Blair's Visit to China and India :

World's people will not accept this attack on the right to conscience

The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, conducted a four-day visit to India and China as part of Britain 's presidency of the EU. He visited China from September 5-6 and India from September 7-8. During his visit the Prime Minister participated in the annual EU-China and EU-India summits and held meetings with the leaders of India and China on a range of issues including international trade, the so-called “war against terrorism” and the UN 60th Anniversary summit. The Prime Minister was accompanied on his visit by representatives of the big monopolies eager to strengthen their penetration of the massive markets of both Indian and China . Britain remains India 's largest trading partner in Europe and the second largest worldwide. UK trade with China has doubled in the last five years. China is both a major importer to and a major investor in Britain, while Britain is the largest investor in China of all the EU countries and is seeking to increase such investments.  

Throughout his trip the Prime Minister has not only championed the interests of the big monopolies of Britain and Europe but has also made it the occasion for the most reactionary statements and attacks on the rights of people throughout the world. He used the visit to China to make criticisms of that country's political system, despite the fact that China's Premier Wen Jiabao has explained that his country's political system was being shaped by its own history and needs and that it was continuing along its own path of political reform and democratisation. Tony Blair's arrogant views were clearly based on the premise that Britain 's political system and record on human rights, at home and abroad, were above any criticism and therefore should be emulated by other countries. In India , on the other hand, while ignoring the whole legacy of Britain 's colonial rule, Blair was keen to praise that county's democratic credentials and emphasis the “common values” that it allegedly shares with Britain .

The Prime Minister used his visit to India to announce the government's draft resolution to the Security Council meeting at the UN summit, urging all countries to ban “incitement to terrorist acts”. The drafting of the resolution, which had already been made public last month, clearly demonstrates that the government wishes to attempt to extend the draconian measures it has already announced on August 5 for Britain to the whole world. The draft calls on countries to "prohibit by law the incitement of a terrorist act or acts through the adoption of such measures as may be necessary and appropriate and in accordance with their obligations under international law". It says all countries should take appropriate measures to counter "violent extremist ideologies, including steps to prevent the subversion of educational, cultural, and religious institutions by terrorists and their supporters". The draft also says that countries should deny refuge to people if there are "serious reasons for considering that they have been guilty of such conduct" and take measures to see they are apprehended.

It is clear that the government under the guise of the “war on terrorism” wants to launch a major offensive against all those who are opposed to what it refers to “universal values”, the eurocentric values of the big powers. As the Prime Minister expressed it, there is concern with combating “ideas and ideology”. But not surprisingly, while constantly expressing outrage at various acts of individual terrorism, the Prime Minister is totally silent about state terrorism, the illegal invasion of Iraq and other countries, the murder of innocent civilians in Palestine and elsewhere, and those who have incited and support state terrorism, the big powers themselves, those who are also guilty of inciting and facilitating individual acts of terror. At the same time the government seeks to use the instability it and the other big powers have created in order to attack the people's rights. While championing “democracy” and “human rights” on the one hand, Blair is advocating and orchestrating the most fundamental breach of human rights on the other, attacking even the right of conscience, not only in Britain but also throughout the world.