March 17, 2008 - Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has accused the prime minister of been "effectively silent" on a violent crackdown on Tibetan protesters by Chinese authorities.
Mr Rudd's reaction to the crackdown, compared to his stance against the military in Burma, was double standards, he said.
"I can't believe that this prime minster has been so effectively silent except for calling for restraint, whatever that is," Senator Brown told reporters today in Canberra.
"When the Burmese crisis was on last year, with Buddhist monks and nuns being shot and incarcerated and tortured, this prime minister called on the then (Howard) government for targeted sanctions against the Burmese regime and for coordinated worldwide condemnation of Burma.
"Now, we've got the same thing happening in Tibet and the prime minister, who's made such a feature of his understanding and relationship with China, is effectively saying nothing except: 'Let's have restraint'."
Senator Brown said seven million Tibetan people had been treated abominably and had no rights.
They were being treated cruelly just for calling for the freedom of their own country, he said.
"Our prime minister and this government has got to get some backbone over Tibet and speak up and look the Chinese communist dictatorship in the eye when Kevin Rudd gets to China and call on China to haul off on Tibet," Senator Brown said.
AAP - Sydney Morning Herald
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