In 2001, the International Campaign for Tibet was honored to be a member of the first Tibetan delegation officially accredited to a UN Conference - the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) in Durban, South Africa.
From August 27th through the first week of September, the Tibet delegation worked hard to keep the profile of racism in Tibet high on the conference agenda. The delegation hosted a briefing on August 29th to educate the conference participants on racism in Tibet. Other members of the Tibetan delegation included representatives from the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, Tibetan Youth Congress, the Tibetan Women's Association, Human Rights in China and the Tibet Society of South Africa
As part of this special opportunity, ICT presented the first comprehensive report on racism and racial discrimination in Tibet. The report, entitled Jampa: The Story of Racism in Tibet, documents the origins and severity of racism against Tibetans and how the Chinese government perpetuates racist attitudes and policies.
Additionally, ICT President John Ackerly, a delegate to the WCAR, kept a running chronicle of his impressions and experiences at the conference.
ICT hopes that this first effort at exposing and analyzing racism in Tibet further engages a discussion on racism in China and Tibet, demonstrates the racial undertones with which the PRC controls Tibet, and helps to dispel some of the racial myths among Chinese and Tibetan communities.
Tibetan Government in Exile Position Paper on WCAR
