_________________ WTN-L World Tibet Network News _________________
Published by: The Canada Tibet Committee
Editorial Board: Brian Given, Conrad Richter, Nima Dorjee,
Tseten Samdup, Thubten (Sam) Samdup
WTN Editors: wtn-editors@tibet.ca
______________________________________________________________________
Issue ID: 00/02/29 Compiled by Thubten (Sam) Samdup
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Tuesday, February 29, 2000
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Contents:
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1. Goldman Sachs' PetroChina Offering Would Fund China's
Occupation of Tibet
2. Tibet Activists Stage Funeral Procession and Unfurl Banner:
"Goldman Sachs' PetroChina: Risk for Investors, Death for Tibetans"
3. Tibet Resolution Passes in Indianapolis
4. Karmapa willing to go to Sikkim
5. Karmapa may visit Bhattu
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1. Goldman Sachs' PetroChina Offering Would Fund China's
Occupation of Tibet
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NEW YORK, February 23, 2000 (PRNewswire) -- The following was issued
today by Students for a Free Tibet:
Citing significant financial and political risk factors, key players in
the Tibet Movement are calling on investors to not buy shares of
PetroChina, a controversial state-owned company poised to list on the
New York, London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges. Engaged in a global
effort to secure oil and gas resources, PetroChina and its parent
company, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) -- a state-run
monolith laden with debt and implicated in the deaths of nearly 2
million Sudanese -- are seeking a massive injection of capital from
foreign investors. The $5-$10 billion initial public offering (IPO)
brokered by Goldman Sachs would help finance the extraction of Tibet's
oil and gas resources for use in mainland China and provide funds to
advance China's colonization of Tibet. An operation of this scale would
severely impact the Tibetan people. Resettlement of large numbers of
Chinese gas workers into northeastern Tibet would bolster China's
decades long practice of moving Chinese settlers into Tibet to
strengthen its grip on the occupied country. This policy of population
transfer has already reduced Tibetans to a minority in much of their own
nation and increased ethnic tensions in the area. Both Tibet and East
Turkistan (Xianjiang), the regions targeted by PetroChina's operations,
are tinderboxes of suppressed nationalist rage. Widespread civil unrest
is prevalent, with bus bombs and attacks on oil pipelines reported in
East Turkistan.
"Goldman Sachs and PetroChina are really playing with fire," said John
Hocevar, Executive Director of Students for a Free Tibet (SFT).
"Heightened industrial operations in these already tense regions will
only exacerbate the situation. With 500,000 Chinese soldiers deployed
already, how many more will be needed to maintain control?"
Adding to this, the environmental impacts of PetroChina's exploration
and extraction in this fragile high altitude ecosystem would be
disastrous. Given its record in China's Daqing oil fields, PetroChina's
operations would likely shatter the delicate balance of the regions
environment and further disrupt the traditional way of life of the
Tibetan and Mongolian nomads. Tibet's oil reserves are in the Tsaidam
Basin, the same region in which the World Bank drew a storm of
international criticism for its proposed resettlement of nearly 60,000
Chinese farmers. That project has been stalled by intensive grassroots
opposition, and is now under investigation by the Bank's Inspection
Panel. Leading activist groups in the Tibetan Freedom Movement have
begun distributing information about the offer and organizing a
grassroots campaign to stop the PetroChina IPO. Coalition members like
SFT, an organization with over 500 chapters worldwide, are calling on
universities, public employee mutual funds and other potential investors
to avoid the stock. If the IPO is successful they intend to launch a
broad-based international divestment campaign against PetroChina.
Contact: John Hocevar or Lhadon Tethong, both of Students for a Free
Tibet, 212-594-5898
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2. Tibet Activists Stage Funeral Procession and Unfurl Banner:
"Goldman Sachs' PetroChina: Risk for Investors, Death for Tibetans"
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New York City, February 29, 2000 - In anticipation of Goldman Sachs'
PetroChina initial public offering (IPO) over 100 Tibetans and Tibet
supporters staged a traditional funeral procession and unfurled a banner
outside Goldman Sachs' corporate headquarters in New York City this
morning. The banner and demonstration, targeted at investors, warned of
financial and political risks associated with PetroChina's planned
operations inside Tibet. The IPO will generate funds that will be used
to build the first large-scale pipeline across the Tibetan plateau and
contribute directly to China's colonization of Tibet.
In response to the Tibetan Freedom movement's recent campaign against
the PetroChina offering, institutional investors across the United
States have begun pledging to not buy shares of the stock. Both the San
Diego County Employees' Retirement Association and the Employees'
Retirement System of Texas have recently stated their commitment to not
participate in the upcoming PetroChina initial public offering (IPO).
Due to heightened concerns about lack of transparency, political
instability in the region, and the broad based grassroots mobilization
against PetroChina, Tibet activists expect increasing numbers of
institutional investors to take similar measures to protect their
stakeholders. PetroChina has already drawn fierce opposition from
religious freedom groups like the Institute on Religion and Democracy
and the Center for Religious Freedom because of links between
PetroChina's parent company, the China National Petroleum Company
(CNPC), and the Khartoum Regime's persecution of Christians in Southern
Sudan.
Contact: Sophia Conroy or Lhadon Tethong 917-833-7283 or 415-235-7179
The Milarepa Fund - 230 Market St. #11, San Francisco, CA 04102
U.S. Tibet Committee - 241 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016
Students for a Free Tibet - 545 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018
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3. Tibet Resolution Passes in Indianapolis
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Special Resolution 66, 2000
Whereas, the Government of the People's Republic of China has signed two
important United Nations human rights treaties: The International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on
Economics, Social and Cultural Rights; and
Whereas, the Government of the People's Republic of China recognizes the
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights which calls for the
protection of the rights of freedom of association, press, assembly,
religion, and other fundamental rights of free people; and
Whereas, the Government of the People's Republic of China demonstrates a
pattern of continuous, serious, and widespread violations of
internationally recognized human rights standards; and
Whereas, repression in Tibet has increased steadily, resulting in
heightened control on religious activity, a denunciation campaign
against the Dalai Lama unprecedented since the cultural revolution, an
increase in political arrests, the secret trial and sentencing of
Middlebury College Fulbright Scholar and Tibetan ethnomusicologist
Ngawang Choephel to 18 years in prison on espionage charges, suppression
of peaceful protests, and the Government of the People's Republic of
China refusing direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his
representatives on a negotiated solution for Tibet; now, therefore:
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY-COUNTY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS
AND OF MARION COUNTY, INDIANA:
Section 1. The Indianapolis City-County Council supports the
recommendation of the International Commission of Jurists to the
People's Republic of China.
Section 2. The Council supports the recommendation to end those
practices which threaten to erode the distinct cultural, religious, and
national identity of the Tibetan people - in particular, to cease
policies which result in the movement of Chinese into Tibetan territory.
Section 3. The Indianapolis City-County Council supports the
recommendation to immediately contact Governor Frank O'Bannon of the
State of Indiana, the Indiana State Legislature and Senate, urging them
to co-sponsor and support such a resolution.
Section 4. The Council calls upon individuals and companies doing
business in Tibet to follow the development guidelines of the Tibetan
Government in Exile.
Section 5. The Mayor is invited to join in this resolution by affixing
his signature thereto. Note. The Mayor of Indianapolis, Bart Peterson
has affixed his signature.
Section 6. this resolution shall be in full force and effect upon
adoption and compliance with IC 38-3-4-14.
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4. Karmapa willing to go to Sikkim
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GANGTOK, Feb 28 (PTI) - Ogyen Trinley Dorjee, the reincarnated 17th
Karmapa recognised by the Dalai Lama, has expressed his willingness to
come to Sikkim but is unsure of the timing.
"I ve to come to Sikkim. But do not know when," the reincarnate Karmapa,
who fled Tibet and is now stationed at Dharamsala, was quoted as saying
by the President of a Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the All Sikkim
Buddhist Organisation, Mr Kunzang Sherab.
Mr Sherab, who led a delegation from Sikkim to Dharamsala to request
moving the Karmapa to the Rumtek monastry in Sikkim, told PTI here today
"we are hopeful and we are sure of his arrival to Rumtek. Only thing is
that it will take time."
Mr Sherab said although they could not be given an audience with the
Prime Minister in Delhi recently, they submitted a memorandum to Mr
Vajpayee requesting an early decision on the arrival of the Karmapa to
Sikkim.
The copies of memorandum were also submitted to the Home, Defence,
Foreign and Law ministers and the secretaries of the departments
concerned, he said.
The JAC, an umbrella organisation of 38 Buddhist associations, was
formed in 1992 with an objective to bring the "genuine" Karmapa to
Sikkim and instal him at Rumtek, he said.
Meanwhile, a special puja for the early arrival of the 17th Karmapa was
organised yesterday in west Sikkim s Norbugang.
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5. Karmapa may visit Bhattu
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DHARAMSALA, Feb 26, 2000 (Tribune News Service) - The 17th Karmapa,
Ogyen Trinley Dorjee, is likely to pay a visit to the Sherabling
monastery at Bhattu near Baijnath, next week.
It is reliably learnt that Tibetan officials have sought permission from
the police for the Karmapa to be taken to Bhattu. A huge monastery has
been set up by Tai Situ Rinpoche, a regent of the Kagyu sect, at Bhattu,
70 km from here.
It was for the first time yesterday that the 14-year-old Karmapa went
outside Dharamsala. He visited Gopalpur, near Palampur and Chinmaya
Tapovan. Eversince his arrival here on January 5, the Karmapa has been
staying at the Gyuto monastery in Sidhbari. The Tibetan government has
sought permission from the police to allow the Karmapa to pay a visit to
the zoo at Gopalpur.
The only public appearance by the Karmapa so far was at a function on
February 18 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the enthronement of the
Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama. Apart from this he has made about
six trips to McLeodganj to meet Dalai Lama at his palace.
There has been speculation about the Karmapa being shifted to the
Sherabling monastery at Bhattu. The monastery, here has been built by
Tai Situ Rinpoche who was instrumental in the selection of Ogyen Trinley
Dorjee as the 17th Karmapa. With the status of the Karmapa still
undecided, it is felt it will take some time before he is shifted to
Bhattu, permanently.
Eversince the arrival of the Karmapa here, preparations have been afoot
at the Sherabling monastery to welcome him. Not only the road to the
monastery is repaired, but welcome gates have been erected along the
route.
On the throne inside the main monastery lies the portrait of the Karmapa
before which the monks pray. Wall decorations have been redone.
Till the Karmapa can be permanently shifted to Bhattu, he remains at the
Gyuto monastery along with his sister and five more who accompanied him
here from Tibet. For the past many days he has been giving public
audiences in the morning and afternoon.
He has also started religious studies under the guidance of a teacher
from the Rumtek monastery who also taught all four regents of the Kagyu
sect.
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