Brussels, April 12, 1996

Honorable Member of Parliament, dear colleague,

recent events in Taiwan strait have brought even more urgency and importance to democratic development of humanity, particularly as regards human rights, fundamental liberties and freedom tout court for the Chinese people as well as for the peoples colonized and oppressed by the totalitarian Beijing's communist regime.

In this context, we do believe that time has come for the international community to support with stronger determination the nonviolent policy of dialogue carried out by His Holiness the Dalai Lama along more than 30 years, so that a negotiation without pre-conditions between Beijing's authorities and the Tibetan government-in-exile may start as soon as possible under the aegis of the United Nations.

To the end of finding out a possible peace process, we do consider as well urgently necessary for the legitimate representative of the Tibetan people, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, to be received by the United Nations Secretary General.

Actually, it is in this framework that, together with Tibet Support Groups and Tibetan communities in exile, we have launched an Appeal addressed to UN Secretary General Boutros Ghali. Should you join such initiative, the appeal already undersigned by over 400 parliamentarians from 21 countries, we will be very grateful to you.

Our main concern, regarding the extinction by means of "ethnic dilution" of the Tibetan people and its cultural, linguistic and religious heritage, is confirmed by recent events following the disappearance of the Eleventh Panchen Lama, the second most prominent religious leader in Tibetan Buddhism, who the Chinese authorities have abducted and kept in custody for almost one year up to now: in fact, being a six-year-old child, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is the youngest political prisoner in the world. That is the reason we enclose in this letter a postcard to be sent to Chinese President Jiang Zemin asking him the immediate freeing of the young Panchen Lama, so that the international campaign already underway for his release will benefit from your adhesion too.

Again about the issue of human rights and the indispensable democratization of that part of the planet, we believe that we should, or better we must demonstrate deep solidarity to all those fighting for democracy in China, risking their freedom and even their life.

Together with our friends from the Paris-based Federation pour la Democratie en Chine, and the New York's Human Rights in China, we do believe that awarding the well-known Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng of the Nobel Peace Prize would undoubtedly be a strong signal to Chinese authorities.

As you probably know, besides Nobel Peace Prize awarded and university professors of history, philosophy, or political sciences, also Members of Parliament and/or government are entitled to endorse Wei Jingsheng's candidacy for the Prize.

Honorable Member of Parliament, dear colleague, looking forward for your support to these initiatives, please accept my best regards

Olivier Dupuis, MEP

General Secretary of the

Transnational Radical Party

enc:

a) Appeal for Boutros Ghali to receive the Dalai Lama, and list of signatures already collected as of MESE GIORNO 1996

b) Form supporting Wei Jingsheng nomination for the 1997 Nobel Peace Price

c) Postcard for the release of the Eleventh Panchen Lama