Dharamshala: - In light of the tragic self-immolations in Tibet, the French government was questioned in the French National Assembly by Lionnel Luca MP, president of the Inter-parliamentary Group for Tibet.
Lionnel Luca, president of the Tibet Group and member of the French National Assembly, brought the Tibetan issue to the attention of the French Prime Minister on 28 November 2012.
Luca specifically addressed his question to the Prime Minister, and began by pointing out that it took only one self-immolation to inspire the events of the Arab Spring, but over 86 self-immolations in Tibet have done little to help the desperate situation Tibetans face under Chinese rule.
"After the euphoria of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, which was supposed to bring democracy to China, the repression now has never been so terrible against six million Tibetans, who simply desire religious freedom and defense of their culture."
Luca went on to point out that since China's occupation of Tibet in 1950 little has been done to enforce two UN resolutions that demanded the release of the territory.
After establishing for the assembly the dire Tibetan situation, Luca asked, "On the eve of the celebration, on December 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, written by a French Professor René Cassin, how will France, Prime Minister, remain faithful to its universal message?"
Luca's question was applauded by those associated with the Union for a Popular Movement, and was answered by Bernard Cazeneuve, Junior Minister for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
His response was essentially that, whenever possible, French authorities have and will continue to question the Chinese government in matters concerning human rights.
This indictment on the French government by Luca comes one month after his call for a boycott on Chinese goods, which Luca claims would "be the only means to exert pressure on a government that tramples International law."
