< FREEDOM FOR TIBET/DEMOCRACY IN CHINA ! - #59 >

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 #59, May 29, 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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DEBATE ON THE SATYAGRAHA

The debate on the global Satyagraha for the freedom of occupied Tibet continues. In this issue we present the speeches of Thomas Nagant, the President of "Les Amis du Tibet," and of Anders H. Andersen of the Danish "Tibet Support Committee."

We must repeat our invitation to our readers to involve themselves in this debate which could - if we are many - be of great help to the re-launching of the movement for freedom in Tibet.

We invite, with particular emphasis, the members of the Tibet Support Group to express themselves on the matter: from Australia to North America, from India to Europe, it is necessary to understand if, from differing realities, it is possible and practical in form and timing, to organize everyone for the nonviolent Satyagraha for Tibet.

Good Work!

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SATYAGRAHA: ACTING RESPONSIBLY ON A UNIVERSAL SCALE (2)

by Thomas Nagant (Les Amis du Tibet, Belgium)

If we work with great determination for the freedom of Tibet it is also because, as the Dalai Lama teaches, our responsibility as human beings is conjoined with the moment in which an intolerable situation is noticed.

Not to act would signify admitting that such a situation continues and, by consequence, that all humanity is injured thereby. It is a part of the unalterable will to see humanity progress towards a greater prosperity, and towards a greater level of reciprocal respect for future generations, in which our work resides. By consequence, our struggle in favor of the freedom of Tibet is not exclusive yet certainly illustrative of the state of the world towards which we work and hope. In addition, humanity will have progressed in the hour when the "Roof of the World" will have regained its complete liberty; it is with this prospect in mind that we must, in my opinion, give life to the movement for the Satyagraha. But what should it be? It should be, first of all, a movement founded upon the sincerity of individual effort: it is not a matter of conducting war against a certain people, ideology, or ethnic group, because these are the sign of not being able to recognize the intrinsic respectability of others. Secondly

, it is a new movement founded upon the persistence of work: as it would have been unsound to act only between five and seven o'clock during World War Two, in the same sense it is not any better to be in favor of the freedom of Tibet only once in awhile, or on the occasion of some global event. Finally, it should regard itself as a movement founded upon the ability to mobilize a large number of persons. The Satyagraha movement should not be a choice of expression chosen for you like the dedication of art or religion. On the contrary, the movement must be able to reunite human beings regardless of their diversity and, nonetheless, respectful of these. Across these conditions, which are philosophical, one must also keep the following practices in mind:

- we are still not very numerous, but our capacity to mobilize other persons is enormous: we must, however, wherever and whenever it is possible, invite others to participate in our actions for the Satyagraha;

- we must nurture the closest collaborations between us, with the objective of knowing that when we take some action (walk-around, fasting, or information campaign), that hundreds of others are doing the same elsewhere;

- we must employ every methods of communication possible, including the most modern, to spread the word of the movement: an Internet site dedicated to the Satyagraha, connected with all of the other existing sites on Tibet and our activities, would establish one means among many of extending the movement;

- we must be aware of the ways in which we spend our money effects the movement by demonstrating that a dollar spent today on a Chinese product will cost ten dollars tomorrow in relation to whether it was earned at the cost of human rights and a lasting progress. We must use the weapon of boycott in a coordinated and well-aimed strategy;

I present these few words and considerations as points of reference before we collectively make this significant decision for the initiation of the global Satyagraha movement. It is a great challenge!

* * *

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THE TIBETANS IN EXILE MUST BE IN CHARGE (3)

by Anders H. Andersen (Tibet Support committee, Denmark)

I admire your stamina and visions regarding a world-wide Satyagraha for the freedom of Tibet and democracy in China but I think the movement will suffer greatly and loose credibility and power if exile Tibetans do not take the lead. The best would be if Tibetans inside Tibet could start the movement. As you rightly point out, this is not realistic given the severity of political repression there. If exile Tibetans in this situation do not themselves demonstrate in practice that Satyagraha is the right strategy for the peaceful fight for freedom, it will seriously weaken any other international action along these lines. Satyagraha, I feel, is only a valid option for non-Tibetan supporters if they can demonstrate clearly that this is a strategy approved in action by Tibetans themselves. Otherwise we send a wrong signal to the world and risk being accused for imposing our own ideas on the people we try to support.

< TIBET CHINA TELEX >

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A PLAZA FOR TIBET, A STREET FOR TIBET

An additional seven European mayors have signed their support of the campaign promoted by the Transnational Radical Party for the dedication of a street or plaza for a Free Tibet, thus bringing the total number to 21. The new supporters are: Mouscron (Belgium), Ronchin and Blotzheim (France), Lissano, Portomaggiore, and San Giovanni Incarico (Italy), Olomuc (Czech Republic).

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CHINA/EP/MCMILLAN SCOTT REPORT

The European Parliament has approved a report on "long term relations between China and Europe" (Mcmillan-Scott Report). On the initiative of TRP Secretary and MEP Olivier Dupuis, numerous amendments have been added concerning Tibet, Mongolia, Eastern Turkistan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, as well as on the matter of human rights throughout China.

We will publish an analysis of this important document, which was approved by the European Parliament, in the next issue of "freedom for Tibet-Democracy for China Fax."

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EASTERN TURKISTAN/8 MORE EXECUTIONS

The Chinese authorities have brought eight presumed separatists to justice in Eastern Turkistan (Xianjing). The number of accused "Islamic Terrorists" resulting from their "anti-Chinese subversive activity" has now risen to twelve since last April. The condemned are part of the Uigura minority, which aims to transform Eastern Turkistan into an independent state. Last February, a number of violent secessionist manifestations broke out, resulting in the death of at least 9 persons and the wounding of another 198.

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CHINA/THREE DISSIDENTS WILL BEGIN A HUNGER STRIKE

On May 30th, three Chinese dissidents began a hunger strike in protest of the torture they have been subjected to and in protest of the arbitrary lengthening of their imprisonment in the Shuanghe prison camp, which is located in the province of Heilongjiang in northeast China. The report, released by the New York based "Human Rights in China" organization, states that the three dissidents have gone without food for ten days already. Together with Liu Nianchun, who was arrested on May 21st, 1995 and sentenced to three years of "reeducation through labor" for having signed a petition in favor of a separate worker's union, are Zhou Guoqiang, founder of the 1993 Paper Movement for Peace, and the Christian activist Gao Feng.

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CHINA/WEI JINGSHENG'S HEALTH IS WORSENING

Wei Ling, who is one of the sister's of Wei Jingsheng, visited her brother in jail on April 20th. On the occasion of the visit of French President Jacques Chirac, Ling addressed a letter to him condemning the grave health conditions of the Chinese dissident and candidate for a Nobel Peace Prize: "He suffers from a cardiac condition, rheumatism, and strong pains in his skull. On April 20th he told me that he could no longer move his neck (...) The medicine that is administered to him do not have any effect on his true illness, and neither do they permit that the real causes of his suffering be understood."

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ITALY/PRODI IN PEKING

On June 4th the Italian Prime Minister, Mr. Romano Prodi, began an official visit to China. The following are a number of quotes from the Italian press agencies ANSA and AGI concerning the initiatives promoted by the Transnational Radical Party concerning these events - which have been ignored by the Italian press - on Mr. Prodi's mission to Peking.

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* RADICALS: COINCIDING WITH THE ANNIVERSARY OF TIENANMEN

(ANSA, June 3rd)

"Is President of the Italian Council Romano Prodi's visit to Peking tomorrow a casual coincidence with the eighth anniversary of the massacre in Tienanmen square? This is what the Radical Party has asked in a press release which notes that MR. Prodi's visit falls precisely upon the date of the anniversary of the massacre in Tienanmen Square on June 4, 1989. According to the radicals, there are only three possible explanations for such an event: either the President has decided to focus upon the issue of democracy and human rights on this visit to china, or the Italian government has decided to cynically color its foreign policy, or, lastly, even Palazzo Chigi (seat of the Italian Government) and Farnesina (seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) are already completely saturated in superficiality. The fact that Mr. Prodi is accompanied by a flock of businessmen leaves little room for hope that the visit of the President of the Council will focus on Sachorov Prize winner Wei Jingsheng and the hundreds of thou

sands of other (between 600,000 and 800,000 thousand according to estimates) who are imprisoned for years and years for their struggle for democracy, law, and respect for human rights. The only thing that remains is to ask oneself how much of this cynicism is superficial, it being clear that it constitutes nothing more than an aggravation."

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* RADICALS DELIVER THE FLAG OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO PRODI

AS HE LEAVES FOR CHINA.

(ANSA, June 4th)

"A delegation of the Radical Party arrived this morning at Palazzo Chigi to consign a letter and the flag of the European Union to President of the Council Mr. Romano Prodi before his departure to China. Prodi's visit, as a press release of the Radical Party claims, contributes to the distancing of the possibility of creating a common diplomacy of the European Union and aggravates the rupture of the European front regarding the "Continent without Democracy."

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* Mr. PRODI, IN PEKING, ALSO SPEAKS OF HUMAN RIGHTS

(ANSA, June 5th)

"I immediately addressed the issue of human rights from the beginning, Li Peng was not inflexible on this matter." These were the words of President of the Council Mr. Romano Prodi, who arrived this morning in Peking for a series of political contacts and to preside over the signing of a number of commercial accords."

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* ITALY-CHINA: Mr. PRODI PROMISES AN "EXPLOSION" OF ITALIAN ACTIVITY

(ANSA, June 6th)

"There will be an explosion of Italian activity in China." This was the promise of the President of the Council Mr. Romano Prodi during an encounter today in Peking with the representatives of over 150 companies."

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* ITALY-CHINA: Mr. PRODI SUPPORTS THE ENTRANCE OF PEKING INTO THE WTO

(AGI, June 6th)

"Mr. Prodi's visit to China concludes with the auspices of additional increases in the exchange of commerce and Italian investment with a nation that has resources, low labor costs, stability, a high rate of development, low inflation and a market of more than one billion, two hundred million persons."