ICT Europe: Publications
Tibet Update: E-newsletter for Parliamentarians in Europe, Edition 8
Edition 8, May 2005
Welcome to Tibet Update: E-newsletter for Parliamentarians in Europe. This eighth edition highlights activities taken in support of Tibet by parliamentarians across Europe. It also outlines recent initiatives and statements on Tibet made within the European Union institutions, as well as in North America and elsewhere abroad.
Please continue to send your feedback and contributions to us at euroeditor@savetibet.org. Your parliamentary colleagues can also subscribe to this E-newsletter by emailing this address. Don't forget that previous editions of the Tibet Update can be viewed here.
- International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) Europe, Amsterdam
Contents
- European Initiatives
- Take Action
- Non-European Initiatives
- Tibet News In Brief
- Important Upcoming Dates
European Initiatives
EU 'Troika' Foreign Ministers Visit China
At the invitation of Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, the EU 'Troika' Foreign Ministers, Jean Asselborn, Foreign Minister of Luxembourg, Mrs. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations of European Commission and a representative of the United Kingdom, which takes over the EU Presidency on July 1st, are currently on an official visit to China.
On the 11 May, news sites and agencies such as CNN and AFP carried reports that the EU delegation visiting Beijing had handed over a list of four human rights demands, including the release of demonstrators imprisoned after the 1989 massacre in Tiananmen Square, a timetable for ratification of the United Nations Convention on Civil and Political Rights, ending imprisonment without trial, known as re-education through labour; and a loosening of control over the media.
However, any linkage between human rights and the lifting of the arms embargo was rejected by the Chinese. "Linking this problem with the issue of human rights does not have any reason and is not helpful", Li Zhaoxing, China's foreign minister said, according to the UK's Telegraph. "As to the question of lifting the arms embargo, which is outdated and helpful to no one, this is something that will benefit everyone and not harm anyone", he said.
EU Declaration on the commuting of the death penalty for Tenzin Delek Rinpoche
On February 2nd, 2005 released the following declaration after The Higher People's Court of Sichuan in China commuted the death sentence on Tenzin Delek Rinpoche to a life sentence:
"The European Union welcomes the decision by the Chinese authorities to commute the death sentence of Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche to life imprisonment. However, the European Union remains very concerned about the persistent doubts surrounding the impartiality of Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche's trial, and about the heavy sentence handed down to him.
The European Union would be grateful to the Chinese authorities if they could continue to brief it on developments in the case of Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche."
EU Commissioner Calls for China-Tibet Talks without Precondition
In a statement on behalf of Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner, released on March 10, 2005 Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud, said, "We firmly believe that only such a direct dialogue can be productive to a lasting solution of the Tibetan issue. In our view, the opening of a direct dialogue should not be made subject to any precondition."
The statement also hinted at more active involvement of the EU on Tibet saying, "The Commission would certainly be prepared to become more involved in the finding of a solution if it were the wish of the parties most concerned."
>> Read the full speechChina Delegation Visits European Parliament
On 26 April members of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee met a delegation of the Chinese People's Congress. MEPs asked the Chinese delegation to respond to objections made by opponents of the lifting of the arms embargo, in particular their concerns about the human rights situation and the risk of upsetting the balance of power in Asia.
Lu Congmin, vice-chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the People's Congress, said it was inappropriate to link the matter of the arms embargo to other issues, adding that the embargo was imposed at the end of the 1980s and that things had changed greatly since. China was not out to buy masses of weapons from the EU, he stressed, and could not even afford to do so but the embargo was perceived as an act of discrimination at a time when relations between China and the EU in general had improved greatly. MEPs pointed out that the embargo had been imposed as a reaction to the bloody suppression of the student protests at Tiananmen Square and that some of the protesters were still in prison.
Vytautas Landsbergis (EPP-ED, LT) asked where the Panchen Lama, who had been abducted ten years ago, now was. Li Yuanzheng, deputy defence minister, said the former Panchen Lama was in good health in China and was going to school there.
German Bundestag debates the lifting of the EU arms embargo against China
The German Bundestag debated the lifting of the EU arms embargo against China on 14th April 2005. Chancellor Schröder stood alone in his argument in favour of lifting the ban which he said would be a symbolic gesture and would have little practical effect on China's military capabilities. He was heavily criticized by the opposition Parties - the Christian Democrats and the Liberals.
During the debate, Tibet was mentioned by Joschka Fischer, the German Foreign Minister, as well as by Guido Westerwelle, leader of the Liberal Party. Fischer welcomed the renewed contact between the Chinese goverment and representatives of the Dalai Lama but acknowledged that so far that there were no real developments. He said that several steps were needed from China to allow the EU to lift the embargo. Westerwelle noted the continued repression of attempts for autonomy by Tibetans.
The motion was deferred to the Committee on Foreign Relations for further discussion.
Luxembourg Parliament Passes Resolution against End to Arms Embargo
On Tuesday 19th April the Luxembourg Parliament, with only a few abstentions, almost unanimously passed a resolution calling for the government of Luxembourg not to lift the EU arms embargo on China.
The text of the resolution called on the Luxembourg government to work towards "the development of a trusting relationship between China and the EU" while at the same time voicing "concern for the political consequences of ending the arms embargo" and also calling for the release of all political prisoners held by China.
French PM Supports China's Anti-Secession Law and Arms Sales
The French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who visited China in April, stated France's support for the lifting of the EU's arms embargo on China, as well as for China's recent anti-secession law, which allows China to use "non-peaceful" means to reunite China and Taiwan, saying the law was "completely compatible with the position of France".
The latest comments came as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Raffarin witnessed the signing of contracts on aviation, nuclear energy and agricultural cooperation between France and China worth three-billion-euro. As part of the agreements, China promised to buy 30 Airbus planes, including five Airbus A380 and 25 A320 planes.
Delegation from German Parliament Visits Tibet
A German parliamentary delegation visited Lhasa in late April. The delegation comprised Wolfgang Thierse, President of the German Bundestag and Social Democrat, Werner Lensing of CDU, Winfried Hermann of the Greens, and Ute Kumpf of the Social Democrats. The delegation also visited Shanghai and Beijing.
Swiss Federal Councilor Pascal Couchepin to Meet Dalai Lama
The Swiss Federal Council will officially meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama during his upcoming visit to Switzerland, according to Zurich's Tages-Anzeiger newspaper. Members of the Federal Council have reportedly decided that Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin will meet His Holiness during his stay in Zurich from 5-12 August. Leading Swiss politicians and businessmen have hailed the decision saying that it is "right" and a "question of decency".
French Senators Assure Support to the Middle Way Approach
On a visit to Dharamsala, India in May, French Senators stated, "We strongly support His Holiness' Middle-Way Approach. And this is no lip-allegiance. Whenever we meet Chinese leaders we always raise the fact that His Holiness is genuinely committed to peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet through negotiation." The senator also said that he has accepted in principle an invitation, extended by the Chinese Ambassador in France, to visit Tibet.
Parliamentarians Reiterate Support to Tibetans on Uprising Day
On March 10, Tibetan Uprising Day, parliamentarians held events across Europe. In the UK Representatives of the British All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet gathered in London at the memorial for victims of oppression at Westminster Abbey near Houses of Parliament to pray and lay a wreath to commemorate the 46th anniversary of the Tibetan national uprising day against China's occupation of Tibet.
A special debate on the issue of Tibet was held in the European Parliament and days later Mr. Thomas Mann, President of the Tibet Intergroup, spoke to a thousand Tibetans and supporters at a rally commemorating the 1959 popular uprising in Tibet.
German Foreign Minister Fischer Comments on Human Rights in China
During a March trip to Asia German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer criticized the Chinese government for not doing enough to improve its human rights record, saying "We note the progress made but also have major concerns about human rights in China" after meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing. The Chinese foreign minister dismissed the criticism at a press conference, saying his country did not need "lessons from the West" and added that the West's concerns about Tibet should not undermine Chinese authority in the region.
Nations Express Concern on Tibet at UN Commission on Human Rights
A number of countries made statements on Tibet at the 61st Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in March. Joschka Fischer, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, said "The human rights situation in China also remains a source of concern. I have again and again voiced this concern in no uncertain terms here and above all during many talks with Chinese representatives…But rapid results are decisive. This means that the deficits must be tackled with determination and solutions found - solutions that are effective for all the citizens of China regardless of their ethnic background, political convictions or faith, including the people in Tibet."
Take Action!
Deliver a Public Statement on the detention of the XI Panchen Lama on May 17, 2005
17 May 2005 marks the tenth year in captivity of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet. He was abducted by Chinese authorities on that day in 1995. He was just 6 years old.
On 14 May 1995, His Holiness the Dalai Lama recognized the young Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama. The atheist government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) declared the announcement invalid and illegal. Three days later, the 17 May 1995, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his parents were detained by Chinese Security officials and have never been seen again, despite countless requests to visit them by the United Nations and national governments.
Now 16, this child is on his way to becoming a man and still the Chinese government detains him at an undisclosed location.
Take Action:
- Make a public statement urging your government to demand that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child be allowed to visit Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and ascertain his wellbeing and educational development. China has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and must report to this committee in September 2005. China's detention of the boy Panchen Lama is a clear violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as numerous domestic and international Laws. To read more on the CRC, click here.
- Press for the release all Tibetan prisoners of conscience, including Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and Tenzin Delek Rinpoche.
- Press your government to define clear benchmarks to determine whether China is honouring the international conventions and treaties to which it is signatory
- Press Chinese counterparts to enter whole-heartedly and without preconditions into negotiations with the representatives of the Dalai Lama on the future status of Tibet, so as to reach a mutually beneficial solution for both parties.
Maintain the EU's Arms Embargo
The EU has confirmed "its political will to continue to work towards lifting the embargo". Take action to ensure that the arms embargo is retained.Take Action:
- Urge your government to maintain the arms embargo and make representations to EU partners to do the same.
Non-European Initiatives
Secretary of State Rice Reports to Congress on Tibet Negotiations
April saw the delivery of the third annual report to Congress on the status of Tibet negotiations, in which the Bush Administration reaffirmed that encouraging substantive dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese leadership is a key objective of his administration's policy and that lack of resolution of the Tibetan problem will be a stumbling block to fuller political and economic engagement between the United States and China.
The Executive Summary of the report refers to His Holiness the Dalai Lama as "a constructive partner as China deals with the difficult challenges of regional and national stability." The report goes on to state that engagement with the Dalai Lama is in the interest of the Chinese government.
China's foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang expressed strong opposition to the report on the "Tibet issue" and told the United States to stop "interfering in China's internal affairs."
>> Read a PDF copy of the report here
US Annual Human Rights Report Says China Commits Serious Abuses in Tibet
In February the U.S. State Department noted in a new report that China's human rights record in Tibetan areas of China "remained poor", but that there had been "positive developments" in terms of a third visit to China by the Dalai Lama's representatives and the early release of some political prisoners, according to its annual Country Report on Human Rights Practices.
The report said the Chinese authorities "continued to commit serious human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killing, torture, arbitrary arrest, detention without public trial, and lengthy detention of Tibetans for peacefully expressing their political or religious views."
Canadian Parliamentarians Mark One Year since Dalai Lama Visit
On 21 April, Members of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons and Senate wore khatas (traditional Tibetan white scarf representing peace and friendship) during Statement and Question Period to mark the one year anniversary of the Dalai Lama's visit to Ottawa. Several statements and questions on the issue of Tibet were delivered.
On April 23rd, 2004, Paul Martin became the first sitting Prime Minister of Canada to meet with the Dalai Lama. They did discuss human rights in Tibet. The Dalai Lama also requested Mr. Martin to continue discussions of human rights with China and felt that Canada might be able to bring Tibet and China together.
Tibet News in Brief
Prospects Good for Dalai Lama Envoy's Fourth Visit to China
Envoys of the Dalai Lama will soon make their fourth trip to China, according to his Special Envoy in Washington Lodi Gyari.
"Everything is decided except the timing of the visit, and we are in touch with concerned Chinese leadership," said Gyari, who was a guest on the Voice of America's (VOA) Tibetan-language program, Talk to VOA.
Gyari told VOA the Sino-Tibetan problem is an "extremely complex" issue that cannot be resolved within a short period of time. Last September, he and Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen and two assistants visited Tibet and several locations in China. It was their third visit to China.
Monks sentenced 11 years for Tibetan national flag
Two monks from Kardze, Sichuan Province, "Tibet Autonomous Prefecture" ("TAP") were sentenced to an 11 years' prison term for the hoisting of a banned Tibetan national flag, according to confirmed information received by Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).
The two monks were arrested in early 2004. The news of their whereabouts and well-being were not available to the concerned family members for many months while they were detained incommunicado.
China releases three political prisoners after completing their prison term
According to information received through reliable sources, Jamphel Jangchup who was sentenced to 19 years of prison term was released in March 2005, after completing his prison term. Jamphel Jangchup was among 21 Drepung monks who led the first peaceful demonstration on 27 September 1987. He took part in subsequent peaceful demonstrations in 1988 and 1989. He was arrested for the second time in March 1989 for printing "reactionary literatures." On 11 November 1989, the Lhasa Intermediate People's Court sentenced him to 19 years of imprisonment. Later his prison term was reduced by 3 years.
Anu and Lobsang Namgyal who were serving four years of imprisonment in Drapchi were released on 21 and 22 of March 2005 respectively. It was reported that Anu and Lobsang Namgyal were arrested in June 2001 for possession and distribution of 'separatist' leaflets in Lhasa.
China extends Jigme Gyatso's prison term to 17 years
In information received through reliable sources, the Chinese authorities have increased Jigme Gyatso's prison term from 15 years to 17 years. Gyatso is serving 17 years imprisonment. He was arrested on 30 March 1996 for alleged charges of 'political activities.'
Five Tibetan Monks Jailed in Western China
Authorities in the western Chinese province of Qinghai have jailed five Tibetan monks for two to three years each, apparently for publishing politically sensitive poems. The monks were identified as the monastery's lead abbot, Gen (teacher) Tashi Gyaltsen, Tsultrim Phelgyal, Tsesum Samten, Jhamphel Gyatso, and Lobsang Thargyal. All had been living at the Dakar Treldzong monastery in the Tsolho area of Qinghai, the sources said.
In 1995, the monastery began publishing a newsletter, of which Tashi Gyaltsen was chief editor. Chinese authorities alleged that some poems in the newsletter carried tacit political messages, sources told Radio Free Asia.
Statement of the Dalai Lama on the 46th Anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day
On the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the Tibetan People's Uprising, the Dalai Lama delivered his annual statement, in which he noted, "Much has changed in China. As a result she has become a major player in the world and China rightly deserves this position. It is a big nation with a huge population and a rich and ancient civilization. However, China's image is tarnished by her human rights records, undemocratic actions, the lack of the rule of law and the unequal implementation of autonomy rights regarding minorities, including the Tibetans...In my view, it is important that as China becomes a powerful and respectable nation she should be able to adopt a reasonable policy with confidence."
China Commutes Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's Death Sentence to Life
On January 26th Xinhua, Chinese state media, announced that authorities had commuted the death sentence of Tibetan monk, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, convicted two years ago of terrorist bombings and inciting secession.
The Higher People's Court of Sichuan gave Tenzin Delek Rinpoche a life sentence because he did not violated the law during a two-year reprieve period, Xinhua, the official government news agency, said.
The case sparked an international effort to reverse Rinpoche's death sentence and free him from prison, with government condemnation and resolutions from the U.S. Congress and European Parliament calling on China to spare him.
Important Upcoming Dates
17.05.2005: 10th Anniversary of the Abduction of the XIth Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima
6-13.06.2005: Pre-sessional meeting of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva, Switzerland
16.06.2005: Light of Truth award to be presented by H.H. the Dalai Lama to Vaclav Havel, Irmtraut Wäger and Dr. Otto Graf Lambsdorff in Berlin, Germany
01.07.2005: United Kingdom takes over Presidency of the EU. Finland joins the EU Troika
5-13.08.2005: Teachings by H.H. the Dalai Lama in Zurich, Switzerland
