Today, the government put up a motion at the beginning of Question Time on the situation in Tibet. Unfortunately, as with their previous responses, it's more mealy-mouthed bullshit:
I move that this House express its deep concern at reports of violence and riots in Tibet and subsequently elsewhere in China; call on all sides to show restraint; express its strong support for the right of people to protest peacefully; urge the Chinese authorities to react carefully and proportionately to protest; and urge China to engage in meaningful dialogue with representatives of the Tibetan people in order to achieve a lasting resolution of problems in Tibet.A government which truly supported human rights would condemn, rather than merely "express concern", and would aim that condemnation clearly at the Chinese regime, rather than seeking to blame their victims. But its already abundently clear that our government has been bought,and that their eyes are firmly fixed on the FTA, and bugger how many protestors the Chinese shoot or run over with tanks.
During the subsequent debate, several parties expressed a desire for a stronger motion. Judy Turner's speech is a fantastic read, not just for the rhetoric, but also for what it reveals about NZ's "response". Apparently, our government hasn't even summoned the Chinese Ambassador to express its disappointment or "concern" directly. They're so scared of upsetting the Chinese that they can't even do that.
I'm utterly disgusted by Labour's inaction on this issue. They've sold our souls to an authoritarian regime, compromising our fundamental values so our farmers can sell more milk. They've betrayed themselves, they've betrayed us, and hopefully they'll be paying a price for it at election time.
