This afternoon, John rose in support of a motion to formally express the concern of the House over the situation in Tibet.  The motion read:

'That this House express its deep concern at reports of violence and riots in Tibet and subsequently elsewhere in China; call on all sides to show restraint; express its strong support for the right of people to protest peacefully; urge the Chinese authorities to react carefully and proportionately to protest; and urge China to engage in meaningful dialogue with representatives of the Tibetan people in order to achieve a lasting resolution of problems in Tibet.'

In his speech, John said:

On behalf of the National Party, I join with the Government in voicing concern at the violence and loss of life in Tibet over recent days.

While the official reports are not yet clear as to the level of casualties, or, indeed, the precise origins of some of the conflict, what is clear is that the Chinese Government has engaged in a substantial imposition of military force in Tibet on a scale and in a manner that is unacceptable to the vast majority of New Zealanders.

In supporting this motion today I want to make it very clear that the National Party supports the rights of the citizens of Tibet to peaceful protests and calls upon the Government of China to respect that right.

It has been a matter of some comment that these unfortunate events occur as New Zealand concludes negotiations for a free trade arrangement with China.

The National Party supports those negotiations, as it supports free trade negotiations generally, because they can only advance New Zealand's interests as a small nation very dependent on its capacity to trade.

Nothing we have seen in Tibet in recent days affects that bipartisan support for the free trade agreement, but neither do the free trade agreement negotiations affect our right -- indeed, our obligation -- to speak up when we see a small group of people substantially unable to defend themselves and treated in a manner that we find totally reprehensible by our standards.

Today I urge the Chinese Government to heed the expressions of alarm in this country and many others.

I urge it to respect the human rights of the citizens of Tibet and to seek dialogue rather than the imposition of force as the path towards solving the long-standing disputes in Tibet.