Brussels, 18 December 1996

Dear colleague,

Now that Mrs. WEI Shanshan has received the Sakharov Price on behalf of her brother WEI Jingsheng from our President, Mr. Klaus HÄNSCH, we have only got a few weeks left until January 31, the deadline fixed by the Nobel Committee for the submission of candidatures for the 1997 Nobel Peace Price.

Presently, around 700 parliamentarians and university professors from around the world have already decided to support the candidature of WEI Jingsheng (see enclosed list). For obvious reasons, support from you and the members of your Parliament for this campaign are of vital importance.

We would also like to take the opportunity to bring a related initiative to your attention. It is directed towards the United Nations and consists of an appeal to its Secretary General for the opening of negotiations without preconditions and under auspices of the UN between the Beijing authorities and the Tibetan government in exile. This appeal has already been signed by more than 1.300 parliamentarians from around the world (see enclosed list).

Hoping you will be able to support these 2 initiatives, and wishing you all the best for 1997, I remain,

Yours sincerely,

Olivier DUPUIS

General Secretary

Member of the European Parliament

Enclosures:

- the appeal in favour of the attribution of the Nobel Peace Price to Wei Jingsheng and the list of supporters.

- the appeal to the UN Secretary General asking the opening of Sino-Tibetan negotiations and the list of supporters.

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