Australia pressures China on Tibet

By James Grubel

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said China's crackdown in Tibet was disturbing while scuffles broke out at protests in Paris and New York as international pressure mounted on China to show restraint.

Western governments have expressed concern about the unrest in Lhasa which on Sunday spread to neighboring Tibetan enclaves in China.

Beijing has given "troublemakers" from Friday's deadly riots in Lhasa until midnight on Monday to turn themselves in.

"These most recent developments in Tibet are disturbing. I would call on the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint," Rudd told reporters on Monday.

China is Australia's top trading partner.

Rudd, a former diplomat who speaks fluent Mandarin, said Australia had long recognized China's sovereignty over Tibet. He said human rights issues were regularly raised in top level discussions with Chinese leaders.

The Australian Greens criticized Rudd's comments, comparing his call for restraint with calls for targeted sanctions against Myanmar when its soldiers shot and jailed Buddhist democracy demonstrators last year.

"Our prime minister and this government has got to get some backbone over Tibet and speak up and look the Chinese communist dictatorship in the eye when Kevin Rudd gets to China," Australia Greens Senator Bob Brown told reporters.