Gormley sparks diplomatic row
Sunday April 13 2008
Environment Minister John Gormley has provoked a diplomatic row between Ireland and China after charging that the Chinese have exploited and suppressed their Tibetan neighbours.
The Chinese ambassador walked out of the Green Party conference in Dundalk, Co Louth, last night during the remarks.
But conference delegates appeared to jeer as Ambassador Liu Biwei and his delegation consulted each other before the walkout, which happened as the bemused minister continued to speak during his leader's address.
"Respect for human rights must extend to all cultures and countries," Mr Gormley said. "One country which has been exploited and suppressed and suffered for far too long is Tibet. We condemn unequivocally the flagrant abuse of human rights by the Chinese government and call on the Chinese government to enter into dialogue with the Dalai Lama."
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But the Green Party leader's remarks could provoke fury in China, which is facing waves of protests over violence in Tibet in the run up to this summer's Olympic Games. It could also put a major strain on increasingly important trade links between Ireland and the booming Chinese economy.
Irish property developers are involved in construction projects in China worth billions of euro.
Mr Gormley continued with his conference address following the walkout, covering a wide range of topics including his party's performance in government.
Bringing his leader's address to a close, Mr Gormley shifted his focus from the issues of climate change and ecological sustainability to the Greens' repeated insistence on high standards in public life.
In remarks clearly intended to reassure members still uneasy over the party's coalition with Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats, he reaffirmed the Greens' stance on ethical standards in politics.
"We have always said that we would look after our political morality," he said. "It has been said that when we were faced with the choice between looking after other parties' ethics and saving the planet, we took the easier option and decided to save the planet. And, rightly so -- and we make no apologies."
The Green Party leader's decision to broach the matter of political ethics in his keynote address is significant in view of the imminent changeover in the office of An Taoiseach.
- RONALD QUINLAN
