Sir, - I was shocked to read that Dublin Corporation is seriously considering twinning of Dublin with the Chinese capital, Beijing. What have these two cities in common? Dublin is the capital of an open, democratic society which respects human rights, while Beijing is the capital of a dictatorship with an appalling human rights record. The Chinese government continues to commit widespread and well-documented human rights abuses. While most people are familiar with the suppression of the Tibetan people and the oppression of Falun Gong, Chinas human rights abuses go far beyond that. In this one-party state, the Government controls all aspects of people's lives, from where they worship, to whom and when they marry, to family size (assisted of course by the UNFPA).
When Beijing is the capital of an open democratic society that respects the human rights of all its people, then and only then should this proposal be considered. - Yours, etc.,
Mairtin Maolruaidh, Tuam Road, Castlegar, Co Galway.