Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate calls on the Australian Government to promote with Beijing an act of self-determination for the Uighur people of East Turkistan (Xinjiang Province, China).

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—The Australian government again records its objection to dealing with complex international matters, such as the one before us, by means of formal motions. We recognise that issues involving different ethnic groups can be sensitive no matter what country is concerned. These are not matters which can be dealt with in a simplistic or judgmental manner and we do not want our actions to aggravate ethnic tensions in the region. Successive Australian governments have consistently adhered to a ‘one China’ policy. We recognise China’s sovereignty over the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and China’s territorial integrity. We do not agree with proponents of self-determination.

Recent violence in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is concerning. On 7 July Foreign Minister Smith said that the Australian government was concerned by reports of violence in the Xinjiang and was very concerned about the tragic loss of life. Australia was encouraged by the fact that China allowed diplomats and foreign journalists to have access to the Xinjiang immediately after the 5 July riots. On 30 July, Foreign Minister Smith called on China to conduct an investigation into the base causes of the violence.

I would like to take this opportunity to make some remarks with respect to the visit to Australia by Rebiya Kadeer. The government has no evidence of information that Kadeer is a terrorist. It was a private visit. Ms Kadeer was not met by any government ministers, just as she has not been met by ministers in the past. She is perfectly entitled to put her point of view but that does not mean necessarily that the Australian government or the Australian people believe or support any or all of it. For the reasons I have outlined the government does not support the motion before the Senate today.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I would like to make a similar response. The first thing I would point out here is that that is the same response we got from Labor over the issue of self-determination for the people of East Timor during the 26 years in which that beleaguered people were under the boot of the Indonesian military. The second thing is that the minister has said that there is no evidence that Miss Rebiya Kadeer is a terrorist. Well, I submit that there is a lot of evidence that the government in Beijing creates enormous terror, particularly for people who are seeking democracy, religious freedom, their human rights and their right to the health of their own cultures. I would ask the government, if it is going to make a reverse implication that there is no evidence, to refute, if it will—and silence on this will be noted—that the government in Beijing serially breach international law, including through torture and the death of prisoners whose only crime is to seek self-determination or freedom, whether they be in Tibet or East Turkistan, or democrats simply campaigning for the rights and freedoms that we have in this Australian democracy in their home country of China.

Question put:

That the motion (Senator Bob Brown’s) be agreed to.