ICT Europe: Publications
Tibet Update: E-newsletter for Parliamentarians in Europe, Edition 9
Edition 9 July 2005
Welcome to Tibet Update: E-newsletter for Parliamentarians in Europe. This ninth 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.
In particular, you will find news on the Fourth Round of the Sino-Tibetan Dialogue, developments on the EU-China arms embargo and news of an Urgent Appeal to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
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 and we urge you to pass this newsletter on to all interested colleagues. 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
Fourth Round of Sino-Tibetan Dialogue Held in Switzerland
Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama Lodi Gyari and Envoy for European Affairs Kelsang Gyaltsen met with Chinese Vice Minister Zhu Weiqun and his six-member delegation on June 30 and July 1, 2005 at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Berne, Switzerland. This was the fourth round of meetings since the resumption of direct contact in 2002.
In a written statement Mr. Gyari commented: "We reiterated our commitment to continue making every effort to create a better environment. At the same time we urged the Chinese side to join in this effort, and highlighted the absence of such obvious gestures from their side…It was apparent that both sides had a positive assessment of the ongoing process."
>> Read the full statement here
EU Welcomes Fourth Round of Sino-Tibetan Dialogue
The UK, in its capacity as EU President, welcomed the fourth round of Sino-Tibetan talks and stated that it "strongly supports the continuation of dialogue which it hopes will bring about serious negotiations leading to a peaceful and sustainable solution for Tibet that both sides agree upon."
In its last session before summer recess, the European Parliament also called for the talks to continue in a resolution on relations between the EU, China and Taiwan and security in the Far East adopted on 7th July 2005.
Stalemate on EU-China Arms Embargo
The European Union has failed to lift its arms embargo on China prior to the conclusion of Luxembourg's presidency of the EU. Failure to reach agreement amongst member states made it impossible to reach a decision on the arms embargo's future prior to Britain taking on the EU presidency on 1 July.
President Barroso Urges China to Improve Human Rights
On a 5-day visit to Beijing in July, President of the EU Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, called for human rights progress in China before any lifting of the EU-China arms embargo, telling journalists at a press briefing '"We need a consensus on this issue. It is important to have a better atmosphere in regard of the perception about human rights issues here in China…We in Europe understand that China is a very, very important partner. But at the same time, there are important concerns in many of our member states about the human rights situation".
European Parliament Resolution Urges Retention of EU Arms Embargo on China
In the European Parliament, a resolution was adopted on 7 July on relations between the EU, China and Taiwan and security in the Far East, which stated that it "Strongly recommends to the Council and the Commission that the arms embargo remain intact until greater progress is made on human rights issues in China and on cross-Straits relations, as well as until the EU makes its code of conduct on arms sales legally binding;"
>> Read the full resolution text here
Swedish Lawmakers Oppose a Lifting of EU Arms Ban on China
On 16 June, the Swedish Parliament adopted a motion by a vote of 198-102 to express its opposition to a lifting of the European Union's arms embargo against China.
Tibetan Torture Victims Speak at Prestigious El Escorial Course in Madrid
On 26th June, three Tibetan torture victims recounted their experiences under the Chinese government. Speeches by Ngawang Sangdrol, Takna Jigme Sangpo and Palden Gyatso opened Judge Baltasar Garzón´s prestigious course at El Escorial, entitled "Torture and Terrorism".
Kalon Lobsang Nyandak Meets EP President Borrell
On Wednesday, July 13 Mr. Lobsang Nyandak Zayul, Minister of Finance and Information and International Relations of Central Tibetan Administration met with Mr. Josep Borrell, President of the European Parliament. He informed the President about the current situation in Tibet, of Tibetans in Exile, of the recent Sino-Tibetan contacts.
HH the Dalai Lama Visits Europe
During July His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden and Germany. In Luxembourg, he gave a public talk on "Ethics for the New Millennium" to an audience of 6,200 and in Norway met with the Prime Minister of Norway, Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik. He visited the Norwegian parliament where he was received by the Parliament President and had separate meetings with MPs and members of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
In Germany His Holiness presented ICT's Light of Truth award to former Czech President Vaclav Havel. The Dalai Lama was scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Fischer, but the meeting was cancelled due to illness. He also met with Angela Merkel, leader of the German opposition CDU party, with the Bundestag's Tibet Intergroup and with the Chair of the German Bundestag.
Swiss Resist Chinese Pressure over Dalai Lama Visit
The Dalai Lama will hold a conference on "compassion" for 10,000 people in a stadium in Zurich during a visit to Switzerland in August. He will also meet Interior Minister, Pascal Couchepin, after the Swiss government refused a request from Chinese officials to cancel the visit.
Ngawang Sangdrol Completes Europe Visit
Former political prisoner and ICT Human Rights Analyst Ngawang Sangdrol has completed a 2 month speaking tour to Europe, during which she held public and political meetings in Belgium, Holland, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Spain. The visits were arranged at the initiative of ICT Europe in cooperation with local Tibet Support Groups in these countries.
Ms Sangdrol specifically urged the British EU Presidency to appoint a Special Representative for Tibet, as budgeted for by the European Parliament in 2003 and 2004.
ICT Presents Testimony to U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child
Representatives from the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) and the Tibet Justice Centre (TJC) participated in the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child's pre-sessional meeting in Geneva ON June 6th, where the Committee received input from NGOs and U.N. organizations on the second periodic report of the People's Republic of China under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. ICT focused on China's abduction of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, as a specific example of China's blatant violation of Tibetan children's rights in the area of arbitrary detention and religious repression. During a private meeting, former teenage political prisoner and victim of torture Ngawang Sangdrol gave members of the Committee a presentation on her first-hand experiences with the prison Chinese system.
China appears before the Committee on the 19-20th September in Geneva.
Panchen Lama Vigils across 21 Countries
On May 17th, in a coordinated Global action organized by the International Tibet Support Network (ITSN)'s member organizations, thousands of Tibetans and Tibet supporters worldwide mourned the 10-year anniversary of China's abduction of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet. For 10 years, China has refused independent access to the Panchen Lama, one of Tibet's most important religious leaders, despite mounting international outcry for his release.
The "Global Vigil for Tibet's Panchen Lama," started in Wellington, New Zealand at 7.00 am local time and joined by ITSN member organizations at 66 venues in 21 countries, the 34 hours relay event ended with a vigil held in Honolulu, Hawaii at 7.00 pm (HST).
Take Action!
Sign the Urgent Appeal to Kofi Annan for the Panchen Lama
The young Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was abducted at the age of six from his home in Tibet a decade ago. Since then China has refused to allow any access to the child. ICT has drafted a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan regarding the case of Tibet's missing 11th Panchen Lama and is urging all European parliamentarians to sign this appeal. The letter was initiated by Congressmen Frank Wolf and Tom Lantos of the United States Congress in April/May of this year and was co-signed by 43 Congressmen and women. The letter was delivered to the UN Secretary General on the 17 May 2005, the 10th anniversary of the abduction of the Panchen Lama.
The US Congress initiative is an important signal to the United Nations that action is needed on the fate of the 11th Panchen Lama. ICT Europe believes that a multilateral approach to resolve this matter is critical and urges European parliamentarians to circulate the appeal letter within their own parliament and encourage colleagues to co-sign. Already, the appeal has been signed and sent by MPs in Italy and Poland and is being circulated in 10 other European parliaments.Your support will not only provide impetus from the top of the UN down, but will ensure that those within the United Nations structure understand their obligation to the international political community to make progress on this longstanding case.
In September 2005, China will report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC). China's appearance before the Committee and positive indications from within the UN provide a genuine window of opportunity that both the UN and Tibet supporters like ourselves must seize to resolve this decade-long tragedy.
- To find out how you can initiate or sign this Urgent Appeal within your own Parliament, email stewartw@savetibet.org.
Non-European Initiatives
U.S. Secretary Of State Condoleezza Rice Urges China to talk to the Dalai Lama
Speaking at a press conference on 10 June after meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao and other leaders in Beijing, Ms. Rice said, "I had an opportunity to raise questions of human rights and religious freedom, to raise a few individual cases, but also to encourage China's leaders to work with us toward a resolution of some of the structural issues in human rights and religious freedom and to ask that China reach out to, in particular, the Dalai Lama, a man who is, for Tibet, a man of considerable authority and considerable moral authority, but who really is of no threat to China."
US Department of State Comments on Fourth Round of Talks
In a statement, the US Department of State said: "The United States continues to urge China's leadership to engage in substantive discussions with the Dalai Lama or his representatives to resolve longstanding differences. We follow these visits closely and we expect they will lead to progress. We look forward to hearing more about this round of talks and hope this meeting provides a foundation for future discussions and progress."
>> Read the full statement here
Senior Chinese Diplomat Reveals Tibet Supporters Targeted for Surveillance
In Australia a senior Chinese diplomat has defected, claiming that he helped oversee a vast spy network. Chen Yonglin, the first secretary of the Chinese Consulate General in Sydney, chose to go public against the Chinese authorities at a rally on 4 June marking the 16th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators.
Chen announced that he'd spent the past four years managing a network of up to 1,000 informants and spies in Australia on behalf of the Chinese government. Their primary target, he added, were members of Falun Gong and people advocating independence for Tibet, Taiwan and East Turkmenistan.
Tibet News in Brief
Global Celebrations on the Dalai Lama's 70th Birthday
Thousands of Tibetans, Tibet activists, politicians and Buddhists from all over the world marked the Dalai Lama's 70th birthday on July 6th. The Dalai Lama addressed a more than 5,000-strong audience of Tibetans and other guests in his exile-home of Dharamsala, India.
'As the Dalai Lama, and a Tibetan, I have a special responsibility to represent the Tibetan cause; any Tibetans here have hope and trust in me,' the Dalai Lama said in a brief statement at the ceremony. He also stressed the importance of the establishment of a democracy-in-exile, which he said is essential to building Tibet's future.
At the European Parliament an exhibition outlining His Holiness' vision for Tibet's future was displayed to coincide with the birthday celebrations.
Dalai Lama Awarded Peace Prize in Germany
The Dalai Lama was awarded a peace prize by the German state of Hesse overnight "for his policy of non-aggression towards China", the organizers said.
The Dalai Lama received the prize in person on the second day of a three-day visit to Germany.
Panchen Lama Raised at UN
On the 28 July the case of the missing Panchen Lama was raised at the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights Fifty-seventh session. Mr Tenzin Samphel Katya of the Tibet Bureau in Geneva delivered a statement in which he said: "China's failure to address meaningfully the inquiries of UN human rights mechanisms, including that from CRC and other international actors regarding this case is striking."
New Amnesty Report Highlights Continued Human Rights Abuses in Tibet
Amnesty's annual report on China has concluded that: "There was progress towards reform in some areas, but this failed to have a significant impact on serious and widespread human rights violations perpetrated across the country. Tens of thousands of people continued to be detained or imprisoned in violation of their fundamental human rights and were at high risk of torture or ill-treatment. Thousands of people were sentenced to death or executed, many after unfair trials. Public protests increased against forcible evictions and land requisition without adequate compensation. China continued to use the global "war on terrorism" to justify its crackdown on the Uighur community in Xinjiang. Freedom of expression and religion continued to be severely restricted in Tibet and other Tibetan areas of China."
Human Rights Watch Testifies on Religion in China
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has testified on Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion and Belief before a House Committee on International Relations. Mickey Spiegel of HRW testified that restrictions on religious freedom were "particularly stringent when the Chinese government views a religious activity as coinciding with, or reinforcing, problematic ethnic, cultural, and political activity."
>> Read the full testimony here
Head of TAR Says Next Dalai Lama to be Picked by Beijing
The South China Morning Post quoted Tibetan government chairman Qiangba Puncog as saying that if the 70-year-old Dalai Lama died in exile in India, his reincarnation would be chosen as per Buddhist traditions but under supervision of the Chinese government, provoking fears of a repeat of the abduction and detention of the then 6 year-old Panchen Lama in 1995 by Chinese authorities and the later installment of a Beijing-selected Panchen.
Arrest of Tibetan Monks for Posters Calling for Freedom in Tibet
Four Tibetan monks from Gansu Province were arrested by Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers on 23 May 2005, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). They were arrested on suspicion of pasting bills calling for "freedom in Tibet". Their whereabouts is currently unknown after they were led away by the PSB officers from the monastery.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the "TAR". Massive preparations are underway for commemorating the event in September 2005. As a prohibitive measure to restrict any political activism during the anniversary, strict measures have been applied in Lhasa City and its neighbouring counties. Tibetans who fall under suspicion of engaging in political activism and former political prisoners are rounded up either for detention or interrogations.
Tibetan Graduates Protest for Jobs, Eight Said To Be Arrested
Dozens of ethnic Tibetans staged protests around July 11 outside government offices in the Qinghai provincial capital, Xining, in western China, accusing authorities of favouritism and discrimination in filling the few jobs available.
Some 70 Tibetans from Xunhua Salar Autonomous County, including many college graduates, launched a protest in front of the Qinghai Provincial Government office in Xining, accusing authorities of discrimination and nepotism in hiring local officials. According to an unconfirmed eyewitness account, police arrested and beat up eight Tibetan youths on July 13.
Nepal Growing Ever-Closer to China
China analysts have been reporting on the growing links between China and Nepal "at a time when the country is experiencing a severe crisis and many Western nations are distancing themselves from Kathmandu over human rights concerns". Recent major public works projects, arms sales, the opening of bus routes to Tibet and discussion of a Tibet-Nepal Border rail link have sparked discussion about the impact such closeness will have on the Tibetan community in exile, who have used Nepal as a home and as a refuge upon escaping over the Tibet-Nepal border.
Recent cases of closure of Tibetan offices in Kathmandu and the disruption by government officials of Tibetan community events has raised fears that China is using its economic influence to force Nepalese authorities to take a tougher stance towards the Tibetan exile community, as well as do all they can to stem the flow of refugees across the Himalayas to Nepal.
In June, a delegation of Nepalese journalists was hosted in Tibet in the hopes of influencing public opinion in Nepal.
UN Committee Concerned on Closure of Tibetan Office in Nepal
In June the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed concern over the closure of the Tibetan Refugee Centre and on refoulement of Tibetan refugees to the Chinese authorities by the Kingdom of Nepal. Adopting a concluding observation on Nepal's second report to the Committee, the body regretted that there was no domestic legislation in the Kingdom that safeguarded the rights of refugees and asylum-seeking persons.
New Mineral Deposits Found in Tibet
Recent prospecting in China's southwest Tibet Autonomous Region shows that there has been a breakthrough in the extraction of mineral deposits in the region.
The Director-general of China's Geological Survey Meng Xianlai says 20 million tons of copper ore has been mined in Tibet, one third of China's total copper resources.
China draws up Tibet tourism development plan
The first Tibet tourism development plan, which will last from 2005 to 2020, entered the final assessment phase, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua. The plan covers six regions in Tibet, with total area of 1.2 million square kilometres.
Microsoft Helps Censor Tibetan and Chinese Web Users
The Chinese version of MSN Spaces, linked to the new MSN China portal, has drawn Microsoft into the long-standing controversy surrounding the Chinese government's internet censorship policies, after Asian web logs (online opinion or diary sites, also known as 'blogs') and news reports revealed that MSN Spaces blocks users from searching for or putting politically sensitive language in the names of their blogs or of individual blog entries.
The words and phrases allegedly blocked by Microsoft include "Taiwan independence," "Dalai Lama," "human rights," "freedom" and "democracy."
Important Upcoming Dates
- 29 July-1 August - His Holiness the Dalai Lama in South Tyrol Autonomous Region
- 3-12 August - His Holiness the Dalai Lama to hold teachings on 'Compassion', Zurich
- 13-14 August - Buddhist Conference co-hosted by ICT Europe on 'Maintaining Tibetan Buddhism in its Authentic Form Outside of Tibet'
- 1 September - 40th Anniversary of Establishment of TAR, Lhasa, Tibet
- 2 September - Tibetan Democracy Day, Exile Community
- 5 September - EU-China Summit, Beijing
- 7 September - EU-India Summit, Delhi
- 19 September - China Reports to UN Committee for the Rights of the Child
