MEDIA RELEASE

18th November 2014

Visit of President Xi Jinping to New Zealand

As president Xi Jinping of China pays short visit to New Zealand, of Friends of Tibet (NZ) has called upon Foreign Minister Hon Murray McCully and the Prime Minister Rt Hon John Key to raise the issue of Human Rights violations in Tibet by the Chinese Government.

The Tibetan Community in Auckland will hold a meeting on Wednesday 19th November at 11 am at 18 Valhalla Drive Beach Haven North Shore, to discuss the current crises in Tibet and the visit of China’s president Xi Jinping to New Zealand. The Green Party Co-Leader

Dr Russel Norman will be attending. He will be briefed on the situation in Tibet so that he could raise the issue of Tibet with our government and if the “opportunity rises to meet president Xi Jinping, he will raise the Tibet issue also.

“As Xi Jinping prepares to discuss trade with our government, Tibetans are literally dying for freedom, ” said Thuten Kesang, Chairman of Friends of Tibet (NZ) and representative of the Tibetan Community in New Zealand.

“Xi Jinping should be held accountable for China’s failed policies in Tibet. Under Xi’s rule we have seen a worsening crackdown in Tibet with recent policies that collectively punish both individuals as well as whole communities of Tibetans simply by association. Since 2009 about 130 Tibetans have self immolated inside Tibet and the world is in deadly silence due to trade with China” he added.

Wellington Friends of Tibet members will be reminding Xi Jinping while he is there that they have not forgotten Tibet.

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