Unley flies flag

Tim Williams

05May08

A MOVE by Unley Council to fly the Tibetan flag outside its town hall has sparked debate about whether local government should involve itself in international politics. 

The Australia-China Friendship Society, Unley Mayor Richard Thorne, and some locals say it is not an appropriate issue for a suburban council to tackle, while the councillor behind the move says he has received 86 emails of support in two days.

Cr Bob Schnell's motion to raise the flag until the end of the Beijing Olympics in August passed 7-3 at the council's April 28 meeting.

Cr Schnell told the meeting he was proud to uphold ``the Australian conviction of support for the underdog''.

He said flying the flag, which was expected to begin this week, would not be a call for Tibetan independence but for freedom from human rights violations at the hands of China.

Tibetan separatists have capitalised on the world media's focus on the build-up to the Bejing Olympics to protest Chinese human rights abuses. Tibet is currently an autonomous region of China.

Jeffrey Emmel, who sits on the executive committee of the Adelaide High School-based Australia-China Friendship Society, called the council's decision ``illogical''.

``A lot of other people are worse off than Tibetans in terms of what's happening to them,'' Mr Emmel said.

``It's not as clear cut as people imagine. There is a lot of religious freedom in Tibet.

``The council should be concentrating on local and Australian issues. It would be better off putting up an Aboriginal
flag all the time.''

Mayor Thorne told the council meeting flying the flag for so long would be ``politicising the games with a different issue''.

``These are matters for the Federal Government and the United Nations to deal with, not a suburban council,'' he said.

``Let's not try to stick it up the Chinese by flying the flag for three and a half months.''

Unley resident Roger Jovicevic, who took part in a straw poll by the Eastern Courier, said only Australian flags should
be raised: ``We can't solve the problems of the world.''

Federation of Chinese Associations President Esther Sung said there were ``two sides to every issue'' and if the council showed support for Tibet it should also `` do some investigation of the other side to provide a balanced view''.
Cr Mike Hudson, who placed a miniature Tibetan flag in a drink bottle in front of him at the council meeting, said supporting Tibetans ``should be a grass roots thing''. He said he had seen the results of Chinese oppression first hand in Nepal.

``To try and divorce the issue from politics, when you've seen Tibetan refugee camps outside of Kathmandu and women and children used as target practice on mountain slopes, is impossible.''

Tibetan Community in South Australia president Tenzin Dhargye said the support of the council ``means so much for us''.

``The Tibetan community really welcomes and appreciates their support for recognising the true situation in Tibet,'' Mr Dhargye said.

Unley previously flew the Tibetan flag for one day a year, ending in 2005. It will fly the Aboriginal flag in place of the Tibetan flag during Reconciliation Week at the end of May.