_________________ 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: 00/03/10 Compiled by Thubten (Sam) Samdup
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Friday, March 10, 2000
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IN MEMORY OF ALL THOSE BRAVE TIBETANS WHO HAVE DIED
UNDER THE CHINESE REGIME
41st ANNIVERSARY OF TIBETAN UPRISING DAY!
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Contents:
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1. Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the occassion of the
41st Anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising March 10, 2000
2. TIBETANS COMMEMORATE UPRISING AMID GROWING REPRESSION -
Dalai Lama accuses Chinese authorities of "cultural genocide"
3. RANGZEN ALLIANCE -
World Council of Tibetans for an Independent Tibet
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1. Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the occassion of the
41st Anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising March 10, 2000
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Dharamsala, India, March 10, 2000
My sincere greetings to my fellow countrymen in Tibet as well as in
exile and to our friends and supporters all over the world on the
occasion of the 41st anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day of
1959.
We are at the beginning of the 21st century. If we look at the events
that took place in the 20th century mankind made tremendous progress in
improving our material well-being. At the same time, there was massive
destruction, both in terms of human lives and physical structures as
peoples and nations sought recourse to confrontation instead of dialogue
to resolve bilateral and multilateral problems. The 20th century was
therefore in a way a century of war and bloodshed. I believe that we
have learned valuable lessons through these experiences. It is clear
that any solution resulting from violence or confrontation is not
lasting. I firmly believe that it is only through peaceful means that we
can develop better understanding between ourselves. We must make this
new century a century of peace and dialogue.
We commemorate this March 10th anniversary at a time when the state of
affairs of our freedom struggle is complex and multifarious, yet the
spirit of resistance of our people inside Tibet continues to increase.
It is also encouraging to note that worldwide support for our cause is
increasing. Unfortunately, on the part of Beijing there is an evident
lack of political will and courage to address the issue of Tibet
sensibly and pragmatically through dialogue.
Right from the beginning, ever since the time of our exile, we have
believed in hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. In this
same spirit, we have tried our best to reach out to the Chinese
government to bring about a process of dialogue and reconciliation for
many years. We have also been building bridges with our overseas Chinese
brothers and sisters, including those in Taiwan, and to enhance
significantly mutual understanding, respect and solidarity. At the same
time we have continued with our work of strengthening the base of our
exiled community by creating awareness about the true nature of the
Tibetan struggle, preserving Tibetan values, promoting nonviolence,
augmenting democracy and expanding the network of our supporters
throughout the world.
It is with great sadness I report that the human rights situation in
Tibet today has taken a critical turn in recent years. The "strike hard"
and "patriotic re-education" campaigns against Tibetan religion and
patriotism have intensified with each passing year. In some spheres of
life we are witnessing the return of an atmosphere of intimidation,
coercion and fear, reminiscent of the days of the Cultural Revolution.
In 1999 alone there have been six known cases of deaths resulting from
torture and abuse. Authorities have expelled a total of 1,432 monks and
nuns from their monasteries and nunneries for refusing to either oppose
Tibetan freedom or to denounce me. There are 615 known and documented
Tibetan political prisoners in Tibet. Since 1996, a total of 11,409
monks and nuns have been expelled from their places of worship and
study. It is obvious that there has been little change with regard to
China's ruthless political objective in Tibet since the early sixties
when the late Panchen Lama, who personally witnessed Communist China's
occupation of Tibet from the 50s to the beginning of the 60s, wrote his
famous 70,000 character petition. Even today the present young
reincarnate Panchen Lama is under virtual house arrest, making him the
youngest political prisoner in the world. I am deeply concerned about
this.
The most alarming trend in Tibet is the flood of Chinese settlers who
continue to come to Tibet to take advantage of Tibet's opening to market
capitalism. This along with the widespread disease of prostitution,
gambling and karaoke bars, which the authorities quietly encourage, is
undermining the traditional social norms and moral values of the Tibetan
people. These, more than brute force, are successful in reducing the
Tibetans to a minority in their own country and alienating them from
their traditional beliefs and values.
This sad state of affairs in Tibet does nothing to alleviate the
suffering of the Tibetan people or to bring stability and unity to the
People's Republic of China. If China is seriously concerned about unity,
she must make honest efforts to win over the hearts of the Tibetans and
not attempt to impose her will on them. It is the responsibility of
those in power, who rule and govern, to ensure that policies towards all
its ethnic groups are based on equality and justice in order to prevent
separation. Though lies and falsehood may deceive people temporarily and
the use of force may control human beings physically, it is only through
proper understanding, fairness and mutual respect that human beings can
be genuinely convinced and satisfied.
The Chinese authorities see the distinct culture and religion of Tibet
as the principal cause for separation. Accordingly, there is an attempt
to destroy the integral core of the Tibetan civilization and identity.
New measures of restrictions in the fields of culture, religion and
education coupled with the unabated influx of Chinese immigrants to
Tibet amount to a policy of cultural genocide.
It is true that the root cause of the Tibetan resistance and freedom
struggle lies in Tibet's long history, its distinct and ancient culture,
and its unique identity. The Tibetan issue is much more complex and
deeper than the simple official version Beijing upholds. History is
history and no one can change the past. One cannot simply retain what
one wants and abandon what one does not want. It is best left to
historians and legal experts to study the case objectively and make
their own judgements. In matters of history political decisions are not
necessary. I am therefore looking towards the future.
Because of lack of understanding, appreciation and respect for Tibet's
distinct culture, history and identity China's Tibet policies have been
consistently misguided. In occupied Tibet there is little room for
truth. The use of force and coercion as the principal means to rule and
administer Tibet compel Tibetans to lie out of fear and local officials
to hide the truth and create false facts in order to suit and to please
Beijing and its stewards in Tibet. As a result China's treatment of
Tibet continues to evade the realities in Tibet. This approach is
shortsighted and counter-productive. These policies are narrow-minded
and reveal the ugly face of racial and cultural arrogance and a deep
sense of political insecurity. The development concerning the flights of
Agya Rinpoche, the Abbot of Kumbum Monastery, and more recently Karmapa
Rinpoche are cases in point. However, the time has passed when in the
name of national sovereignty and integrity a state can continue to apply
such ruthless policies with impunity and escape international
condemnation. Moreover, the Chinese people themselves will deeply regret
the destruction of Tibet's ancient and rich cultural heritage. I
sincerely believe that our rich culture and spirituality not only can
benefit millions of Chinese but can also enrich China itself.
It is unfortunate that some leaders of the People's Republic of China
seem to be hoping for the Tibetan issue to disappear with the passage of
time. Such thinking on the part of the Chinese leaders is to repeat the
miscalculations made in the past. Certainly, no Chinese leader would
have thought back in 1949/50 and then in 1959 that in 2000 China would
still be grappling with the issue of Tibet. The old generation of
Tibetans has gone, a second and a third generation of Tibetans have
emerged. Irrespective of the passage of time the freedom struggle of the
Tibetan people continues with undiminished determination. It is clear
that this is not a struggle for the cause of one man nor is it that of
one generation of Tibetans. It is therefore obvious that generations of
Tibetans to come will continue to cherish, honor and commit themselves
to this freedom struggle. Sooner or later, the Chinese leadership will
have to face this fact.
The Chinese leaders refuse to believe that I am not seeking separation
but genuine autonomy for the Tibetans. They are quite openly accusing me
of lying. They are free to come and visit our communities in exile to
find out the truth for themselves.
It has been my consistent endeavor to find a peaceful and mutually
acceptable solution to the Tibetan problem. My approach envisages that
Tibet enjoy genuine autonomy within the framework of the People's
Republic of China. Such a mutually beneficial solution would contribute
to the stability and unity of China - their two topmost priorities -
while at the same time the Tibetans would be ensured of the basic right
to preserve their own civilization and to protect the delicate
environment of the Tibetan plateau.
In the absence of any positive response from the Chinese government to
my overtures over the years, I am left with no alternative but to appeal
to the members of the international community. It is clear now that only
increased and concerted international efforts will persuade Beijing to
change its policy on Tibet. In spite of immediate negative reactions
from the Chinese side, I strongly believe that such expressions of
international concern and support are essential for creating an
environment conducive for the peaceful resolution of the Tibetan
problem. On my part, I remain committed to the process of dialogue. It
is my firm belief that dialogue and a willingness to look with honesty
and clarity at the reality of Tibet can lead us to a viable solution.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the numerous individuals,
governments, members of parliaments, non-governmental organizations and
various religious orders for their support. The sympathy and support
shown to our cause by a growing number of well-informed Chinese brothers
and sisters is of special significance and a great encouragement to us
Tibetans. I also wish to convey my greetings and express my deep sense
of appreciation to our supporters all over the world who are
commemorating this anniversary today. Above all I would like to express
on behalf of the Tibetans our gratitude to the people and the Government
of India for their unsurpassed generosity and support during these past
forty years of our exile.
With my homage to the brave men and women of Tibet who have died for the
cause of our freedom, I pray for an early end to the sufferings of our
people.
The Dalai Lama
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2. TIBETANS COMMEMORATE UPRISING AMID GROWING REPRESSION -
Dalai Lama accuses Chinese authorities of "cultural genocide"
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For Immediate Release
Montreal, March 10, 2000: (CTC) The Dalai Lama today said that the
situation in Tibet has returned to an "atmosphere of intimidation,
coercion and fear, reminiscent of the days of the Cultural
Revolution". In his annual March 10 statement commemorating the 1959
Lhasa Uprising, the Tibetan leader highlighted events of the past year -
among them, six known cases of deaths in detention, the expulsion of 1,
432 monks and nuns from their monasteries and nunneries and the
continuing detention of the 10 year-old child, Gendhun Choekyi Nyima.
"The bilateral dialogue strategy of western governments, including
Canada, has not produced the results it promised" said Thubten Samdup,
President of the Canada Tibet Committee. "Chinese authorities have
learned that the lure of market access allows them to commit gross human
rights violations with impunity. Meanwhile the soft-talk process
favoured by Canada has cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars
for so-called human rights and judicial reform initiatives which have
yielded no practical results for Tibetans living under the Chinese
occupation."
Last week, the Canada Tibet Committee joined 10 other Canadian human
rights organisations in criticism of Canada's "dialogue-only" strategy
on human rights in China and Tibet. The NGOs urged Canada to return to
stronger criticism of China by co-sponsoring a resolution at the
upcoming UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. The NGOs have also
requested a meeting with Prime Minister Jean Chretien in order to make
their case.
In 1999, Canada's bilateral approach to relations with China and Tibet
was expanded beyond human rights to include trade and development; a
bilateral agreement on WTO accession was concluded in November, and CIDA
announced a $5 million dollar project for the Tibet Autonomous Region in
December. These initiatives were put in place despite findings of a
Canadian government delegation to Tibet, headed by the Department of
Foreign Affairs and International Trade (Global and Human Issues
Bureau). In its visit report, the Canadian delegation acknowledged
that there were "no strategies in place to encourage greater
participation by Tibetans in the middle-class economy of Lhasa" despite
the fact that "Tibetan
socio-economic position is declining relative to Han".
"The increased repression of cultural expression and religion in Tibet
coupled with a two-track system of economic development based on race,
are both components of a systematic campaign directed by Beijing and
aimed at destroying the Tibetan people", Samdup says. "In a situation
like this, dialogue alone will never work. A stronger approach is
needed."
The Dalai Lama was equally clear in his statement, ".... there is an
attempt to destroy the integral core of the Tibetan civilization and
identity. New measures of restrictions in the fields of culture,
religion and education coupled with the unabated influx of Chinese
immigrants to Tibet amount to a policy of cultural genocide."
On March 10, Tibetan-Canadians and their supporters will hold a rallies
and demonstrations at the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa and its consulates
across the country. For details and for the full text of the Dalai
Lama's statement, please see http://www.tibet.ca.
For information: Thubten Samdup (cell) 514-867-677 or Tenzin Khangsar
514-935-0205 (cell).
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3. RANGZEN ALLIANCE -
WORLD COUNCIL OF TIBETANS FOR AN INDEPENDENT TIBET
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INTRODUCTION
In March 1959 the people of Tibet rose up against the Chinese occupation
army to restore Tibetan independence and to defend the sacred person and
honour of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Following the invasion of Tibet
by the Chinese army in 1949-50 the Dalai Lama had attempted to prevent
conflict between an angry Tibetan populace and the Chinese. His efforts
failed to contain the tyranny and brutality of Chinese rule, the
violence of which was finally directed even against His sacred person.
But Tibetan freedom fighters succeeded in escorting the Dalai Lama
unharmed to exile. There, He and the Tibetan refugee community were
forced to observe their nation destroyed and their people murdered by
the Communist Chinese, in a long series of savage campaigns that reached
its crescendo in the Cultural Revolution but continues to this day, in
varying degrees of violence and severity.
In the late 1970's the Dalai Lama attempted to communicate with the
leaders of Communist China to arrive at some negotiated settlement on
the Tibetan issue. But the Chinese used Tibetan hopes for negotiations
to gain time to accelerate Chinese population transfer to Tibet, to
side-track the growing international support and activism for Tibetan
freedom, and to suppress the independence movement which had taken root
inside Tibet. In spite of savage and unrelenting repression by Chinese
occupation authorities, Tibetans inside Tibet still defy Chinese rule
and keep alive the cause for which hundreds of thousands of brave
Tibetans have given up their lives. Risking imprisonment, torture and
even execution, men and women in Tibet continue to struggle and to cry
out for Rangzen.
Rallying to their call, Tibetans activists, intellectuals,
professionals, artists and students the world-over, who unwaveringly
believe in an independent Tibet, have joined together to form the
Rangzen Alliance to provide a common platform of action for all Tibetans
who are prepared to struggle, whatever the cost, for the creation of a
free Tibet.
THE THREE GOALS OF THE RANGZEN ALLIANCE
· The restoration of Tibetan independence.
· The return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet as the sovereign
head-of-state of a free and democratic nation.
· The establishment of a genuinely liberal and democratic Tibetan
nation, based on the rule of law and humanist principles common to
Buddhism and the enlightened philosophies of the world, and first
proclaimed by the Dalai Lama in his draft constitution of 1963.
FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINE AND PROGRAM OF ACTION
The Rangzen Alliance believes that only an active, fearless and
unwavering conduct of the Freedom Struggle by Tibetans is the road to
the eventual realization of these three goals. The Rangzen Alliance will
constantly seek opportunities to directly challenge China's occupation
of Tibet. The first initiative of the Rangzen Alliance is a global
campaign of DIRECT ECONOMIC ACTION against China. (see supplementary
flyer)
CONVENING MEMBERS:
Convening Members: Thupten Jigme Norbu (Professor Emeritus, Indiana
University, USA), Sonam Wangdu (chairman USTibet Committee, NY, USA)
Chuki Shakabpa (activist NY, USA), Jamyang Norbu (writer, India/USA)
Thupten Tsering (filmmaker and organiser Students for Free Tibet, NY,
USA), Yudon Thonden (lawyer, presently with Human Rights Watch, NY,
USA), Tenzing Chounzom (Doctor, Tn, USA), Lhadon Tethong (organiser
Students for Free Tibet, NY, USA) Lhakpa Tsering (former UN Human Rights
official in Cambodia, presently exec-director of Tibetan Alliance,
Chicago, USA) Jordhen Chazotsang (graphic designer, Toronto, Canada)
Tashi Thundup (musician and performer, San Francisco, USA), WD Shakabpa
(lawyer, USTibet Committee regional director, Washington DC, USA), Jampa
Choephel (activist, Dharamshala, India), Kalden (social worker,
activist, Dharamshala, India) Ganden Blatner (lawyer, former president
Tibet Youth Association, Switzerland), Thundup Tsering (educationalist,
Amherst, USA) Wangpo Tethong (Greenpeace representative in Switzerland)
MESSAGE FROM SENIOR CONVENING MEMBER
It is heartening to see, time and again, that in spite of all that has
happened to us since China first invaded Tibet, the overwhelming
majority of Tibetans, young and old, stand firm for the simple goal for
which so many of our countrymen laid down their lives: the restoration
of Tibet's rightful place as an equal member of the community of free
and independent nations. For many years I have said that only Tibetan
independence can serve as a safeguard for the preservation of our
heritage, culture and national identity. Talk of "autonomy" masks a sad
defeatism and an acceptance of the inevitability of China swallowing our
country; it is unworthy of the descendants of the great Dharmarajas who
made Tibet a powerful and enlightened state.
The enthusiasm that has greeted the first announcements of the formation
of the Rangzen Alliance is inspiring. I call on all Tibetans to read the
manifesto of the Rangzen Alliance and to join with us and with all of
our brothers and sisters in the pure and sacred struggle to free our
country. Our time has come! Thubten Jigme Norbu/Taktser Tulku
CONCLUSION
The Alliance appeals to all Tibetans and friends who share our goal of
Tibetan independence to come forward and join us in the great struggles
ahead. Let us all enter this new millennium cleansed of our cynicism,
doubts and fears, and begin a new and heroic age in our history; each of
us imbued with the renewed commitment to the unquestionably just
struggle for Tibetan independence.
Contact us:
Email: rangzenalliance@juno.com
Tel: 212 662 8180
C/o 545 8th Avenue 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10018 USA
______________________
DIRECT ECONOMIC ACTION
FOR TIBETAN INDEPENDENCE AND JUSTICE AND FREEDOM EVERYWHERE
The Rangzen Alliance appeals to all people who believe in Tibetan
independence and who cherish freedom and democracy to join us in our
world-wide campaign of non-violent but direct action against the regime
in China.
CHINA'S CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
In spite of the Dalai Lama's many concessions and repeated efforts to
negotiate on the question of Tibet, Chinese leaders have gradually
hardened their line and rejected all his overtures. Beijing's declared
strategy now is to wait till the Dalai Lama dies, after which it
considers that the Tibetan issue could be terminated without
international outcry. To ensure this China has adopted a policy of
escalating Chinese population transfer to Tibet, deliberate subversion
of Tibetan culture and identity, and the demoralization of Tibetans
through unemployment, inferior educational opportunities, and
unrelenting and ruthless repression of the Tibetan people by the organs
of state security. In the last year political repression has taken on
new rigor with more arrests, torture, executions and vastly increased
deployment of informers and security personnel throughout the country,
especially in urban areas. When we buy Chinese goods we are in effect
condoning these crimes and countenancing the military occupation of
Tibet and the murder of 1.2 million Tibetans.
In East Turkestan (Sinkiang) the Chinese have unleashed a campaign of
terror to wipe out Uighur nationalism. Daily arrests and public
executions are part of 'normal' life in the bazaars of the Silk Route
today. Mass executions of over fifty prisoners at a time have been
reported.
In China itself every conceivable variety of Human Right's violations
continues to take place: arbitrary arrests, torture, mass executions,
suppression of free speech, forced sterilizations, forced abortions,
silencing of political opposition, concentrations camps, and much more.
A few of these violations are possibly unique in this world for their
complete disregard of even rudimentary human values and for their cold
calculation and pitilessness. For instance the harvesting and sale of
transplant organs of executed prisoners. In 1998 New York police
arrested Chinese officials running a service in the sale of such organs.
Beijing denies it all. This monstrous enterprise flourishes.
When we buy any item manufactured in China we are directly contributing
to the perpetuation of a labor force that has no right to organize, to
bargain or to strike. In China labor organizers are either in jail or
concentration camps, or have been executed with a bullet in the back of
the neck. A variety of goods are also manufactured in prisons and labor
camps by prisoners, many political, working in appalling conditions.
Many Chinese goods in the supermarkets, including toys, are produced by
the Chinese military-industrial complex, with the People's Liberation
Army in the center. This directly funds China's nuclear and
missile-building program, and its increasingly aggressive militarism
which is already causing tensions in the Indian Ocean, South China Seas,
and the Taiwan Straits. This in turn is being used by Beijing to promote
and inflame a dangerously xenophobic nationalism, which has become the
new ideology of Fascist China.
There is increasing suppression of religious freedoms throughout Tibet
and China: the persecution and arrests of Catholics loyal to the pope,
appointment of bishops by the Communist Party, large-scale crackdown on
the Falun Gong religious movement, persecution of evangelical groups in
China, arrest of Tibetan monks and nuns and even ordinary people
possessing pictures of the Dalai Lama, control of monasteries by party
officials, selection of incarnate lamas like the Panchen Lama and the
Reting Rimpoche by the Communist Party. The real Panchen Lama, a child
of 13 has disappeared.
All these affronts to humanity have worsened with each passing year of
expanding international trade and investment in China, Clearly the
theory of free-trade promoting democracy and freedom is not working
here. In December 1998, President Jiang Zemin made a clear categorical
declaration to the entire nation that China would never tread the path
of democracy. To drive home the point, as it were, he repeated it a
couple of days later, vowing, in addition, that China would crush any
challenge to Communist Party monopoly on power. Immediately afterwards
there was a nationwide crackdown on the publishing and entertainment
industry and harsh punishment was meted out to those "inciting to
subvert state power". This flurry of hard-line activity came almost
immediately after China signed the Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights in October 1998.
On Friday February 25, this year, the US State Department in its annual
report on the state of human rights around the world said that China's
'' poor human rights record deteriorated markedly throughout the year,
as the government intensified efforts to suppress dissent". The report
also detailed increasing religious repression and increased crack down
on 'ethnic minorities' like Tibetans and Uighurs.
A NON-VIOLENT BUT DIRECT RESPONSE
With governments and big business in the free world having seemingly
given up the use of the economic leverage to restrain China, one
possible non-violent check to China's absolutism is the power of the
individual consumer in the free world.
The Direct Economic Action campaign aims at making consumers aware of
the moral and political costs of buying Chinese made goods, and securing
their participation in an effective boycott of Chinese goods and in the
pressuring of businesses and governments to act against China's crimes.
Various other kinds of actions are planned within the DEA campaign. The
Alliance also intends to initiate this campaign within Tibet.
The Rangzen Alliance calls on all Tibetans, friends, support groups, and
freedom-loving people of the world to join with us in this non-violent
but direct action, that more than anything else, will send a clear
message to Beijing that the free world will not tolerate China's
occupation of Tibet, its myriad Human Rights violations, and its naked
hostility to democracy and freedom.
DON'T SELL OUT FREEDOM!
DON'T BUY 'MADE IN CHINA'!
Register boycott of Chinese goods at: http://www.buyhard.org
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