CHANGE OF HEART: Despite recent protests and political support, a resolution supporting a free Tibet and condeming human rights abuses in the remote kingdom was recently rejected by the Lithuanian Parliament. The decision, which was praised by Foreign MInister Vytautas Usackas, came at the same time as events for the Lithuania-China forum got underway in the capital.
After heated discussions, internal accusations and shaming the Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament) on May 21 made a decision to strengthen Lithuania's relations with China at the expense of ideological support for a free Tibet.
Foreign Minister Vytautas Usackas, who has the job of strengthening ties with China, expressed relief at the result.
"First of all, I would like to thank you for this 'gift' because after adoption of this resolution my forthcoming meeting with the foreign minister of China next week at the meeting of the European Union and Asia foreign ministers will be truly enriched," Usackas told parliament.
He claimed that he would have to explain how Lithuania's politics on an undivided China is counterbalanced against its "politics of values" in regards to Tibetan independence.
The Parliament voted three times on May 21, the first two times resulted in upholding the resolution to recognize Tibet by a small number of votes. However, the result changed after Usackas' ironic speech, and the resolution was not adopted.
Even though the Lithuanian Conservatives were the ones delegating Usackas to the post, many opposed him heatedly, relying on Lithuanian values and reproaching the lack of them in the foreign politics of Lithuania.
"This is not only the question about Tibet, this is a question about our values," conservative Mantas Adomenas said, comparing the fight for independence of Tibet and the Baltic States, and arguing that the support for independence-seekers is necessary.
Another conservative Emanuelis Zingeris said Usackas demonstrated "conformist" behavior and did not represent the declared values of the conservatives with his speech.
Social Democrat member of Parliament Vytautas Andriukaitis said the position of the conservatives means a factual demarche of the governmental program and the foreign relations minister.
"You have expressed mistrust in our foreign minister," he said to the parliament.
At the same time, the Social Democrats in opposition have not been supporters of the resolution either. They wondered whether adopting the resolution would damage Lithuania-China relations and jeopardize the upcoming conference of Eurasian transport ministers, to take place in Vilnius in September.
China is the most important participant and sponsor of the conference, and the ambassador of China said his country would ignore the event should the Lithuanian Parliament choose to adopt the resolution on Tibetan freedom.
Liberal party member Dalia Kuodyte registered the resolution on February 10, which condemns human rights violations in Tibet and recognizes the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government and its parliament in exile as the real Tibetan authorities.
Since February, the Seimas has repeatedly postponed its considerations on the issue, even though freedom fighters for a free Tibet have kept up regular protests at the embassy of China.
By coincidence, the resolution was finally considered on the same date as the Lithuania-China Forum events, which kicked off at Lithuania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting at the ministry, an initiative group was formed, and a declaration on the establishment of the Lithuania-China Forum was signed, instead of the Parliamentary resolution on free Tibet.
"I believe that the Lithuania-China Forum will undoubtedly contribute to the strengthening of relations with this dynamic Asian country, one of the world's largest economies," Usackas, who is also the patron of the forum, said on the same day.
