Newsletter on the campaigns of the Radical Party for the freedom of Tibet.
"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".
His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, 1992
#16 of March 21, 1996
Editor: Massimo Lensi, Dorottya u. 3.III.em6. - 1051 Budapest (H) - Tel. 36-1-266.34.86 - 266.09.35 - Fax. 11.87.937 - e-mail M.Lensi@agora.stm.it - WWW-Url: htt//:www.agora.stm.it/pr - Telnet: Agora.stm.it
Distribution: Alberto Novi - rue Belliard 89 - Rem 508, 1047 Bruxelles (B); tel. 32-2-2304121, fax 32-2-2303670.
Published in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, Croatian and Rumanian.
APPEAL TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS.
POSTCARDS FOR THE RELEASE OF THE PANCHEN LAMA.
RESOLUTION PROPOSAL AT THE BELGIAN PARLIAMENT.
The collection of signatures on the appeal to the Secretary General of the United Nations is experiencing too slow a start in order to be able to reach the quota of 2,000 signatures of parliamentarians by May 15. At a moment in which the news that reach us from Geneva, from the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations, are not a source for optimism for a positive outcome this year, the appeal addressed to the Secretary General of the United Nations could prove to be an important element for a more ample strategy that is going to require of us a greater amount of effort so that the Tibetan question may become a central one at the United Nations.
This appeal has been deliberately addressed only to parliamentarians since they constitute an easily identifiable target, which avoids wasting our already scarce resources, and also because, through this appeal, the same parliamentarians can be later involved in other initiatives, beginning with the endorsement of motions or resolutions within their own Parliaments.
Precisely on this front we could profitably utilize the text of the resolution recently presented to the Belgian Chamber of Deputies. A proposal for a resolution in Tibet that represents in many aspects, one of the most advanced parliamentary documents on the situation in Tibet. This is true where there seems to be the possibility of even a slight opening thanks to the consistent efforts of some political groups like, for example, in Austria, Hungary, Russia or Canada or like in the Parliament of the Netherlands where an intergroup has recently formed, or in the Basque Parliament, whose President has been with us in Brussels on the 10 of March. The list could be much longer.
Good luck to all.
BELGIAN PARLIAMENT: PRESENTED A RESOLUTION PROPOSAL ON THE FREEDOM IN TIBET
A proposal of resolution on the situation in Tibet has been presented to the Belgian Chamber of Deputies. The proposal of resolution whose first signee is the social-christian deputy Jacques Lefevre, is a particularly advanced document on the freedom in Tibet. This resolution, which incidentally is inspired to the Resolution at the European Parliament of July 1995, the final Resolution of the works the II Parliamentary Conference of the WPCT in Vilnius and a proposal of "Les Amis du Tibet-Belgique" has also been presented by the Belgian deputies D. Bacquelaine, P. Cahai-Andre, G. Clerfayt, H. De Croo, M. Dighneef, A. Hermans, M. Schuttringer, J. Simonet, L. Vanoost. In this text, they ask that the Belgian government "support the process promoted by the Dalai Lama to initiate negotiations between the Tibetan government in exile and the Chinese government to obtain the right for self-determination of the Tibetan People".
The full text in French can be requested at the Editor's office or received from the telematic system Agora' (Telnet: Agora. Conference Radical Party: nr. 9081).
USA / 10 MARCH: DEMONSTRATION IN WASHINGTON FOR THE FREEDOM IN TIBET
More than 400 Tibetans and supporters of the Tibetan cause on the 10 of March participated to a demonstration in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington. This year also, the day dedicated to the struggle of the Tibetan people, saw the participation of active groups of East Turkestans and members of the "World United Formosans for Independence". During the demonstration colored by Tibetan flags, there were shoutings like "Free Tibet", "Free Taiwan", "Free East Turkestan". After a minute of silence in memory of the millions of victims of the Chinese occupation in Tibet, Rinchen Dharlo, representative of the Dalai Lama for the Americas, read His Holiness' message for the 10 of March 1996.
USA / 10 MARCH: BERKELEY
On the same day, in Berkeley, California, the ceremony on the raising of the Tibetan flag took place at City Hall. Participants of the ceremony were Carla Woodworth, city council member and presenter of the resolution and Paolo Tuzzi of the Transnational Radical Party, who gave a brief speech delineating the purpose of the initiative.
EUROPE/10 MARCH: OTHER DEMONSTRATIONS
In order to complete the informations on the summary of the demonstrations in Europe last 10 March, it is important to mention that in Vilnius (Lithuania) also and, for the first time in Bucharest (Rumania) demonstrations took place in front of the Chinese Embassy to commemorate the nonviolent insurrection of Lhasa of 1959. In Kaunas, the ancient capital of Lituania, on the 10 of March as well, there was a demonstration organized by the same municipality, on occasion of the ceremony of the raising of the Tibetan flag.
APPEAL TO BOUTROS GHALI TO RECEIVE THE DALAI LAMA
The collection of signatures for the international appeal of parliamentarians to the Secretary General of the United Nations to receive the Dalai Lama as soon as possible continues. As of now, the collection of signatures is not encouraging. The current average is of 25 adhesions per week, when in order to reach the objective of 2,000 signatures by the 15 of May, we should instead have an average of 200 per week. We invite all of those who wish to commit themselves in the collection of signatures, to contact the members of parliament from their city or region, asking them to sign the appeal.
In the past few days, the increase in adhesions has been of 25 signatures of parliamentarians from 4 parliaments. We are, therefore, at "minus 1,662" signatures from the objective of the 2,000 adhesions of parliamentarians by the 15 of May.
- Total signatures collected to 14 March: 313
- Total signatures collected to 21 March: 338
at 3/14 at 3/21
----------------------------------------------------------
European Parliament 100 114
Albania 30 30
Austria 12 12
Belgium 15 15
Bulgaria 14 14
Czech republic 1 8
Croatia 5 5
France 9 12
Hungary 7 7
Italy 34 35
Luxembourg 9 9
Montenegro 2 2
Poland 42 42
Rumania 17 17
Russian federation 9 9
Other parliaments in Russian fed. 2 2
Sweden 3 3
Ukraine 2 2
-----------------------------------------------------------
Total (at 3/14) 313 (at 3/21) 338
We would like to remind you that the text of the appeal as well as the forms for the collection of signatures are available upon request in many languages at the Editor's office of "Freedom for Tibet".
CAMPAIGN FOR THE RELEASE OF THE PANCHEN LAMA
The campaign for the freedom of the Eleventh Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, recognized by the Dalai Lama and currently held prisoner by the Chinese authorities together with his family and over 50 monks of Tashi Lumpo, continues with the distribution and the mailing of postcards to be sent to the Chinese President Jiang Zemin. To date, 170 postcards have already been sent from 9 European countries.
* Situation of the mailing as of March 19
at 3/18 at 3/19 Total
-------------------------------------------------
Germany 14 0 14
Belgium 58 12 70
France 50 10 60
Italy 4 2 6
Luxembourg 1 0 1
Netherlands 6 0 6
United Kingdom 0 2 2
Slovenia 0 2 2
Switzerland 7 2 9
-------------------------------------------------
Totals 140 30 170
The price for the postcards is 1.50 USD for 10 postcards and 6.50 for 50 postcards. To order units above 200 the price is negotiable. Prices do not include shipping. Postcards are also available at the Transnational Radical Party branch offices.
TIBET TELEX
ITALY: CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES/ITALIAN PREFECTURES
The Italian deputies of the "Reformers" group and members of the Radical Party, Lorenzo Strik-Lievers and Paolo Vigevano, on the 14 of March presented an urgent question to the Prime Minister, to the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Foreign Minister on the case of the Italian Prefectures that obstructed the display of the Tibetan flag by the mayors on the 10 of March.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION: REPUBLIC OF UDMURTSIA
The Vice-president of the Council of State of the Republic of Udmurtsia (Russian Federation), A.G. Krasiljnikov, in a letter to Olivier Dupuis, has declared his full support to the initiatives of the 10 of March for the freedom in Tibet.
BELGIUM: MINISTER FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS DENIES THAT HE FORBIDDEN TO HOIST THE TIBETAN FLAG
From the 15 of March issue of the daily paper "La Libre Belgique", under the title "Vande Lanotte answers", we learn that the Belgian Minister for Internal Affairs Johan Vande Lanotte never gave provision in order to obstruct the hoisting the Tibetan flag to the Belgian mayors adhering to the "A flag for Tibet" campaign. Though the European coordination sent letters of protest to the Minister before the 10th of March, we are anyway very glad to learn this news... from the press!, and well after the 10th of March...
ITALY: RESOLUTION AT RIMINI CITY COUNCIL
On its February 27th seating, the City Council of Rimini wanted to give a sign of support for the 10th of March initiative "Freedom for Tibet", by unanimously approving a resolution of "solidarity to the Tibetan people's struggle and adhesion to the appeal for the freedom of Tibet".
EUROPE: EUROPEAN TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION
General Secretary of the "European Trade Union Confederation", Emilio Garbaglio, in a letter addressed to the organizers of the Brussels demonstration, highlighted the necessity for human rights in Tibet to be respected.
ITALY: EMILIA ROMAGNA REGION
On its February 28th seating, Regional Council of Emilia Romagna voted a resolution for the freedom of Tibet, in which resolution "the goals of the Brussels demonstration, aimed to return the right to freedom and self-determination to a people encroached along almost forty years" were approved.
BELGIUM: CHINESE EMBASSY GIVE UP
After returning to the sender the letter of the Brussels demonstrators, and after refusing to receive their delegation on Sunday, March 10, Chinese of the Brussels Embassy didn't show up at the audition of the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Belgian Senate on the situation in Tibet, probably because they disliked the Committee's agenda. A behavior, this by the Chinese, surely appreciated by the senators, as underlined by the "European Coordination for the 10th of March".
"MARCH 10" PRESS REVIEW
We are continuing to update the list, still incomplete, of the news about the "Freedom for Tibet" demonstrations published by the press or broadcasted by radios and TVs. As foretold in the previous issue, we are working on a dossier with articles and photographs of the demonstrations in Europe and America. All the materials (reports, photos, videos, etc.) that you think could be useful to make that "10 March 1996: Freedom for Tibet" dossier, please send them to the central office of the Radical Party: 97-103 Rue Belliard, Rem 508, B-1047 Brussels (also via fax: +32-2-2849198 or 2849197).
What follows is a first integration to that already published in #15 issue of this bulletin
* USA
- The San Francisco Chronicle (daily) 3/9. "Berkeley flies the flag for freedom in Tibet"
* Hungary
- Mai Nap (daily) 3/11. "Memory"
- Kisalfold (daily) 3/11. "For Tibet"
- Hajdu-Bihari Naplo (daily) 3/11. With photo AP of Emma Bonino and Samdhong Rinpoche in Brussels. "Demonstration for Tibet in Brussels and Budapest".
- Tolnai Nepujsag (daily) 3/11. With photo of the Mayor of Paks hoisting the Tibetan flag. "Paks too protests against the Chinese occupation of Tibet".
- Magyar Hirlap (daily) 3/12. "Where the Tibetan flag flies".
- Mai Nap (daily) 3/12. "Tibet at home".
- Magyar Nemzet (daily) 3/12. "Why he didn't hoist the Tibetan flag?".
* France
- ARTE (Tv) 3/10. Segment during the 8pm news.
- Canal + (Tv) 3/16. 7 minutes segment on the Brussels demonstration during the "C'est pas le 20h" programme.
- Radio Notre Dame (Paris-based radio) 3/9 and 10. Several segments during the various news broadcasts.
- France Info (radio). Several segments during the various news broadcasts.
- Radio-France International (radio).
- Le Monde (daily). 3/19. Article on the opening of Human Rights Committee works in Geneva, reminding the activity for Tibet in Europe.
* Belgium
- La Libre Belgique (daily) 3/15. "Vande Lanotte answers".
SECOND PAGE
On the second page we re-publish the text of the appeal addressed to the United Nations Secretary General Boutros Ghali asking him to receive the Dalai Lama as soon as possible.
[seconda pagina]
APPEAL TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS
To attention of Mr. Boutros BOUTROS-GHALI
Secretary General of the United Nations
-APPEAL-
Mr. Secretary General,
Invaded in 1949, and since then occupied by the People's Republic of China, Tibet, unique patrimony of the entire humanity, is dying, asphyxiates by a systematic politics of colonization based on massive occupations of Chinese populations and on the destruction of its cultural, religious, environmental and political legacy.
It's essential that the international Community, through its highest representation, the United Nations, creates the set for the opening of negotiations, without pre-conditions, between the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government-in-exile and the Chinese government, in order to finally confront with the arms of dialogue, a tragedy lasted for over forty years.
In order to accelerate the process of awareness of the international community, we believe dutiful that the United Nations give, with maximum urgency, a sign that expresses and initiates, without any possible equivocation, a different approach to the Tibetan tragedy, based on dialogue.
We, therefore, appeal to you, Mr. Secretary General of the United Nations, to receive, as soon as possible, the Dalai Lama, in order to define the likely steps for an initiative that allows the re-establishment in Tibet of the rights and international laws violated.
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