Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

As the member for Macquarie, it has been my privilege to get to know members of the Tibetan community in the Blue Mountains over many years, people like Kunchok and his son Tenzin. Kunchok's own story is one that speaks to the suppression of Tibetan religious expression. He was a Tibetan Buddhist monk, and he escaped on the difficult route from Lhasa, through the Himalayas, to Dharamshala in India, before coming to Australia as a refugee. We are lucky to have such resilient people, many of whom have taken the path to Australian citizenship. The community practices their culture and language, and they share that with us in the Blue Mountains. But the challenges for Tibetans to have contact with their families, to feel safe wherever they are and to increase the freedoms their families and friends in Tibet have are ongoing. Transnational repression of Tibetans continues to be of concern. As the co-chair of the parliamentary friends group of Tibet and as we mark Tibet Lobby Day in parliament today, I welcome His Eminence 13th Kundeling Tatsak Rinpoche and the delegation to the parliament, some of who are in the chamber with us right now.

This past year has marked the 90th birthday of Nobel Peace Prize laureate, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, which is observed as the Year of Compassion globally to celebrate his contribution to humanity. The Dalai Lama has affirmed that the institution will continue, with the Dalai Lama's Gaden Phodrang Trust having the sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation.

I take this opportunity to reiterate the Australian government's view that no government should interfere in the selection of religious leaders, and that includes the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama. I urge the Chinese government to recognise the fundamental human rights of Tibetan people and to enter into genuine dialogue without precondition with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with a view to achieving long-term peace and freedom in Tibet.

I have deep concern over the Chinese government's policies in Tibet aimed at eradicating the distinct cultural and religious identity of the Tibetan people. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has warned that deepening restrictions on freedoms of language, education, practice of religion, culture, expression and assembly, and he has called for that law to be repealed. I'll continue to advocate for the rights of Tibetans. I look forward to working closely with my Tibetan community and the wider Tibetan community in Australia, who add to the richness and diversity of Australia's multiculturalism.

Andrew Wallace (Fisher, Liberal National Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I support the member for Macquarie's words in relation to the Tibetan delegation who are here today. They'll be joining me in my office later on this morning, I believe.

We have one of the largest religious institutions in Australia. It's called the Chenrezig Institute. It's in Eudlo. I try and get there as often as I can, because they are very, very decent people. I get to meet the monks and the nuns, who are dedicated to their faith. It's a different faith to mine, but certainly these are very good people.

The member for Macquarie and I have tried to get a motion up in this Chamber. Last year, we moved a motion together. I think it was the first time that a motion has been moved in this place where it was moved by a Labor Party member and seconded by a Liberal Party member, such is the support across the political divide for the people of Tibet. The people of Tibet are beautiful people. I hope to be able to go to Tibet one day to visit the Dalai Lama.

What we're seeing in Tibet now is a great shame. We are seeing young children who are being forcibly removed from their families. They are losing their cultural identity. The People's Republic of China are basically trying to 're-educate' the children. They are literally removing them from families, and they are losing their culture. They're losing their language, and they are being so-called re-educated in manners that are agreeable to the People's Republic of China.

The member for Macquarie also spoke about how the People's Republic of China are trying to force themselves into their faith so that they can control who the next Dalai Lama will be, and that is an absolute disgrace. These people deserve the right to be able to choose who they regard as their own spiritual leader—the next Dalai Lama—and not have someone that's endorsed by or forced upon them by Beijing. I welcome the delegation today, and I look forward to further discussions with them in my office.