The meeting of the leaders of the Social Democrats, held in Hafnarfjordur on the 13th of June 2002, opposes/protests the decision of the Prime Minister David Oddsson, Minister of Justice Solveigh Petursdottir, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Halldor Asgrimsson, in realtion to Jiang Zemin's visit.
The meeting strongly opposes the violation of Human Rights that is included in the Government’s attack on peaceful protestors that have come here or meant to come here.
With these harsh procedures, on the edge of the law, the Prime Minister and other Governors that have to do with this decision have not shown the Chinese President a good example of respect for freedom of speech and expression, nor for other human rights and democratic rules. The meeting regrets deeply that the reputation that the Icelandic people have, has been damaged because of this
decision of these three ministers. The meeting wants to put forward an apology on behalf of Iceland to the people that have been affected by the decision [the decision to not allow Falun Gong practitioners in to the country].
News announcement from the The Left Green party
A statement during the Chinese president’s visit
The Left Green Party emphasizes that guests that are coming to Iceland will not be labelled according to their opinions of politics or their general beliefs about life and that peaceful actions will not be hindered in this country. The
Icelandic governments’ decision to ban protestors against the Chinese government to visit Iceland because of the Chinese presidents’ visit is not in harmony with our open and democratic tradition here in Iceland.
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