7th April 2008

Green MPs say 'don't forget Tibet' on day of FTA signing

Green Party MPs Keith Locke and Sue Kedgley will protesting against the signing of the New Zealand/China free trade agreement by raising a Tibetan flag on the steps of Parliament today at 12 noon.

'Don't forget Tibet' and 'Human rights are not for sale' are themes of today's protest, to be held a few hours before the signing of the agreement in Beijing.

"A key reason the Green Party opposes the signing is that it is seen to condone China's appalling record on human rights, labour standards and environmental protection," the Green Party's Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Mr Locke says.

"It is immoral to separate the free trade agreement from China's brutal suppression of Tibetan protests and the banning of political dissent in China.

"The absence of human rights in China also makes the free trade agreement dangerous to New Zealand. Few Kiwi manufacturers will be able to compete with cheap Chinese goods - made by workers who are paid a pittance and have no rights to join a trade union."

When: 12.00pm Monday, April 7 Where: Parliament Steps, Wellington What: Protest against China Free Trade Agreement

ENDS

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