Agb Speaker, vroer hierdie maand het die Internasionale Netwerk van Parlementarirs oor Tibet 'n beroep gedoen op die Chinese regering om te goeder trou met die Dalai Lama en die Sentraal- Tibettaanse administrasie oor selfbeskikking te onderhandel.
Die VF Plus ondersteun hierdie oproep en wil vandag op die ANC 'n beroep doen om ook hulle steun toe te s, tydens al die beurte wat hulle vandag gaan h met verklarings deur lede, om 'n vreedsame oplossing vir die menseregtevergrype van die Chinese regering in Tibet te erken, en om die erkenning van Tibet se reg tot selfbeskikking af te dwing.
Meer as 50 jaar lank het die ANC sy stryd teen apartheid onder die vaandel van menseregte geveg. Hiervoor het die ANC groot internasionale steun ontvang. Dis egter dieselfde party wat die Dalai Lama herhaaldelik toegang tot Suid-Afrika weier. Di optrede, dat die ANC onder druk van die Chinese regering swig, kos die land duur aan sy internasionale reputasie as 'n ware demokratiese land. Dit het tyd geword dat die ANC-regering openlik en onomwonde sy beleid ten opsigte van die handhawing van menseregte en die erkenning van die reg tot selfbeskikking van Tibet verklaar.
Dit is teen hierdie agtergrond dat die VF Plus president Zuma se besoek aan Orania vandag ook verwelkom. Die feit dat die President bereid is om self te gaan vasstel hoe selfbeskikking in die praktyk funksioneer tot voordeel van almal in Suid-Afrika is 'n positiewe stap, en die inwerkingstelling van artikel 235 van die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet. Dankie. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans member's statement follows.)
[Dr C P MULDER (FF Plus): Hon Speaker, earlier this month the International Network of Parliamentarians on Tibet appealed to the Chinese government to negotiate in good faith with the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan administration on self-determination.
The FF Plus supports this call and wants to appeal to the ANC to also give assurance of its support, by using the opportunities during member's statements today, to recognise the finding of a peaceful solution to the human rights violations by the Chinese government in Tibet, and also to enforcing the recognition of Tibet's right to self-determination.
For more than 50 years, the ANC fought its struggle against apartheid under the banner of human rights. For this the ANC received great international support. It is, however, the same party that repeatedly refuses the Dalai Lama entry into South Africa. This conduct, that the ANC succumbs to pressure from the Chinese government, is doing a lot of damage to the country's international reputation as a truly democratic country. The time has come for the ANC government to openly and unequivocally declare its policy with regard to maintaining human rights and to recognising Tibet's right to self-determination.
It is against this background that the FF Plus today also welcomes President Zuma's visit to Orania. The fact that the President is prepared to personally ascertain how self-determination functions in practice to the benefit of everyone in South Africa, is a positive step and gives effect to section 235 of the South African Constitution. Thank you. [Applause.]]