TIBETAN GOVERNMENT IN EXILE, NGO'S COVERAGE AT SOCIAL SUMMIT

Copenhagen, March 8, 1995

Tibet advocates at the UN Social Summit in Copenhagen opened a series of seminars and forums on Tibet with the release of a report by the Tibetans Youth Congress that called for the cancelation of the UN World Food Program in Tibet.

The trend towards foreign agencies working on grain programs to feed the growing Chinese urban population is dangerous, speakers said. Both the WFP and now the European Union are engaged in such programs, which are being fueled by us in the West with our tax money," said Ele Hammerich,m the Director of the Danish Center for Conflict Solution. "At what point," Ms. Hammerich asked, "should aid be stopped if it mainly helps the occupying[ying power?"

The Social Summit, focusing on poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion, drew Tibet advocates from India, Europe and America. The groups came representing a variety of issues relevant to the Summit's themes, including the UN development projects in Tibet, the Chinese population influx, coercive birth control and access to the Fourth UN Women's Conference in Beijing.

Tibet organizations were again denied accreditation to the official UN government conference in the Bella center, five kilometers away from the NGO forum. Access to Danish government officials was facilitated by the Danish Tibet Support Group, who arranged a meeting between officials of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and delegates of the Tibetan Government in Exile and the International Campaign for Tibet.

Tsewang Phuntso, President of the Tibet Youth Congress discussed how economic development in Tibet caters to the needs of the Chinese government and population in Tibet.

Composition of China's Official Delegation

The Chinese delegation, led by Premier Li Peng, stood out from other delegations by its enormous size, the very low number of women and the exclusion of NGOs. China was also one of four countries to include military figures in its delegation. None of the 115 delegates listed appeared to be Tibetan.

The Tibetan delegation at the NGO forum can be reached by e-mail at jackerly@wssd.apc.org through Saturday, March 11.