§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their attention has been drawn to the plight of the inhabitants of Tibet, whose position, considered in terms of the Charter of Human Rights, would appear to be gravely jeopardised by the recent actions of the Chinese Government in that area; and, if so, whether they would make representations, alone or with the Commonwealth of India, to the Chinese Government in respect of that matter.]
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which the noble Lord may be referring, is a statement of general principles, proclaimed, to quote its preamble
as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations".It is not in the form of a Treaty, and does not of itself give one Government 274 a right to complain to another in every case where a failure to have regard to its provisions is suspected. Apart from that consideration, although there have been a number of reports of disturbed conditions in Tibet, reliable information is very difficult to obtain. In the circumstances, there is no proper basis for representations.
LORD REAMy Lords, I must apologise to the noble Earl if he took my reference to the Treaty on Human Rights as called in aid of my Question. I was considering the general atmosphere of the Treaty. Would the noble Earl agree that. the proper recognition of the Chinese Republic in the United Nations might make a question of this sort much more easy to handle effectively?
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, would it not be a good thing if all the signatories to the Treaty on Human Rights would find it within their province of their own volition, to make representations when they think that that Treaty is being abrogated by the action of another Government?
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I think I would agree with the noble Viscount, but the point of my reply to the Question was that there is really not sufficient reliable information on which to base representations at the present time.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, it is curious that in so many cases where there is still religious persecution in some countries, no action seems to be taken by any other Government in regard to the particular Government who are, if not abusing the Treaty on Human Rights, at least taking, no action in their own country.