Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-07-09-Speech-3-277"
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"en.20080709.31.3-277"2
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"Mr President, this House must promote statesmanship, which sadly today it is not doing.
Ten million homeless people is an enormous disaster – the worst in the world. We saw a people-concerned, people-centred Chinese Government and leadership in action in an area which has one of the biggest populations, including more than one million Tibetans. Unlike in Burma where the rulers did not and do not care, the Chinese Government demonstrably cares for its own people. This was self-evident to anyone who saw the relief effort.
Human rights in China cannot be decided by other countries, powers, organisations or people in the rest of the world. It can only be decided by the 1.3 billion Chinese population for themselves. We well know that this population can be articulate, can demonstrate and show their anger, and they do show it when something is wrong.
The human rights situation in China is improving and can be improved further. Parliament and my colleagues shouting about it is not going to make any difference. We are, as usual, deluding ourselves about how important we are. It will be the Chinese people who, having been lifted out of poverty, will ask for themselves greater democratic expression. Four hundred million people have been lifted out of poverty – a remarkable achievement. But the Chinese people are afraid. By turning our backs on them as we did over the Olympic Torch, we only infuriate the people of China, not their government. This distinction is important and should be understood."@en1
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