The row over proposals to consider twinning Dublin with the Chinese capital, Beijing heated up today with the launch of a campaign by an international pro-Tibet group against the plan.
The research and lobbying organisation Independent Tibet Network (www.truthtibet.com)say they are campaigning to try to persuade the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alderman Maurice Ahern to abandon the plans, describing them as "an indecent and ethically bankrupt concept".
The group claimed that the twinning of the two capitals would "place a stain on Dublin by associating it with a government infamous for human rights abuses, political prisoners, censorship and the brutal occupation of Tibet".
According to the Independent Tibet Network, several leading Irish actors and musicians have been approached to give their backing. These include Pierce Brosnan who has visited Dharamsala in Northern India, the home of the exiled Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetans.
Last week Mr Ahern, told ireland.comhe was in talks with Chinese authorities about plans to twin Dublin with Beijing.
He said twinning was being "discussed but not decided". Although Mr Ahern said a trade link with Beijing was potentially advantageous, he admitted he was concerned at China's human rights record.
He cited the Tiananmen Square massacre as a major hurdle to twinning the two capitals but suggested it may be better on a human rights level to cooperate with China rather than isolate the country.
Amnesty International described the idea as "dreadfully inappropriate".
Mr Brian Dooley of Amnesty International said: "cities with poor records, in this case poor human rights records, who are in desperate need of positive PR immediately think that twinning with Dublin is going to do them some good - because Dublin has such a marvellous and deserved reputation.
"We do not think the people of Dublin want to be associated with the government officials of Beijing - it is nothing to do with the people of Beijing," said Mr Dooley.
Mr Ahern is scheduled to take a four-day trip to Beijing in May.
He said he was still in the talks phase and had been visited by two of Beijing's eight vice-mayors in recent months.
The move would then have to be approved by a vote of Dublin City Council, which is chaired by the Lord Mayor.