Thank you. Mr Deputy President, the November 2008 Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People is the basis on which the people of Tibet are basing their request for autonomy. It is not a call for independence or separation, but rather a middle-way approach to secure autonomy for the Tibetan people within the scope of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China.
Deputy President, given that this memorandum has been presented to South Africa's Department of International Relations and Co-operation in that the People's Republic of China has recognised the Tibetan nationality as one of the 55 minority nationalities in China, would South Africa not consider following the resolution of the European parliament, the codes of the United Nations and the United States of America to encourage both sides to engage in substantive discussions in an effort to secure genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people within the scope of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China? If yes, what would your intended plan of action be, and if not, why not?