14 December 2005
Norwegian foreign minister question on Drepung Monastery
(Phayul) In the Norwegian Parliament, Olav Gunnar Ballo, MP for the Socialist Left Party raised a question about the recent incidents of violence in Drepung Monastery in Lhasa and asked how the foreign minister of Norway was going to react. The foreign minister in his answer said that human rights are a central issue in the dialogue between Norway and China, with Norway having a particular interest in Tibet and the human rights situation there. "The Norwegian opposition to the death penalty, promotion of freedom of religion and protection of Tibetan culture is emphasised both in our regular bilateral contacts with the Chinese authorities at different levels as well as in all relevant multilateral connections- like the UN Human Rights Commission". The foreign minister said he also raised individual cases with the Chinese authorities where Tibetans have been imprisoned on questionable grounds. The Norwegian embassy in Beijing is now looking into the incident and that this particular case would be raised during the next Norwegian Chinese Round Table Conference about human rights depending on the findings of Norwegian embassy in China. The conference will take place on 04-06 January 2006.