FREEDOM FOR TIBET/DEMOCRACY IN CHINA ! - #34

Newsletter on the campaigns of the Radical Party for the freedom of Tibet and the democracy in China.

"I truly believe that individuals can make a difference in society. Since periods of great change such as the present one come so rarely in human history, it is up to each of us to make the best use of our time to help create a happier world".

His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, 1992

Issue #34, September 13th, 1996

Editors office: Massimo Lensi, Dorottya u. 3.III.em6 - 1051 Budapest (H)

Tel. +36-1-266.34.86 - 266.09.35 Fax. +36-1-11.87.937

E-mail: M.Lensi@agora.stm.it WWW-URL http://www.agora.stm.it/pr - Telnet: Agora.stm.it

Distribution; Alberto Novi, rue Belliard 89, Rem 508, 1047 Brussels (B) Tel:+32-2-2304121 - Fax: +32-2-2303670

Published in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Hungarian, Croatian and Rumanian

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16 DAYS AWAY FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE FASTING DIALOGUE

FOR THE RELEASE OF THE PANCHEN LAMA AND WEI JINGSHENG:

167 PARTICIPANTS.

We open this issue of "Freedom for Tibet-Democracy for China Fax" with 167 participants for the fasting dialogue. There are only 16 days left before the 3 days of fasting dialogue, and in 15 countries and in several cities people have been organizing in groups to ask their Ministries of Foreign Affairs to take, in coherent with motions and resolutions adopted by more and more Parliaments, responsibilities in favour of the release of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the Eleventh Panchen Lama, and for the release of the Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng.

There are a few days left and we still have thousands of things to do. These are days of real intense activity, where we must also take advantage of the availability of media to inform people on our campaigns: the collecting signature for Wei's 1997 Nobel Peace Prize candidacy; the collecting of parliamentarians's signature for the appeal to the U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Ghali to receive the Dalai Lama; the post-cards distribution for the release of the Panchen Lama and the distribution of "FREE TIBET" stickers.

There remain thousands of things to do, like asking our city's politicians to participate in the fasting dialogue, organize a press-conference on September 29th, distribute materials on the fasting dialogue initiative, and to contact reporters. The fasting dialogue should not be a moment of passive waiting or a contemplative action. On the contrary, it has to be a moment of politically active initiative, which through nonviolent action and dialogue redoubles our efforts for better information on the reasons and aims of our initiative.

In the "Second Page" you will find a report on the meeting between T.R.P. secretary Olivier Dupuis and His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, which could be very helpful in understanding the reasons of our "October 2nd" initiative.

Keep up the good work !!!

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OCTOBER 2ND

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NONVIOLENCE, FASTING DIALOGUE, FREEDOM FOR TIBET:

FASTING DIALOGUE FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE PANCHEN LAMA AND FOR WEI JINGSHENG

Other members and supporters of the Tibet Support Group, of the Transnational Radical Party, and of other political, cultural and religion organizations have decided to participate at the fasting dialogue. From September 29th to October 2nd we must intensify our nonviolent struggle for the release of the Panchen Lama and Wei Jingsheng. Among the new participators, we would like to quote: François BONZON (ECO-TIBET president), Tereza GANZA-ARAS (Croatian Deputy), and Robert TRAER from the "International Association for Religious Freedom" of Oxford.

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FASTING DIALOGUE: NEW PARTICIPANTS

Another 57 fasters joined the first 107 of the last week, bringing the total to 167, who through a nonviolent and dialogue action on October 2nd (Mahatma Gandhi's birthday), will ask their own Minister of Foreign Affairs to take any type of diplomatic or political initiative in favour of the release of the Panchen Lama and of Wei Jingsheng.

* LIST OF THE PARTICIPANTS BY COUNTRY

Albania ................. 3

Belgium ................. 16

Croatia ................. 16

Czech Republic .......... 7

France .................. 14

Hungary ................. 5

Italy ................... 60

Poland .................. 17

Rumania ................. 4

Russia ................. 3

Slovenia ................ 1

Spain ................... 2

Switzerland ............. 3

Ukraine ................. 3

United Kingdom .......... 1

United States ........... 12

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Total 167

* LIST OF THE NEW PARTICIPANTS BY NAME (From September 7 to 12)

Croatia (3): Tereza GANZA-ARAS, deputy (Zagreb), Tihomir JAKSINIC, one day (Zagreb), Tomislav MARKOVIC, economist, one day, (Dubrovnik); Czech Republic (7): John BOK, politician, one day, (Prague), Ondrej CAKL, HOST, (Prague), Olga CECHUROVA, RP, (Prague), Karel JECH, Greenpeace, one day, (Prague), Stanislav PENC, HOST, one day, (Prague)Karel SRP, Artforum/Jazz section president, two days, (Prague), Lubos VYDRA, HOST, two days, (Prague); Belgium (4): Jean-François MARTINET, RP, (Brussels), Martine SMEESTERS (Brussels), Elisabeth PORET (Brussels), Mark VANDERVEKEN, physician, (Brussels); France (10): François BONZON, ECOTIBET president, (La Roche Saint-Secret), Lionel LEROYER (Cachan), Mariette BOYER, one day, (Marseilles), Francis FOURCADE, two days, (Marseilles), Marie-Annick GOHOLET, one day, (AIX), Françoise MALAURIE (Marseilles), Olivier RIVOI-RARD (Marseilles), Noëlle BENIZI (Massy), Stéphane MOULIS (Toulouse), Isabelle DUFFAUD, two days, (Cassis); Italy (24): Maria Grazia BARBIERI, RP, One day, (G

enova), Emilia BARBIERI, RP, one day, (Genova), Daniele LIBERATORI, RP, (Savona), Andrea MAORI, archivist, RP, (Perugia), Niki STEINGLER, financial consultant, RP, one day, Rita BERNARDINI, RP, two days, (Rome), Paola CARAVAGGI, RP, (Piacenza), Mauro PAOLINELLI, RP, (Ancona), Marco MIOTTO, RP, two days, (Venice), Elisabetta PARENTI, free-lancer, one day, (Florence), Alessandro CALAMAI, entrepreneur, one day, (Florence), Andjelka COLIC, unemployed, two days, (Florence), Fiorenzo NIGRIZIOLI, two days, (Brescia), Enzo D'INGNAZIO, RP, (Teramo), Werter CASALI, RP, (Rimini), Mariano GIUSTINO, RP, (Rome), Claudia STERZI, writer, (Florence), Pierina CECCONI, retired, one day, (Florence), Gianni MARRANI, entrepreneur, one day, (Florence), Vittoria BOLLETTIERI, unemployed, (Pistoia), Paolo Manzi, ENPA vice-president (Rome), Giacomo MARTINEZ, student, one day, Leon BERTRAND, physician, one day, Maria Laura CATTINARI, retired, RP, one day; Poland (7): Anna PENCONEK, one day, (Warsaw), Jarek MILCZEK, one day, (Gdynia), J

oanna KOSTYLO, one day, (Bydgoszcz), Mirka CZARNOWSKA, one day, (Brusy), Diana MATUSIK, one day, (Warsaw), Andrzej KOSMACKI, one day, (Warsaw), Agnieszka WASKIEWICZ, one day, (Warsaw); Ukraine (3): Volodymyr IVANOV. RP, (Kiev), Alexander KOSTRITSKIY, RP, (Kiev), Elena VOROTMIKOVA, RP, one day, (Kiev); United Kingdom (1): Robert TRAER, International Association for Religious Freedom (Oxford).

N.B. When the lemgth of the fasting dialogue is not mentioned, it means three days.

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TSG IN CROATIA

The two new Croatian TSG (Zagreb and Spalato) have been giving special attention to the fasting dialogue initiative. Spalato's TGS President, Tony SITIN, a University Professor, is taking in consideration the possibility of organizing a seminar on the Tibet cause, giving also information on the fasting dialogue for the release of the Panchen Lama and of Wei.

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ANNOUNCEMENT

Some newspapers have already showed interest on the fasting dialogue initiative, and first articles on the October 2nd initiative have recently appeared in a number of newspapers. We would ask everyone to communicate to the Editor ( fax:36-1-118.79.37) any kind of article in newspapers and any project for these three days of fasting (for example: press conferences, demonstrations, meetings) in order to keep informed, through this bulletin, everyone on what is going on in other cities and to stress the transnational dimension of this important political initiative. Keep up the good work !!!

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APPLICATION FORM FOR THE FASTING DIALOGUE

(The Panchen Lama's picture) (Wei's picture)

( ) I participate in the fasting dialogue for the liberation of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, XIth Panchen Lama, and of the Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng.

* I have the intention to fast ( ) 1 Day

( ) 2 Days

( ) 3 Days

* We would like to know the dates of your fasting:

( ) September 30th

( ) October 1st

( ) October 2nd

Name ...........................................................

Complete address ...............................................

................................................................

Country ........................................................

Telephone ......................................................

e-mail .........................................................

Profession/function ............................................

Organization ...................................................

Declaration (optional) .........................................

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(your declaration will be distributed on the multilingual telematic system Agora - telnet Agora).

* We would like to ask you to send this coupon to one of the addresses listed below:

- via regular mail: Radical Party, Rue Belliard 97-113, Rem 508, 1047 Brussels (Belgium);

- via fax:+32-2-230.36.70;

- via e-mail: pr.bruxelles@agora.stm.it

* It is possible to communicate your participation by phone at the following number: +32-2-230.41.21

UPDATE ON OUR THREE CAMPAIGNS (as of September 3rd)

- Appeal to the U.N. General-Secretary to receive the Dalai Lama -

We are still at 979 pledges of support from Deputies and Senators from 40 different countries for the appeal to the U.N. General-Secretary Boutros Ghali to receive the Dalai Lama. After the summer break, Parliaments are open and we must work now to re-launch our initiative again, such as that the "Australian Tibet Council" is doing, for example. 2,000 votes of approval is the goal that we have to reach.

- Wei Jingsheng Nobel Peace Prize 1997 -

We are still at 351 proposals collected (220 Parliamentarians, 130 University Professors and 1 Member of Government). The campaign is going on again thanks to a few mailings and calls made during last week. We want to quote a few new Parliamentarians and University Professors who have joined the proposal of Wei Nobel Peace Prize 1997 in the last days.

* European Parliamentarians:

Hedy d'ANCONA (PSE), Joahanna BOOGERD-QUAAK (ELDR), Giacomo LEOPARDI (UPE), Claudia ROTH (Green group president), Vincenzo VIOLA (PPE), Françoise GROSSETERTE (PPE), Paul LANNOYE (Green), Carlos ROBLES PIQUER (PPE), Nel VAN DIJK (Green), Yves VERWAERDE (PPE), Susan WADDINGTON (PSE), Laurens HANS BRINKHOST (ELDR);

* Dautch Parliamentarians:

Jan HENDRIKS (Senioren 2000) and Frans Joseph WERNER (CDA);

* Czch Republic: the Deputy Jaroslav BASTA (CSSD) and University Professors, Josef ALAN, Fedor GAL and Jan PAYNE.

- Freedom for the Panchen Lama -

Over 6,000 postcards have sent to the Chinese President Zenin for the immediate release of the Panchen Lama. These 6,022 postcards have been mailed from 42 different countries. Last week postcards were also sent from the Republic of South Africa, Costa Rica, Brazil, Japan, Colombia, Georgia and Mexico.

Coupons for adhesions, postcards, lists of participants, "Tibet Free" stickers, information and other materials on these three campaigns are available for everyone at the Brussels Radical Party headquarters.

* TIBET CHINA TELEX *

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UMBRIA - MOTION ON THE SITUATION IN TIBET

As an initiative of the "Umbria for Tibet" committee , the regional councilman Riccardo PONGELLI (Forza Italia) has deposited at the Umbria Regional Council a motion on the severe situation in Tibet and on the economic agreements between the Italian Region and the Chinese People's Republic.

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APPOINTMENTS

- New Zealand: September 11 to 14. The Dalai Lama will visit New Zealand's major cities. The Dalai Lama is also supposed to meet the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs, Don McKinnon and members of "Parliamentary Lobby for Tibet". For more informations contact Thuten KESANG at "Liaison Office of Tibet - New Zealand"; e-mail thuten@kesang.ak.planet.co.nz

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PRESSREVIEW

* September 10th, "Régime sévère pour le dissident chinois",

"Libération". Report on the worrisome health condition of the Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng, candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize and in prison under accusation of "attempted subversion". Press review of the upcoming book on Wei Jimgsheng by Marie HOLZMAN and Noel MAMERE.

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SECOND PAGE

* "Partita Mondiale tra merci e valori" by Ernesto GALLI DELLA LOGGIA, in the Sept. 9th issue of Corriere della Sera (Milano), features an analysis by the famous italian political thinker on the new economic hierarchies of the planet. Violations of human rights, the new capitalism, and negation of the individual (with particular reference to China) are the prospects of the emerging Asian nations. Only the West pretends not to see what is happening. (10538 Conf. Part. Radic.)

* On this same subject we include a brief passage from the Sept 9th interview with Ernesto GALLI DELLA LOGGIA transmitted over Radio Radicale, iisuer of information on italian politics. The interviewer is Paolo PIETROSANTI (10577 Conf. Part. Rad.).

PP: we are very happy to have Ernesto Galli della Loggia on the air with us, who wrote an article in this morning's issue of Corriere della Sera. The first thing I would like to tell you is that the merit is really shared by us. What really makes us happy is the fact that a opinion has emerged, a position of a radical nature on the front page of a major western newspaper.

EGDL: Yes, I would also like to thank the Radical Party, in this sense: it is important to recognize that the burning problem of what the Chinese government has done in Tibet has remained inside of me all these years, and much of this struggle is due to the Radical Party, which has not lost one occasion to address this issue, in front of which the great part of Western public opinion, and especially political opinion, has been asleep. It is also, in regards to what interests me, that I owe so much to the continuous, insistent, and intellligent campaign that you have waged in recent years. Unfortunately, the effects are still limited. In these days we celebrate the twentieth anniversary death of Mao tse Tung and among the many things we read in the newspapers of the political left, which has always considered itself historically close to that experience, we fail to see it remembered that Mao tse Tung was the instigator of the politics that resulted in the virtual genocide of the Tibetan people, as well as hi

s responsibility for his many bloody acts against the Chinese people. This seems to me an example of the work that still has to be done.

* "Checchi digiunatore a favore del Tibet," by Marco SPIAZZI, in the Sept. 4th edition of Brescia-Oggi. The Lombard newspaper's article on the participation of Domenico Checchi, counsel of admistrations in Brescia, in the Oct. 2nd fasting dialogue 910561 Conf. Part. Rad.).

* "La Cine censura Internet avamposto di liberta'" by Vittorio ZAMBARDINO, in the Sept. 11th edition of La Repubblica. Ever since students communicated with the world on the Internet from Tien an men, China has had the Internet syndrome. Chinanet has closed one hundred foreign Net sites with access outside China, under orders of Peking. There are approximately 100.000 Internet users in China.

We note between parentheses the archival codes of the texts reported in the press report. These texts are inserted in their entirety in the multilingual Agora' system in the sector Conferenza Partito Radicale, Notizie Tibet, Conferenza Tibet (Telnet: agora.stm.it).

We publish here the report on the trip to Dharamsala by PR secretary and European deputy Olivier DUPUIS, which will appear in the forthcoming issue of "Actualities Tibetaines."

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DHARAMSALA: "UNA VISITA DI STATO"

("Actualities Tibetaines," Paris, September 1996)

Dharamsala, August 1996. If I were to describe in two words my visit with European Commissioner Emma Bonino to the seat of the exiled Tibetan government, the best possible definition would be "Official Visit" because of the trip's precise organization and regard to even the smallest detail. But this description would not do justice to something which accompanied us relentlessly in those days; the perception of a warm friendliness that was as intense as it was diffuse.

One single image is able to capture the emotion we were to encounter on repeated occassions: two hundred young people, aligned on both sides of the street they built themselves, greeting us with the prolonged and friendly salute "Tashi Delek," and then dissappearing in the blink of an eye to return to their classrooms. Everything is ordered and clean, but the buildings are made of aluminum. The winter is cold, and the summer is hot. Oh!, what a strident contrast with the "Tibetan Children Village" that I somewhat maliciously advised my friends in the government not to show too much to strangers, even though its success is evident, first and foremost in the faces of the children and young people, although many things remain to be done: space is limited, and there are not enough beds. In the hospital, however, and in the library, where the manuscripts torn from the hands of destruction are religiously stored, we have the proof of the stability that produces Tibetan preparation in an impressive cocktail of orga

nization, tradition, and modernity.This alone deseves the attention of a book to itself.

In the late afternoon we arrive at the Norbu Linka Center; another town located few miles frim Dharamsala in the middle of the hills, where, turning one's shoulders to the mountains, a temple surrounded by barracks rises, where 250 students are taught various traditional and secular jobs under the eye of true teachers. Is it art of artisans? Carpenters, metalworkers, and makers of "Tankas", clothes, embroidery, and statuettes....Everything in this center is made with care: nothing is spared in order to make something "that will remain here when we will return to Tibet." It is a gesture of gratitude to the people of India, who accepted the Tibetans so generously.

But we should not be fooled by appearances. The situation of the Tibetan refugees is far from idyllic. Sure, the government accompished great things from almost nothing: it secured fundamental services such as health care, education, and the conservation of the erudite Tibetan culture. And even if they majority of Tibetan families live decoratively, their means of survival are limited, and rarely surpass minimal levels of poverty. And added to this there is for some time a serious unemployment problem, caused by both demographic changes and the increasing level of education in relation to the continual arrival of new refugees: it is a problem that today affects 18% of the population and that has become the priority of the Tibetan government. In light of this, it is easy to understand the importance of new lines of credit from the European Union for Tibetan refugees. in the meantime september has arrived, and the inititation of new maneuvers in the European parliament has begun, and the threat that these line

s of credit will be sacrificed in budget cuts is real. We will have to fight to secure the autonomy of the Tibetan community as soon as possible.

The monsoons do not relent: it is under a universal flooding that we arrive at the house of the Dalai Lama, and with his great and unmistakable smile he shows us the photographs of the press conference and encounter with the President and Prime Minister of Italy (the conference was held by Marco Panella and Emma Bonino in Rome in 1994), What is to be done about the non-violence, the dialogue, and the liberty of Tibet? We find ourselves in a profound discussion. The Dalai Lama enthusiastically receives the idea for the nonviolent initiatives at the phase of the preparation of Satyagraha for the liberty of Tibet that we have been cultivating with Samdhong Rimpoche. We reflect upon the objectives of this first meeting, and his holiness insists on dialogue, non-violence, and the freedom of the Panchem Lama and Wei Jingsheng: two symbols that are different but at the same time represent the similar futures of the people of China and Tibet. It is decided: there will be three days of fasting from September 29th to

October 3rd, in conjunction the birthday of Ghandi. The hour of the Katas offering has arrived, as well as that of the last photographs and smiles.

Later, during the long dinner offered by the government and then during the discussion with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tashi Wangdi, and the Secretary of State on Information, Tempa Tsering, we talked about these initiatives and those deliberated last June in Bonn. We talked of the best ways to make them effective: the appointment in Geneva on March ninth and tenth of 1997 whhich will be attended by ten thousand, if not fifteen thousand; the objective of three thousand mayors for "A Flag for Tibet"; and that of two thousand signatures appealing to the secretary of the United Nations to begin Sino-Tibetan negotiations; the campaign for the Nobel Peace prize for Wei Jingsheng....The problems are many, but inversely, they do not impede our work, as we have already seen. I do not doubt that we will be able to work together for the coomon objective of Tibetan liberty and democracy in China. In the meantime there is no time to waste: October 2nd is just around the corner.