Madam, - It is a pity that the 20 million people in China who are believed to have signed an online petition against Japan getting a seat on the UN Security Council (The Irish Times, April 11th) because of its "history of aggression" could not turn their focus to the brutal human rights abuses which their own Government currently perpetuates, both in China and in Tibet.
Perhaps, due to schooling which glosses over the brutality of China's long occupation of Tibet, denying Tibetan history, culture and religion, these people are unaware of the need to protest against the atrocities their Government commits in their name? Or perhaps they know the Chinese Government would not tolerate such a protest with the same equanimity with which it tolerated the protest against Japan. If only 20 million Europeans could be motivated enough not only to wear T-shirts stating "Reject Chinese Goods", but to actually reject Chinese goods that exploit countless human beings and threaten the global environment. - Yours, etc.,
ANN NOLAN, Bray, Co Wicklow.