to do to my people here for over 200 years.

To the federal government I say: nice speeches, but it's time to set up against the cultural genocide in Tibet and engage internationally with our allies to support the UN investigation into China's policy of acculturation and assimilation—we know Voice is assimilating us. Through the ancient Tibetan traditions and practices, that self-determination, and to the Tibetan community here: we are with you. (Time expired)

Tony Sheldon (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also very much welcome our visitors to the Senate. I rise to speak on this matter of public importance regarding Tibet. The Albanese government speaks clearly and consistently in support of human rights around the world, including in Tibet. We bring all aspects of Australian power to our foreign policy, and we employ every strategy at our disposal towards upholding human rights, consistent with our values and with our interests. Our guiding objective is to achieve meaningful outcomes.

One lever is our diplomacy, which is often more effective when we partner with other countries to send a message. We have appointed an ambassador for human rights. We have expanded the role of the Ambassador to Counter Modern Slavery, People Smuggling and Human Trafficking. But, when dialogue does not progress, we look for other ways to send a strong, clear message. Sometimes we partner with others, sometimes we engage directly and sometimes we apply pressure. Our task is to do what we can to lessen the injustice in this world. We take the world as it is and dedicate ourselves with great seriousness to the questions of how we can shape it for the better.

That brings me to the question of Tibet and this matter of public importance before us today. The Australian government has been clear and consistent in raising serious concerns about human rights in Tibet—publicly and privately, directly with China and in multilateral forums. The foreign minister has consistently raised Australian government concerns about the erosion of rights and freedoms in Tibet with her counterpart in China and will continue to do so.

On 1 March, assistant foreign minister Watts delivered Australia's national statement at the high-level segment of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council. There he expressed Australia's concerns about reports of the erosion of educational, religious, cultural and linguistic rights and freedoms in Tibet. The government is aware of disturbing reports from UN experts about the separation of Tibetan children from families in government run boarding schools. On 6 February this year, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that UN special rapporteurs had found that one million Tibetan children were separated from families in the government run boarding schools—horrific—in what has appeared to be a clear policy of assimilation. We're also gravely concerned about reports of the detention of Tibetans for peaceful expression of political views; the suppression of Tibetan religious expression; excessive security measures; mass surveillance; restrictions on travel; and China's policies on Tibetan cultural rights and heritage.

We are aware of disturbing reports from the UN experts of forcible labour through transfers of Tibetans to vocational training programs. On 27 April this year, UN independent human rights experts reported that labour transfer and vocational training programs in Tibet threaten Tibetan cultural identity and may lead to forced labour. The government is committed to ensuring that the supply chains we use do not promote, condone or financially support forced labour. On 9 May, the government announced it would provide $8 million over four years from 2023-24 and an ongoing $2 million per year to establish an antislavery commissioner. The commissioner will work across government, industry and civil society to support compliance with the Modern Slavery Act, to bring transparency to supply chains and to help fight modern slavery in Australia and abroad.

The rapporteurs also mentioned, of course, the disappearance of the Panchen Lama, who has been disappeared and has not been allowed to be raised in the Tibetan tradition for 28 years. It's critically important that we strongly express our condemnation and repeated requests for information on the fate and whereabouts of the Panchen Lama. We strongly express our concerns about the ongoing erosion of educational, religious, cultural and linguistic rights and freedoms in Tibet. (Time expired)

Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to begin this speech, as the Greens foreign affairs spokesperson, by also acknowledging the presence of the Tibetan delegation and of the Sikyong in the chamber. You are most welcome. I also want to reaffirm the Greens' support for this matter of public importance offered to the chamber today, very much crafted by my esteemed colleague Senator Rice, who is one of the most passionate and stalwart friends of Tibet in this chamber. I want to thank you, Janet, for your continued support of the Tibetan community and for your tireless advocacy here in the Senate for Tibetan independence and sovereignty—and, broadly, for a free and peaceful debate.

The Greens will be joining, I hope, with the entire Senate this afternoon in supporting the words of this motion. I particularly want to lend my support to the sections going to the absolute importance of the selection, education and veneration of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders being treated exclusively as spiritual matters dealt with by the appropriate religious authorities within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and in the context of the will of the practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism. It is critical that the Chinese government does not interfere with the process of selecting the next Dalai Lama, and that this process is done in accordance with Tibetan Buddhist traditions, principles and practice. The Chinese government has indicated that it intends to control the process, and this isn't new; they kidnapped the then six-year-old Panchen Lama some 28 years ago and he hasn't been seen since.

The opinion that I just voiced to the Senate is not a controversial one; it's an opinion which supports the basic religious freedoms of Tibetans and is in support of human rights for Tibet and globally. I would hope that all senators can join me in supporting this motion.

I also want to use this moment in time to highlight that no less than six UN special rapporteurs have written extensively about their concerns in relation to the use of forced labour involving Tibetans. They have written specifically to the Chinese government, outlining the specific nature of these concerns, and I want to quote them to the Senate. They said that they are seriously concerned about the extensive labour transfer programs in the Tibetan Autonomous Region, placing rural workers into low-skilled and low-paid industrial jobs, allegedly eroding Tibetan minority languages, cultural practices and religion.

It is time that Australia joined with other countries, including the United States, and stopped the import of products that have been made by forced labour from coming into Australia, including when they're manufactured by forced labour in Tibet. Australia can no longer be complicit in this activity, as we have been for so long. It's heartening to hear the words of Senator Sheldon in relation to this regard, and they should be backed up by the official position of his government. The Australian government should not allow the importation of products made by forced labour. The Greens have an amendment right now which would enable that goal to be achieved; amending the Customs Act would send a clear message to all countries that Australia sees modern slavery as unacceptable, and that our community will not accept goods that have been produced by forced labour.

We are joining with the community in this call, and would ask the government to support the Greens amendment to the Customs Act to achieve this goal, as they did in opposition. It is time to do the right thing and support this amendment, to see that no product in that is made by forced labour is sold within our borders.

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Greens want us to take a stand for the religious freedom of Buddhist monks in Tibet, and rightly so. I agree with that. But what about the freedom of the Catholics right here in the ACT. Just up the road their freedoms are being trashed. It is interesting that the Greens, to my left, want to pontificate on the rights of the Dalai Lama but are keeping mum on the rights of Catholic health professionals to maintain Calvary Hospital right here in our nation's capital. If we care about religious rights, how about we call on the Labor government to end its immoral takeover of Calvary? How about demanding that the Prime Minister, Mr Albanese, respect the religious rights of Catholics and Christians? Or perhaps my friends over here care more about Buddhists overseas than Catholics right here at home?

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What a disgraceful contribution that was from Senator Babet! I acknowledge Senator Rice, a longstanding friend of the Tibetan people, for suggesting this motion today. I also acknowledge the presence in the gallery of the delegation of the Central Tibetan Administration, the democratically elected government of Tibetans in exile, and especially Sikyong Penpa Tsering. You are most welcome in the chamber today. Thank you for honouring us with your presence.

Since 1959 the Tibetan people have faced brutality, invasion and the attempted destruction of their culture. They have faced attacks not only on their people, their monks and their monasteries but on their culture, their expression and their freedom. Critically, and courageously, they have never ceded sovereignty over their country. The Chinese government must immediately end its human rights violations and respect the civil, political and religious rights of the Tibetan people. The Chinese government should also immediately release the Panchen Lama, who they kidnapped 28 years ago.

Our government, the Australian government, needs to have an honest conversation with the Chinese government, our biggest trading partner. Our government should make it clear that the Chinese government should not interfere any further in the succession of the 14th Dalai Lama. Any such interference would be completely unacceptable.

Since the leadership of our former leader, Senator Bob Brown, the Australian Greens have supported the Tibetan people in their brave and courageous fight for self-determination and to reclaim their country. That will always continue.