< FREEDOM FOR TIBET/DEMOCRACY IN CHINA ! - #51 >

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".

Tenzin GYATSO, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, 1992

Issue #51, February 11, 1997

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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26 DAYS UNTIL "GENEVA 1997"

ONLY 25 MAYORS SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 1997 "FLAG FOR TIBET" CAMPAIGN THIS WEEK.

The "Flag for Tibet" campaign still has not yet reached a pace that will allow us to hope it will reach the objective that was set during the work of the Strasburg Seminar. It is not an easy goal to reach, yet neither is it an impossible one. A great increase in effort is needed, and a commitment of time must be patiently undertaken for the difficult work of contacting mayors and their secretaries.

The title of this edition of "Tibet - China Fax" reminds us of the number of days left until our appointment in Geneva: 26 days, 624 hours, 37,440 minutes. It is only a whisper of time, yet it carries the responsibility of bringing the thousands of people to Geneva and organizing them, as well as convincing hundreds of mayors to support and participate in our campaign.

In this issue of "Tibet - China Fax" we also refer to the initiatives that are now being started that urge the Italian and French governments to present a common Resolution on Human Rights on behalf of the European Union in Geneva. It is of a fundamental importance to convince hundreds of mayors to support these national initiatives and to fly the flag of the "Lion of the Snows" on March 9-10. It is important that many, many people arrive to march in the streets of Geneva on March 9th to protest for the freedom of occupied Tibet and for the immediate condemnation of the violation of human rights in China, Tibet, Western Turkistan,and Inner Mongolia.

The coming days will see the establishment of the technical and organizational coordination of "Geneva 1997" will be operational in Geneva, and will continue with the difficult work that Lakhpa Tsering and our friends at the Geneva TSG have successfully been doing for the preparation of the "two days" in Geneva.

We send our best wishes to you and wish you well with your work, with the hope that the many political and organizational problems that we confront now and will confront in the coming days will only inspire us to pursue the goal we desire more decisively: the progress of democracy in all of the Chinese territories as a necessary step towards a new world based upon new rules for international rights and new parameters of economic justice.

Good Luck!

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"A FLAG FOR TIBET 1997":

1,753 UNTIL THE OBJECTIVE OF 2,000 ADHESIONS

There were 25 adhesions this week. Finally, two mayors from Germany decided to break the worrisome silence of that nation's mayors. The adhesion of the mayor of the Australian city of Brisbane is also of note.

We repeat the appeal that has been launched in this newsletter many times before, and we emphasize that the current situation does not help our cause, as we still hope for the success of this initiative: we must multiply our efforts and contact the maximum number of mayors in the coming days. If you are in need of the most current list of mayors that have signed on in support or other information please do not hesitate to contact our office in Brussels.

Situation by nation as of February 11th.

Conf. '96 New. '97 Totals

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Australia - 12 12

Belgium 20 16 36

Bulgaria - 8 8

Croatia - 2 2

Czech Republic 4 10 14

France 40 32 72

Germany - 2 2

Holland 1 - 1

Hungary 9 8 17

Italy 31 18 49

Luxembourg 7 8 15

Slovenia - 5 5

Spain 6 8 14

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118 128 247

* Adhesions from Feb. 5th to Feb. 11th (25).

From Australia: the Mayor of BRISBANE; the Mayor of FREMANTLE; the Mayor of HUNTER'S HILL; the Mayor of MITCHAM; the Mayor of MOONEE VALLEY; the MAyor of MORELAND; the Mayor of SALISBURY; the Mayor of SUBIACO; the Mayor of TEA TREE GULLEY; the Mayor of WAVERLY; the Mayor of UNLEY; the Mayor of YARRA; from Italy: Vincenzo PELLEGRINI, Mayor of MARLIANA (a); Giovanni BARTOLI, Mayor of CASOLA IN LUNIGIANA (a); Angelo SANTORI, Mayor of GORGA (a); from France: Yves PIETRASANTA, Mayor of MEZE (a); Yvon BEUCHON, Mayor of LACHAPELLE-SAINT-URSIN (n); Jean-Claude COSTE, Mayor of BREN (a); Jean Michel COUVE, Mayor of SAINT TROPEZ (a); Jean Louis LORRAIN, Mayor of LANDSER (a); Raymond ROUSSIN, Mayor of VALOUSE (n); from Hungary: Tamas DERCE, mayor of BUDAPEST-UJPEST iv.KER. (c); Bela HARMAT, Mayor of ERD (n); from the Czech Republic: Pavel PROCHAZKA, Mayor of CASLAV (a); Petr BENDL, Mayor of KLADNO (a); from Bulgaria: Dimitar

BONEV, Mayor of IHTIMAN (a); from Germany: Hermann HULMANN, Mayor of SCHLOSS HOLTE-STUKENBROCK (a); M. STAEHLER, Mayor of LANGENFELD (a).

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THE GOVERNMENTS OF FRANCE AND ITALY

ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO OPPOSE THE PRESENTATION OF A RESOLUTION CONCERNING TIBET AND CHINA ON BEHALF OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO THE UN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN GENEVA. THE RESOLUTIONS IN ITALY AND FRANCE.

- IN ITALY

The Transnational Radical Party made a proposal on February 6th to all of the leaders of the Foreign Relations Commissions in the Senate and the Italian House of Representatives requesting that they deposit an Urgent Resolution that engages the Italian government in forcefully supporting

the European Union's Resolution on the grave human rights situation in China and Tibet which will be presented to the UN Human Rights Commission as it opens its work session on March 10 in Geneva.

- IN FRANCE

A large group of TSG's has requested that French Parliamentarians underwrite an appeal to President Chirac to support a common European politics at Geneva during the work session of the UN Human Rights Commission, and so that a resolution that condemns the violation of human rights in China, Tibet, Western Turkistan, and Inner Mongolia be adopted.

The TSG's that have promoted the initiative are: Tibet-Liberte-Solidarite (Marseille), France-Tibet (Paris), Aide au Tibet (Ramatuelle), Tibet- Lion des Neiges (Strasburg), Asie Pacifique (Bordeaux), Lions des Neiges

(Lione) Convergences Tibet Laogai (Toulousse), Association Tara-Lhama (Nice), France-Tibet/Nord-Pas de Calais (Lievin).

< TIBET-CHINA TELEX >

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HONG KONG/PE

European Deputies Olivier Dupuis and Gianfranco Dell'Alba have deposited a proposal for a Resolution on Hong Kong in the name of the ARE group. The proposal that was presented requests that the Commission "intervene on the question and communicate to the Chinese authorities that a policy which violates the spirit of the agreement for a nation with "two systems" will not be accepted."

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WESTERN TURKISTAN/EP

Following the executions of 30 Uiguri on behalf of the Chinese authorities, a proposal for a Resolution on the situation in Western Turkistan (the Chinese region of Xinjang) was deposited by European Deputies Dupuis and Dell'Alba in the name of the ARE group. The text that was presented condemns the continuation of Chinese nuclear testing in the Lop Mar triangle and asks that the commission open an investigation on the executions and the arrest of hundreds of other members of the Uiguri populace, which is the principal ethnic group of Western Turkistan.

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GENEVA/HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA/EP

In order to close the issue during the next work session of the European Parliament, we report that European Deputies Dell'Alba and Dupuis, in the name of the ARE group, have deposited an important resolution concerning the common policy of the European Union to the Human Rights Commission in Geneva, with particular attention on the violation of human rights in China and Tibet. The text that was deposited reminds the EP of the Vienna Declaration, and reaffirms the obligation of all of the member states to protect and promote human rights, fundamental liberties, as well as the commitments made within the scope of international agreements.

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BUS TO GENEVA

The first reports on the rental of buses for the manifestation in Geneva have started arriving. In recent days, our friends in Prague, Vienna, and certain German cities have begun to launch the organizational phase of "Geneva '97."

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INTERNATIONAL REGISTRY FOR GENEVA 1997

* The following are the participation forms that were collected at the meeting of the Strasburg Seminar on January 16-17:

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- 1,500 people from the Tibetan community in Switzerland

- 1,500 people from the Italian coordinators (by bus and train)

- 50-150 people from the Belgian coordinators (1/3 by bus)

- 50 people from Strasburg (1 bus)

- 10 people from the Hungarian coordinators (by train)

- 20 people from the Slovenian coordinators (by train)

- 50 people from the Croatian coordinators (by train)

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Total approx. 3,180 people.

* The following are the commitments added this past week

Czech Coordination 100 people 2 Buses

German Coordination 100 people 2 Buses

Austrian Coordination 30/50 people Train

French Coordination 650 people 14 Buses (*)

Luxemburg Coordination 50 people 1 Bus

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Total as of Feb. 11th: approx. 4,110 people

(*) 1 bus from Grenoble, 3 from Marseilles, 1 from Toulousse, 1 from Strasburg, 2 from Paris, 1 from Bordeaux, 5 from Leone.

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GENEVA 1997

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FIRST NAME

____________________________________________

LAST NAME

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COMPLETE ADDRESS

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NATION

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TELEPHONE/FAX

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E-MAIL

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ORGANIZATION

( ) I will participate in the GENEVA 1997 Manifestation

( ) I will be responsible for bringing ___________ other people to Geneva.

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(specify if by train, plane, car, or bus)

( ) I will contribute __________________ to the bank account for

Geneva 1997. (please specify amount)

Account information and number is: "Geneve 1997" no. 310-1075921-83, BBL bank, Agency of the European Parliament, Rue Van Maerlant 2, 1040 Brussels.

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< PRESS RELEASE >

* La Padania (Newspaper of the North), Feb. 4th. "Dispute between China and Tibet. Who is the real Panchen Lama?" The newspaper of the Northern League publishes the story of the young Panchen Lama, who has been sequestered by the Chinese authorities, in this article.

* "Wei Jingsheng: the Fifth Modernization and other Writings from the Springtime of Peking." by Huang San and Angel Pino. Preface by Francis Deron. Edited by Christian Bourgois. This anthology gathers the works of the most famous Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize candidate for 1997. The writings were written during the Springtime of Peking, and include his famous "The Fifth Modernization" essay, which has become a symbol and testimony of dissidence within China.

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APPOINTMENTS

- Leone (France). Saturday, Feb 15th. 4:30 PM. A public conference entitled "The Tibetan Drama" will be held at the cultural center of Villeurbanne, 234, cours Emile Zola. The representative of the Dalai Lama in Paris will participate, as well as Marie-Helene Fraissa (France Culture), Ludovic Segara and Olivier Dupuis (TRP Secretary). For more information: tel. 04-74.82.30.97.

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SECOND PAGE

Text of the Resolution presented to the European Parliament concerning the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

The Senate of the Republic/The House of Deputies

Given that:

- a strict oppression is currently taking place in occupied Tibet, and has assumed the form of a calculated cultural genocide taking place as a result of the relocation of Chinese colonists in Tibet directed at the extinction and dilution of the Tibetan populace;

- the Dalai Lama, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and who is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, in his non-violent and Ghandian firmness, has repeatedly appealed for dialogue and negotiations with the government of Peking under the aegis of the United Nations and UN Secretary General;

- the General Assembly of the United Nations has confronted the Tibetan tragedy in Resolution No.'s 1353 (XIV) of 1959, 1723 (XVI) of 1961, 2070 (XX) of 1965;

- the European Parliament has repeatedly raised its voice with Resolutions on Oct. 15, 1987, March 16, 1989, March 15, 1990, Sept. 12, 1991, Feb. 13, 1992, Dec. 15, 1992, June 25, 1993, Sept. 17, 1993, July 13, 1995, and Dec 14, 1995, which condemned the violation of human rights in Tibet, as well as the invasion and occupation of Tibet on behalf of the People's Republic of China;

- resolutions on the situation in Tibet have recently been approved by the German Bundestag, the Belgian House of Representatives, and the Parliament of Luxemburg;

- the European Parliament has approved numerous resolutions condemning even the most elementary violations of human rights in the People's Republic of China;

- tens of thousands of political prisoners are detained on Chinese territory in the infamous "Laogai," where living conditions are notoriously inhuman;

We request that the Government:

- undertake every political or diplomatic action necessary until the UN Human Rights Commission, which meets in Geneva from March 10 through April 18, adopts a resolution concerning the violation of human rights in the People's Republic of China, in Tibet, in Western Turkistan, and in Inner Mongolia, as well as for the immediate release of all political prisoners and the closure of the Laogai.