Date: August 30,1995

Source: Press Release

Contact: Karma Namling or

Chungdak Koren

The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, the Tibetan Women's Organization in Switzerland, The Norwegian Tibet Committee, The Tibetan Community in Germany, The Tibetan Youth Association in Europe, The Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association, The Tibet Support Group in The Netherlands and The Tibetan Womens Association in the United Kingdom are very disappointed and wish to register their protest with the government of the host country, the People's Republic of China, with the United Nations Secretariat, and with the NGO Forum Organising Committee for the manner in which certain individuals and organizations have been excluded from any participation either at the UN conference or at the NGO forum.

The Chinese government has refused to issue visas to representatives of many organizations or individuals who hold views on human rights and other issues, the expression of which the Chinese government bans in China. In addition, virtually all ethnic Tibetan women who have applied, regardless of whether they represent NGOs accredited to the conference or not, have been refused visas. This means that issues such as forced sterilizations and abortions and other coercive family planning methods enforced upon Tibetans by Chinese Government policy will be missing from the agenda, as will be the imprisonment and torture of Tibetan women, including nuns; the means by which China silences any form of freedom of expression in Tibet.

We were shocked to read the statements made by the Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mr. Chen Jian that the Chinese government's official policy is indeed to exclude any persons who it considers pose a "security threat." He stated that Tibetans and others who support the Tibetan people's right to self- determination fall into this category. We are equally shocked to learn from the same statement, that China is refusing entrance to any representatives of organizations not "recognised" (probably meaning accredited) by the UN. In practice, even persons representing organizations accredited by the UN have been denied visas.

This policy is in total violation of the rules set by the UN and the agreement concluded between the Chinese Government, the UN (Under Secretary Ismat Kittani) and the Convenor of the NGO Forum on Women, on 8 June 1995. In exchange for accepting the inconvenience of the location for the NGO forum, it was agreed that all registered participants will be accepted and that they will all be granted visas. The Chinese government has introduced its own criteria for admission and visas, which run counter to the objectives and spirit of the conference and the NGO forum. We, the women and the organizations who have been excluded by the Chinese government in order to silence any criticism of the policies and practices of that government with regard to women's rights, condemn China's actions as a violation of the rules, agreements and principles regarding the conference and NGO forum; and violation of our right to participate, express our views and be heard.

The fact that the host government so blatantly violates the right of women to participate and the right of people to free expression, should be taken up by the United Nations at the highest level. It undermines the very purpose of the conference. So far, the United Nations Secretary General and his offices have failed to act in this regard. The Convenor of the NGO Forum on Women and her staff have not adequately responded to the Chinese exclusion of women and organizations. It is the Convenor who concluded the agreement with the Chinese government on June 8. The Convenor should deliver strong protests at each violation of that agreement, and take appropriate action to counter such violations. It is ironic that China violates the very rights the conference it hosts is supposed to help protect: the right of women to fully participate at all levels of society.

We call on all governments and NGOs that have been permitted to participate in the Conference and the Forum to express indignation at the exclusion of so many individuals and organizations in violation of agreements concluded by China whenever the opportunity arises in Beijing.