Radicali.it - sito ufficiale di Radicali Italiani
Notizie Radicali, il giornale telematico di Radicali Italiani
cerca [dal 1999]


i testi dal 1955 al 1998

  RSS
sab 12 lug. 2025
[ cerca in archivio ] ARCHIVIO STORICO RADICALE
Conferenza Partito radicale
Sisani Marina - 15 aprile 1998
UN Secretary General Appeal to Hunger Strikers

Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 08:16:32 -0500

From: John Ackerly

To: Multiple recipients of list TSG-L

U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN APPEALS TO TIBETAN HUNGER STRIKERS TO END FAST, SAYS DEMANDS REST WITH MEMBER STATES

April 14.-- On day 36 of their fast unto death, six Tibetan hunger strikers achieved remarkable recognition of their non-violent action by the international community at the highest level with the release of an appeal by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Today's statement by the Secretary General is by far the most significant action yet achieved by the hunger strikers. It was conveyed through the Secretary General's spokesman, and released a day after Richard Gere, ICT Chairman, and John Ackerly, ICT President, met at the United Nations with Assistant Secretary General for External Relations, Ms. Gillian Sorensen and other UN officials. "To my knowledge, this is the first such public statement from the Office of the Secretary General since 1965," Ackerly said.

According to the statement, Secretary General Annan was already aware of the concerns of the hungers strikers. He did not discount or refute the demands of the hunger strikers, but instead said that they are "within the sole competence of the Member States." He appealed to the six Tibetans, as many other leaders have, "on humanitarian grounds, to discontinue the strike so as not to further jeopardize their health." On April 9, Mrs. Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights commended the six Tibetans for their "considerable courage" and success "in bring their issues to the attention of the international community."

The six Tibetans began their fast in New Delhi, India on March 10, 1998, the 39th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising in Lhasa, unless the following demands, directed at the United Nations, are met: (1) to resume debate on the question of Tibet based on its resolutions of 1959, 1961, and 1965; (2) to appoint a special Rapporteur to investigate the situation of human rights in Chinese occupied Tibet; and (3) to appoint a Special Envoy to promote a peaceful settlement of the question of Tibet and initiate a UN-supervised plebiscite to ascertain the wishes of the Tibetan people. The full statement of the Secretary General follows:

To be attributable to the Spokesman of the Secretary-General:

"Yesterday, the Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations, Ms. Gillian Sorensen met with Mr. Richard Gere who came to convey his grave concern over the health of six Tibetans on hunger strike in New Delhi. The Secretary-General was already aware of the concerns of the six hunger-strikers. While recognizing that meeting their specific demands rest within the sole competence of Member States, the Secretary-General acknowledges that this non-violent action is a reflection of their personal commitment.

At the same time, he is deeply concerned for their well-being and appeals to them, on humanitarian grounds, to discontinue the strike so as not to further jeopardize their health. In this connection, the Secretary-General wishes to refer to the statement regarding the matter made by Mrs. Robinson, High Commissioner for Human Rights, on 9 April, and expresses his full support for it."

Statement by Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

"Over the past weeks I have received a number of representations regarding the six young Tibetans who have been on a hunger strike in New Delhi for nearly one month. On 2 April, I met a representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mr. Tempa Tsering.

I said that the young people has displayed considerable courage and had succeeded in bringing their issues to the attention of the international community. However, I shared the concern that their lives should not be lost by continuing the hunger strike. I hope they will now find the additional courage needed to end the fast and preserve their lives.

In September this year, I hope to make an official visit to China and have indicated to the Chinese authorities my desire to visit Tibet at that time in order to be more filly informed about the situation there.

 
Argomenti correlati:
stampa questo documento invia questa pagina per mail