Sir - The Chinese government's refusal to allow Mr Zhao Ming to continue his study in Ireland (The Irish Times, January 25th) is one more worrying black mark on China's atrocious human rights record.
Mr Ming studies in Trinity College as a postgraduate in the networks and telecommunications group of our computer science department and is a valuable and respected member of our postgraduate community. He also teaches a popular course in Falun Dafa (not the same as Falun Gong) for the Dublin University Meditation Society.
As the first spokesperson for TCD's 3,400 postgraduate students, I can only express shock and dismay at the Irish Department of Foreign Affair's unwillingness to address the situation. I sincerely hope that the new Minister will be more active in the matter. It is only by constant, severe international pressure that the tyrannous government of the People's Republic of China will ever be swayed to redress the civil wrongs inflicted on its citizens. - Yours, etc.,
Richard A. Madigan, President, Graduate Students' Union, Trinity College, Dublin 2.