14/04/2008 Political Affairs and Democracy
Strasbourg, 16.04.2008 – The Political Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) is to hold a public hearing tomorrow, 17 April, at the initiative of its Chairperson Göran Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD), on “the political situation in China on the eve of the Olympic Games” .
Participants at the hearing, taking place on the fringe of the Assembly’s plenary session (14-18 April), include:
• Yang Jianli, Chinese researcher and human rights defender, founder of the non-profit forum Initiatives for China
• Jampal Chosang, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Paris
• Corinna-Barbara Francis, Researcher from Amnesty International, East Asia team
• Olivier Basille, Permanent Representative of Reporters Without Borders to the European institutions in Brussels
The Chinese authorities were also invited but have declined to intervene on the panel. However, a representative will observe the proceedings.
The hearing will be streamed live over the internet in its original languages, via a link from the website of the Assembly. http://tv.coe.int/internet/press.html
The hearing, which is open to the press, will take place at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg (Room 1) from 8.30 to 10 a.m.