< FREEDOM FOR TIBET/DEMOCRACY IN CHINA ! - #58 >

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 #58, 31 may, 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

________________________

DEBATE ON THE SATYAGRAHA

In the preceding issue of "Tibet-China Fax" we announced the opening of a debate concerning Satyagraha for the freedom of occupied Tibet and possible preparatory initiatives. The Secretary the Transnational Radical Party, Olivier Dupuis, opens the debate with the hope, as well as the trust, that it will an invitation to reflect and to write.

We are certain that the theme of the freedom of occupied Tibet will not find one of you unprepared to discuss it, just as we are certain that ideas and contributions will not be in short supply. The work of reflection that we begin now must be a necessary premise for constant attention to practical action and political initiative. Nonviolence, in substance, is this: a method of political action, our method of political action.

We await your contributions and ideas.

____________________________________

SATYAGRAHA FOR THE FREEDOM FOR TIBET

By Olivier Dupuis

One thing is sure: the nonviolent struggle for freedom for Tibet is not yet started. Without doubt during the last 40 years the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government in exile and the Tibetans have fought without a single violent act, demonstrating their desire to peacefully solve their problem. Nevertheless, pacifism is not nonviolence. As nonviolence is not absence of violence. The nonviolence taught by Gandhi and Martin Luther King is a for of political struggle founded on dialogue and therefore on the relationship to the adversary, but still a form of a tough, direct struggle, which differs from the violent one "only" because it use other weapons.

This leads to a first question that we should ask ourselves: "do we want to move from a pacifist to a nonviolent struggle? In other words, do we all - Tibetans and non Tibetans - want to organize and translate into action this nonviolence in a worldly Satyagraha for freedom for occupied Tibet?

If the answer is yes, we have to understand if certain conditions, particularly three, are at hand:

a) The preciseness of the objective that we want to achieve and, most of all, of its key "institutional" level.

The main goal is, for most of us Tibetans and non, freedom for Tibet. Freedom that can be defined with the words of the Dalai Lama: reaching a wide autonomy which will exclude foreign and defense issues.

As regards the "institutional" level - the beginning of a negotiation without prejudices under the auspices of the United Nations between the Chinese government and the Tibetan government in exile - things are more complicated. There is, without doubt, a large consensus regarding the dialogue; less clear appears the way in which these negotiations should be carried on. "Under the auspices of the United Nations" it is not a neutral statement, because it implies a formal recognition by the international community of the whole process, Making it become a sort of guarantor of the negotiations. It is obvious that other negotiations are possible, the most dangerous remains the secret one between the two parts.

b) the battlefield and the organization.

Schematically we can divide the "front" in three parts: occupied Tibet, China and the "rest of the world".

For the first period the essential part of the mobilization should be concentrated, for evident reasons of feasibility, on "the rest of the world". I don't need to be expand on that, because we all know perfectly the risks that Tibetans and Chinese would encounter. Nevertheless we should keep the second and third fronts (Tibet and China) always well informed on the initiatives undertaken by the first one. This implies the use of effective means of communication to get in touch with the fronts and eventually organize and coordinate the activities both from outside and the inside. Radio "Voice of Tibet" has already perfectly served this purpose, now it is time for the People's Republic of China to have the same tool.

From an organizational point of view, we must establish a network that can have nothing but worldly dimensions, a movement that should be able to mobilize simultaneously dozens, if not hundreds of thousands of people, on the same objectives and most of all nonviolently. In other words we should create something similar to the 1960s' anti-Vietnam movement. This time without the word "against" (America), but "for" Tibet. For Freedom for Tibet and Democracy in China, for an international human community based on rights.

c) the methodology

The nonviolent arsenal is richer than we think. Besides the most known "weapons": individual or collective fastings, hunger strikes, sit-in, boycotts, rallies, marches, walk-arounds, there are many other methods. We should start thinking about them and try to understand which could be useful for our cause, but at the same time we should invent new ones, keeping in mind that these should be thought for a large number of people for all those who would like to join this worldly movement.

Of the above-mentioned conditions only the first is in part satisfied (the negotiation process still remains uncertain). As regards the organization it seems to me that, after the past years' experience, a large group of people, profoundly committed and willing to mobilize, already exists. Lastly as regards nonviolence and our capacity of making it become "the" tool for our mobilization, I am sure that we can positively surprise ourselves if, and only if, we will be organized and determined.

Articles on "SATYAGRAHA" can be faxed or emailed to the Brussels office of the Transnational Radical Party (fax:+32-2-284.9198, email:pr.bruxelles@agora.stm.it.) preferably in English, French and Italian and should not exceed 40-50 lines. Thank you

Note: the articles must be sent via fax or, preferably, via e-mail, to our TRP office in Brussels (fax: 32-2-284.91.98; e-mail: pr.bruxelles@agora.stm.it). Articles should be in English, French, or Italian. The length of the text should not exceed 40-50 lines.

< TIBET CHINA TELEX >

_________________

A PLAZA FOR TIBET

In recent days other European mayors have adhered to the " A Plaza, a Street for Tibet" campaign. The total number of European communities that will dedicate streets or plazas to Tibet has now risen to 15 from 4 different nations. All those who are interested in helping this campaign take off should contact their mayor or activate the proper procedure in City Hall, and should also contact the TRP office in Brussels to obtain an information dossier. The following is an updated list of the communities supporting the campaign.

Total: 15. Belgium (2): Heusden-Zolder, Woluwe~-Saint-Pierre; France (5):

Lens,Lievin, Mazingarbe, Villeneuve D'Asq, Les-Pennes-Mirabeau; Italy (6)

Catanzaro, Bologna, Palermo, Rome, Grosseto, Gaggiano; Spain (1) Amurrio; Switzerland (1): Veyrier.

_______________________________________________

APPEAL FOR "VOICE OF TIBET" RADIO/NEW ADHESIONS

The appeal for the salvation of "Voice of Tibet" Radio promoted by the TRP and distributed in the previous issue of "Tibet-China Fax" has been signed by Ila Hutzer of the "Tibet Support Committee" (Denmark), Pol D'Huyvetter, Coordinator of "Mother Earth International" (Belgium), Mark Tatz of the University of California, and Martin Ellison of Sydney. Whoever is interested in having a copy of the appeal should contact the TRP office in Brussels.

__________________

AUSTRIA/PARLIAMENT

The OKFT, or Committee for the creation of a Tibet Intergroup in the Austrian Parliament, has been formed in Vienna. Tseten Zoechbauer has been designated as the Committee's spokesperson.

_____________________

SLOVENIA/PANCHEN LAMA

On April 25th, on occasion of the 8th birthday of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima -

the 11th Panchen Lama, and who is currently under sequester by Chinese authorities - an information stand was set up by the Lubiana TSG on the main square in Lubiana, the capital city of Slovenia, for the entire day.

Numerous post cards to be sent to Chinese President Zemin for the immediate release of the Panchen Lama were distributed at the stand.

________________________________________

WEI JINGSHENG/THE COURAGE TO STAND ALONE

The book "The Courage to Stand Alone" by Wei Jingsheng has been published by Viking in the United States. The book is a collection of letters from prison, writings, and essays written by Wei and with introductions by

Andrew Nathan, Liu Qing, and Sophia Woodman. In a positive review of the book that appeared in the New York Times Book Review on May 11, Judith Shapiro reminds the readers that a campaign is currently underway to nominate Wei for a Nobel Peace Prize.

___________________________

STRASBURG/ASSEMBLY ON TIBET

On May 29-30 a number of encounters organized by Tibet Libre, Amnesty International, and Lions des Neiges will be held in Strasburg. They will include a number of encounters with citizens and the press concerning the situation in Tibet. Among the participants will be Lama Wangchen, director of the "Casa del Tibet" of Barcelona. For more information contact: Tibet Libre, tel: 88.27.33.00, Fax 88.27.33.08.

___________

SECOND PAGE

We are publishing in "Second Page" the Resolution on China that was approved at the most recent session of the European Parliament. The resolution, which was presented by the liberal group, sparked a lively debate which was highlighted by a particularly animated point-counterpoint between deputy Alain POMPIDOU (UPE) and Olivier DUPUIS (ARE), of which we report a few excerpts.

Alain Pompidou: "Mrs. President, I must say that I was surprised by the attitude of certain of my colleagues who spoke of the disrespect of human rights in regards to the politics conducted by France, in particular those of the President of the French Republic. These same colleagues could have interested themselves in what has been happening in France. I must say that, in effect, one cannot be interested in everything, but that President Chirac received at the Elysee', before his departure, a delegation of ONG that are active in China, among them Amnesty International and the International Human Rights Federation. He affirmed his intention to confront the human rights question with the proper Chinese interlocutors, and requesting specific explanations concerning the cases of certain prisoners of conscience by signing a political declaration which includes these essential aspects of the relations between France and that nation..."

Olivier Dupuis: "No Signor Dupuis, I don't believe that France's reception of a handful of ONG at the Elysee' will be enough to wash away the double infamy of Geneva. What France did there was to lend support to the politics defended by the Chinese authorities of modernization without democracy. The other infamy was that of destroying the glimmer of the common foreign politics that the European Union has tried, with much difficulty, to create. All this is extremely grave and Chirac's trip to China only confirms this. Talking about one or two dissidents will not change the situation. He has infringed upon the logic of Europe, and sustained the infamy of the Chinese government, which manifests itself every day through the hundreds of thousands of citizens it keeps imprisoned."

*Resolution of the European Parliament on discriminatory measures taken by China against certain EU Member States (B4-0359/97)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the human rights situation in China,

A. whereas all members of the United Nations (UN) are committed to protecting and promoting human rights as stated in the UN Charter, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the international covenants on human rights and other documents,

B. whereas the mandate of the UN Human Rights Commission is to look into and discuss matters related to the human rights situation around the world,

C. whereas China has accepted the 1993 Vienna Declaration on Human Rights,

D. whereas the General Affairs Council stated on 4 December 1995 that the basic goals of the EU in its relations with China are, inter alia, 'the promotion of democracy, structures based on the rule of law and the respect for human rights',

E. whereas the China Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1996', published by the US Department of State, states: 'The Government continued to commit widespread and well-documented human rights abuses, in violation of internationally accepted norms, stemming from the authorities intolerance of dissent, fear of unrest, and the absence or inadequacy of laws protecting basic freedoms. The Constitution and laws provide for fundamental human rights, but they are often ignored in practice. Abuses included torture and mistreatment of prisoners, forced confessions and arbitrary and lengthy incommunicado detention. (...).The Government continued severe restrictions on freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, religion, privacy and worker rights. (...) In many cases, the judicial system denies criminal defendants basic legal safeguards and due process (...).',

F. regretting that the European Union failed to speak with one voice and present a common resolution on the human rights situation in China during the 53rd session of the UNCommission on Human Rights in April 1997 in Geneva,

G. whereas Denmark, supported by Ireland and the Netherlands - the country which currently holds the EU Presidency -, tabled a resolution on the human rights situation in China, which other EU Member States did not support;

H. whereas China has postponed Danish and Dutch trade missions and has threatened these two States with further retaliatory measures,

1. Welcomes and supports the resolution tabled by Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands and others to denounce human rights violations in China;

2. Deeply deplores the fact that there was no common EU foreign policy on China in Geneva;

3. Urges the Council to establish solidarity and a common policy between all Member States regarding the human rights situation in China;

4. Considers it unacceptable that China has threatened to impose discriminatory trade measures against the abovementioned EU Member States;

5. Urges China to refrain from all discriminatory measures against EU Member States;

6. Calls on the Council and the Commission to lodge an official protest against this discrimination with the Chinese authorities;

7. Calls on the Commission, the Council and all Member States to show solidarity with Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands and any other countries which may be faced with Chinese retaliating measures;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the parliaments of the Member States and the Government of the People's Republic of China.