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

I rise today to address a matter of profound significance: the ongoing Sino-Tibet conflict and its devastating impact on the Tibetan people. I acknowledge that in the building today there are representatives of the Tibetan government in exile, from Dharamshala, India, who have joined with parliamentarians to continue to advise us of the plight of the Tibetan people.

For far too long the Tibetan people have endured the denial of their basic freedoms and human rights. The situation is deeply troubling, as many Tibetans find themselves subject to arbitrary treatment within a legal system that prioritises the Chinese Communist Party's political considerations over any concept of rule of law that you or I might be familiar with. The unjust system operating in the Tibetan regions of what China claims as its own undermines the local people's access to justice and perpetuates a cycle of oppression.

As a person of faith I'm deeply committed to advocating for the rights of all individuals to express and practise their chosen faith beliefs. The forced assimilation of Tibetan families and the erosion of their rich cultural heritage is particularly alarming. The systematic stripping away of Tibetan language, music, ideas and customs not only diminishes the cultural identity of the Tibetan peoples but also deprives the younger generation of the opportunity to learn and embrace their own heritage. This cultural erasure is a profound injustice that must be addressed and reversed.

Earlier this year I had the privilege of visiting Dharamshala, invited by the Australia Tibet Council. I was accompanied on that visit by Senator Dean Smith, Mr Michael McCormack and Mr David Smith. I had the true honour of meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and I engaged with Tibetan survivors who have endured imprisonment for simply protesting for 20 minutes—eight weeks of torture and nearly five years of imprisonment. This cannot continue.