Published by: World Tibet Network News, 96/03/09 23:00 GMT
Fowarded by: Tibet Support Group Munich, Germany
Munich, 8th March 1996
On the 4th of March the following article (translated by Walter Schramm, TSG Munich) was published in "DER SPIEGEL" a German weekly magazine (circulation 1.475.000):
Lord Mayor
Flags for Tibet
In an unusual action some hundred lord mayors form all over Europe are going to demonstrate against Chinese suppression on the Tibetan people on comming sunday. Lord mayors will hoist the flag of free Tibet on city halls and main squares on the anniversary of the Tibetan uprise in their capital Lhasa which was bloodyly cast down by the Chinese in 1959. Until last Friday about 450 lord mayors from more than 20 nations have given their approval. Moreover in addition to this protest action there will be a large demonstration at Brussels. So the Tibetan flag will wave for instance on city halls of Brussels, Rome, Liverpool, Strasbourg, Malaga, Budapest and Sarajevo. In Italy about 220 towns manifest their solidarity with supprested Tibetans, whereas German lord mayors keep back. So far only 7 mayors, among them Otto Kelling from Kiel, are ready to show the flag which is forbidden in China.
During the last years again and again there were bloody conflicts among Tibetans and Chinese authorities in Lhasa.
(also a picture of the Tibetan flag was shown)
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Tibet Support Group Munich, Germany
Munich, 8th March 1996
Even so there are elections for district and town councils in Bavaria (State of Germany) on 10th March, until now at least 8 cities and towns of Bavaria promised to show the Tibetan flag in front of city halls or on main squares. TSG Munich tries drawing more public attention by the following press release (translated by W. Schramm):
Show a Flag for Tibet on 10th March
In places like Kiel, Stuttgart, Landshut, Traunstein, Luebeck, Heidelberg, Ingolstadt, Starnberg, Haagen, Hannover, Ottobrunn, Wolfegg, Wuerzburg, Hausen, Strasbourg, Brussels, Rome, Genua, Prag, Krakau, Budapest, Sarajevo and Liverpool - from Albania up to Russia, in more than 550 European cities and towns in 22 countries, among them 23 German municipalities - the Tibetan national flag will wave in front of city halls on 10th March, the anniversary of the Tibetan uprise against Chinese occupation. In this way Europe demonstrates its solidarity with the people to whom freedom and fundamental human rights are refused.
Freedom for Tibet
Manifestation at Brussels on 10th March
On the 10th of March there will be the European demonstration on "Freedom for Tibet" in Brussels. The action is organized by the Intergroup "Tibet" of the European Parliament, Groups of Tibetans in Europe and European Tibet Support Groups including TSG Munich.
The demonstration begins on the 10th of March at 11 a.m. in front of the Chinese Embassy and ends (after a march through town) at about 4 p.m. in front of the European Houses of Parliament, where Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, president of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, representatives of several European countries, trade union menbers and artists - a.o. Gianna Nannini - as well as representatives of Tibetan communities and Tibet support groups will hold speaches. The participants in the demonstration demand immediate start of direct negotiations between on one hand H.H. Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile and on the other hand the Government of the People's Republic of China about the future status of Tibet, the immediate stop of transfering Chinese to Tibet and reinstallation of civil, political and religious rights of the Tibetans. Delegations of political parties, trade unions and other organizations have promised to participate. Friends of Tibet from France, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Tsc
hechia, Spain, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden will be there.
Tibet Support Group Munich
Nordendstr. 7 a
D-80799 Munich
Germany
phone+fax: +49-89-2713101
