< FREEDOM FOR TIBET/DEMOCRACY IN CHINA ! - #35 >
Newsletter on the campaigns of the Radical Party for the freedom of Tibet and the democracy on 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 #35, September 18th, 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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11 DAYS AWAY FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE FASTING DIALOGUE
FOR THE RELEASE OF THE PANCHEN LAMA AND WEI JINGSHENG:
234 PARTICIPANTS.
Only thirteen days from the beginning of the fasting dialogue for the release of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, and of the Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng. Eleven days remain for the preparation of the three days of non-violent protest. The first days after the campaign of this past March 10th saw the union of men and women of various Tibet support groups, of the radical party, and also of other deputies and representatives of centers for religious study, as well as students, workers, and artisans of sixteen countries, all of whom asked their respective ministers of foreign affairs to do everything they could for the liberation of the Panchen Lama and of Wei.
Only thirteen days to collect more participants for the fasting dialogue, but also to contact the local and international media, organize press conferences, write and print flyers to distribute during the three days of fasting, and to place into action the thousands of ideas that will help this political inititaive to succeed.
But there are only eleven days to realize the objective of opening a dialogue with national institutions, with the government for the liberation of the Panchen Lama and Wei. In the preceding issues of "Liberation for Tibet- Democracy for China fax" we published the numerous resolutions approved by the European Parliament, as well as those passed by Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg on the situation in Tibet and Wei Jingsheng. These resolutions are examples of a strong assumption of political responsibility that must not remain "dead words", forgotten by governments, but initiatives which can be used, on this occasion as instruments of institutional dialogu with ministers of foreign affairs.
We have planned, however, to prepare an "Open Letter to Ministers of Foreign Affairs" that will be published on the "second page," which we suggest that the participants of the fasting dialogue copy and distribute to the media organizations of their communities to be published and distributed.
Only eleven days to prepare for October 2nd - anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Ghandi - of non-violent struggle, political initiative, and of dialogue for the freedom of Tibet and China.
Good work
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OCTOBER 2ND
NONVIOLENCE, FASTING DIALOGUE, FREEDOM FOR TIBET:
FASTING DIALOGUE FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE PANCHEN LAMA AND FOR WEI JINGSHENG
Fasting dialogue for the release of the Panchem Lama and Wei Jingsheng.
With the release of this issue of "Tibet-China Fax" there are 234 persons that are participants of the fasting dialogue, seventy more than there were when the last issue was printed. In the last few days, citizens of France, Belgium, Hungary, Croatia, Poland, Italy, and the United States have joined in the initiative. Fasting from the 29th of September through the 2nd of October will also be Croatian HSS deputy Stjepan RODES, deputy of the Italian Northern league Fabio CALZAVARA, and Tibor JANKOVICH, vice-president of the "Tibetet Segito Tarsasag" of Budapest, as well as Marcelle ROUX, president of "France-Tibet."
Remember that the fasting begins at noon on September 29th, ending at that same hour on October 2nd.
* LIST OF THE PARTICIPANTS BY COUNTRY
Albania ................. 3
Belgium ................. 42
Croatia ................. 17
Czech Republic .......... 7
France .................. 28
Hungary ................. 15
Italy ................... 70
Poland .................. 20
Rumania ................. 4
Russia ................. 3
Slovenia ................ 1
Spain ................... 2
Switzerland ............. 3
Ukraine ................. 3
United Kingdom .......... 1
United States ........... 15
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Total 234
* LIST OF THE NEW PARTICIPANTS BY NAME (From September 13 to 18)
Belgium (26): Anne BAUDOUR, secretary, one day (Brussels), Alain BONNET, artist, Amnesty International, one day (Brussels), Sabine BOONE, student, one day (Grimbergen), Deborah CERNIGLIARA, student, one day (Brussels), Yves DAUMERIE, professor, one day (Brussels), Quentin GEERAERT, student, one day (Brussels), Bernard GUEVORTS, one day (Jodoigne), Arlette PORET, one day (Brussels), Christian RITZENTHALER, one day (Brussels), Wang TIEN-MIN, student, one day (Brussels), Simona GATTI, European Commission functionary, one day (Brussels), Mustapha ZAIDI,"Center For Tibetan Studies", one day (Brussels), Claire BEDUIN, nurse, two days (Court-St.Etienne), Amaru DE LA MOTTA, teacher, one day (Brussels), Dominique THIRIAS, teacher, one day (Brussels), Ciza MUHIRWA, musician (Brussels), Tempa NEGI GYALTESEN, employee (Brussels), Anna CASO, employee (Hoeilaart), Christine COLLET, one day (Brussels), Christian PORET, one day (Aloost), Nadine DUJARDIN, one day (Brussels), Suzanne COUMONT, retired, two days (Nivelles), Luc
VAN TRICHT, two days (Brussels); Croatia (1) : Stjepan RODES, deputy, HSS (Zaegred); France (14): Christian MERLETTE, cabinet-chief, two days (Bordeaux), Marcelle ROUX, "France-Tibet" president (Paris), Jean-François AYME, (Danmaire), Marie Christine ARBONNIER, two days (Le Motte du Caire), Elisabeth GETTO (Beurville), Pierre GOEPFERT (saint-Crepin), Vincent PLANCHON, actor (Paris), Gilbert MODESTINE, teacher, one day (Vernon), Catherine TEIFER, one day (Paris), Anne-Marie DESAIRE, "SOS Femmes Tibétaines (Annecy), Aimé SEBDUN, travel agent, one day (Cachan); HUNGARY (10): Tibor JANKOVIC, "Tibet Segito Tarsasag" vice-president (Budapest), Albert TOTH, TSG (Budapest), Botond SZATMARI, TSG, Teacher (Budapest), Geza PAPP, TGS (Budapest), Marta HUMENIUC, TSG (Budapest), Zsofia NAGY, TSG (Budapest),Zsuzsanna MARKOVICS, student (Budapest), Zoltan SITKERI, teacher (Budapest), Attila SIMON, engineer (Budapest), Istvan TOTH, retired, one day (Budapest); Italy (10): Fabio CALZAVARA, League North deputy, one day, Andr
ea FINOCCHI, musician, one day (Rome), Marcuccio SALVATORE, RP (Catania), Giannino CUSANO, RP (Potenza), Fabrizio MANZI, one day (Foggia), Lucio ALBERGO, city council, A.N., two days (Bari), Maurizio BOLOGNETTI, postman, two days (Latronico PZ), Mania Antonietta CIMINELLI, employee, two days (Latronico PZ), Florenzo NEGRIZIOLI, RP, city employee, two days (Brescia); Poland (3): Anna MAJEWSKA, one day (Warsaw), Marcin BARTOSIAK, one day (Wlochv), Julia BERKO, one day (Warsaw); United States (3): Katie MURPHY, photographer, two days, (Indianapolis), Richard THIBAULT, two days (Altamonte Spring FL), Melissa THIBAUL, two days (Altomonte Spring FL);
N.B. When the term of the fasting dialogue is not mentioned, it means three days.
APPLICATION FORM FOR THE FASTING DIALOGUE
(The Panchen Lama's picture) (Wei's picture)
( ) I will 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) .........................................
................................................................
................................................................
................................................................
(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 / 284.91.97 - 98;
- 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
NOTICE
It may be useful to include in the dossier for the press or in correspondence the resolutions approved in recent months on the situation in Tibet and on Wei by the European, Belgian, Luxembourgian, and German Parliaments. These documents are available in their English translations at the office of the Radical Party in Brussels (tel. +32-2-230.41.21, fax +32-2-230.36.70, e-mail pr.bruxelles@agora.stm.it)
* TIBET CHINA TELEX *
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NEW ZEALAND
VISIT OF DALAI LAMA
Despite the usual pressure from the Chinese government, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jim BOLGER received the Dalai Lama in New Zealand last week. It is another important success for the world-wide campaign for the freedom of Tibet. Compliments to Thubten KESANG of the "Liason Office of Tibet-New Zealand."
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WEI FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE 1997
The Euro-deputies Luisa TODINI (UPE), Joan VALVE' (ELDR), and Guido PODESTA' (UPE), as well as Dutch parliamentarians Peter BOORSMA (CDA), A. DUIVESTEJN (PVDA), and Henk HEIJNE MAKKREEL (VVD) support Wei's candidacy. The total number of signatures collected to date is 360 (229 parliamentarians, 130 professors, and one government member).
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FREEDOM FOR THE PANCHEM LAMA
6,037 postcards have been mailed to Chinese president Zemin requesting the release of the Panchem Lama. The countries who have sent the most cards are Italy (1,185), France (1,011), Switzerland (942), Germany (584), Belgium (482), and Norway (451).
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PRESS RELEASE
" Tibet risks extinction," article by Ana Alonso MONTES in the September 15th ed, of El Mundo of Madrid. Interview with Dawa THONDUP, representative of the Dalai Lama in France, Spain, Portugal, and the Benelux nations, on the situation in Tibet and launch of future campaigns such as "A Flag for Tibet," promoted by the Radical Party.
SECOND PAGE
OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Honorable Minister XX
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs Republic of YY
Address
City, XY September, 1996
Your Honor,
Please allow us, with this letter, to inform you of the current non-violent initiative that is being undertaken in numerous nations of the world for the liberty of Tibet and democracy for China.
On September 29th, we, members of the Tibet Support Groups, the Radical Party, and organizations that work for human rights, along with men and women of different political parties, races, languages, cultures, and religions will begin a fast of three days for the opening of a dialogue with our respective Foreign Ministers so that immediate action will be taken for the release of two political prisoners unjustly jailed by the authorities of Peking. The fasting will end October 2nd, on the anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Ghandi, in conjunction with manifestations in front of various embassies to remind the press and public of our nations of the gravity of the violation of human rights in China and occupied Tibet.
We ask you to work until the release of the young boy of seven years Ghedun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchem Lama as recognized by his holiness the Dalai Lama, and that he may be placed in conditions that will enable him to honor the religious duty to which he was called by the Tibetan Buddhist Liturgy. The Panchem Lama is the second highest religious figure in Tibetan Buddhism and he is sequestered by the Chinese authorities, in Peking, along with his family and fifty members of the Tashi Lumpo monastery of Tibet, which is the historical seat of the Panchem Lama.
We, the fasters, ask that you work until the most famous Chinese democratic dissident and leader of the movement "Wall of Democracy", Wei Jingsheng, be released from the prison in which he is kept despite his grave health condition. Arrested on March 29th, 1979, for having "divulged state secrets." Wei was condemned as a "criminal counter-revolutionary." From his cell, Wei never relented from openly denouncing the violation of human rights in China and Tibet. He was released in 1993 and arrested again on the 21st of November, 1995, and subsequently condemned to serve another fifteen years. We must stress the worrisome health condition of Wei Jingsheng.
In this context, we ask of you two specific requests:
Honorable minister,
ask of our ambassador to Peking that he meet Wei Jingsheng in the prison of Danish, where he is imprisoned, in order to also examine the state of his health;
send to our ambassador to the People's Republic of China a note in which a request is made that the government of Peking return Gedhun Choekyi Nyama, the young Panchem Lama, to his monastery of Tashi Lumpo in Tibet.
Awaiting your cordial reply and confident that your Honor will receive a delegation of fasters this October 2nd, we offer you, the honorable Minister XX , our best wishes on your work,
(Signatures of fasters)
