Tibet Speech In Hong Kong Postponed After China Complains Organizers
HONG KONG (AFP)--A talk in Hong Kong by an international activist backing Tibetan self-determination has been postponed after China voiced its disapproval, organizers said Wednesday.
Kate Saunders, the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet＇s communications director, had been scheduled to speak at Hong Kong＇s Foreign Correspondents＇ Club, or FCC, on Tuesday.
But the event was postponed after the Hong Kong office of China＇s Foreign Ministry suggested to the FCC the talk was too one-sided and should include a speaker representing Beijing＇s views, said FCC president Ernst Herb.
"As you can expect, they are not very happy with that (the subject of the talk)," Herb said.
The FCC board was set to meet late Wednesday to discuss whom they should invite to speak alongside Saunders when the event is rescheduled.
Saunders, whose talk was entitled "A Great Mountain Burned by Fire: Reflections on New Expressions of Dissent and the Crisis in Tibet," said she would be happy to share the stage with a representative from the Chinese government.
"Debate is something that we always welcome," she said by telephone.
No one from the foreign ministry was available for comment when contacted by journalists.
However, in a reply to a query from the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, the foreign ministry said, "We firmly opposed Tibetan separatists to come to Hong Kong for any separatist activities."
It was the second time in a month that Beijing＇s views had been cited in connection with the postponement of an FCC event.
Earlier this month, ousted Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra canceled a public appearance at the club to avoid upsetting the "friendly relationship" between Thailand and China.
His decision came after current Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he would ask Beijing to extradite Thaksin.
A week later Thaksin made a speech to the club by video from Dubai.
Chinese authorities have carried out a security crackdown in recent weeks in a bid to quell possible unrest as Tibetans marked the 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule in the mountainous region.
Hong Kong has a different legal system from mainland China and enjoys greater freedoms of speech and media.
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