The situation in Tibet has deteriorated to such catastrophic levels many concerns internationally have been alarmed, which has included the government of Australia. Phayul.com has reported on April 6, 2013, Gillard to Raise Tibet Issue with Xi. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said at a recent press conference that she would raise the issue of Tibet with the new Chinese leadership during her weeklong visit to China.
This significant announcement has followed Australia Tibet Council's (ATC) letter to the Prime Minister last week, which urged her to encourage Chinese president Xi Jinping to address the current crisis inside Tibet. Paul Rourke, the executive officer of ATC, said in the letter, "Failure to offer frank advice on the human rights situation in Tibet, and in China at large, will only ensure the continuity of the decades-long repressive policies, undermining basic human values such as freedom, dignity and justice."
Ms Gillard will begin her visit to China on Friday and she will be one of the first world leaders to meet with President Xi since his selection for the job. ATC's letter has stated, "Unfortunately, instead of seeking to address Tibetan grievances, China's leaders have continued the repressive 'stability maintenance' approach, ramped up anti-Dalai Lama propaganda, criminalized protests and introduced harsh new security measures for the Tibetans." Tibetans have urged the Australian government to adopt a new approach on the Tibet issue by coordinating its efforts with similar minded governments in helping to resolve the situation in Tibet.
