CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Dr SCAMPS (Mackellar) (16:27): I rise to express my deepest condolences to the Tibetan and Nepalese communities following the devastating floods in Nepal and Tibet and the tragic loss of life they have caused. I know the ramifications of this disaster are being deeply felt by Tibetan and Nepalese communities around the world, including families in my electorate of Mackellar.

I thank the Australian government for providing support to affected communities in Nepal, and I know that trying to locate people still missing, including Australians, is the priority. But, as we navigate the aftermath of this disaster, it is vital that we understand the context of what has led to this. Tibet is on the front line of global climate change.

The glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau known as the Third Pole are especially vulnerable to a warming climate, increasing the risk of sudden and catastrophic flooding. Tibet is a country that is under occupation by China. Tibetans are denied the right to steward their rivers and natural resources.

For years, Tibetans have warned about the environmental risks of large-scale mining and mega-dam development inside Tibet. Already, 193 dams have been built inside there. If the program of mega-dams and mining continues to expand across Tibet, this risks water and food security and the lives of around 1.8 billion people who live downstream of Tibet in countries like India and South-East Asia.

The Tibetan community in Australia has repeatedly raised these concerns with the Australian government. Tibetan and human rights organisations are calling for an international moratorium on mega-dam development inside Tibet. They are asking that no major projects proceed without free and informed consent of Tibetans—and that consent must be given without fear of arrest, punishment or torture.

There is little transparency about the scale of destruction in Tibet from the floods due to the lack of communication coming from China. We are already hearing about Tibetans being arrested for talking about the disaster or sharing videos, and Tibetan Australians are reportedly too afraid to call their families in Tibet for fear their family members will be persecuted.

The Chinese government has also denied access to international humanitarian aid and rescue organisations, as well as independent journalists. I stand in solidarity with the Tibetan community in Australia who are asking our prime minister and foreign affairs minister to raise these issues at the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month. This is the moment to speak up for access to Tibet, to speak up for transparency, to speak up for China's environmental responsibility inside Tibet and to use Australia's voice to uphold the basic human rights of the Tibetan people.

Thank you.