PRESS STATEMENT

New Delhi, Sat, 30 Nov 1996, (TWA/TYC) -- The Tibetans in Tibet and in-exile had looked up to India with hope and expectations that, India would raise the Tibetan issue during the visit of Mr. Jiang Zemin. While on one hand, we welcome the fruitful talks with the Chinese leader on bilateral trade relations with India, at the same time, we Tibetans boycott this visit for their colonial misrule in Tibet.

The Indian government 's firm stand in not signing the CTBT resolution is an example, which India should continue even in its current dealings with the People's Republic of China. India should not bury the past experiences of Chinese betrayal and treacherous deed when she had to pay a heavy price in the war of 1962, under the pretext of building friendly relations with China. Although India was honest in her relations with China, there was no sincere change on the part of China. The violation of the five principles of peaceful co-existence (Panchsheel) signed between India and China by Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Chinese Premier Zhou En Lai in 1954 was yet another example of Chinese misdeeds.

The hard line policy that the present Chinese government maintains, has intoxicated its rulers, which is clearly evident from the Tiananmen square massacre. India can never reach a lasting friendship with China until the Tibet issue is resolved. Independent Tibet can stand as an iron wall between the two Asian giants. It can also be guaranteed that Tibet's independence can make the "most disputed Himalayan border" into the "most peaceful border" in this world. This will save more than 60 to 75 crore rupees every day which the Indian government spends to safeguard the northern frontier under constant threat from the Chinese side.

China has brought nothing but misery, starvation, famine and the worst kind of sufferings to the Tibetan people. Tibetan's religious rights are also not respected. Illegal detention of the six year-old Panchen Lama, Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, recognised by His Holiness The Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the tenth Panchen Lama; the ban on His Holiness' photographs; and the closure of many monasteries are recent examples of Chinese harsh and repressive policies in Tibet. The deaths of over 1.2 million Tibetans till 1979, clearly indicates the Tibetans opposition to Chinese colonial rule.

On the arrival of the Chinese President Mr. Jiang Zemin to the three day state visit to Delhi, Tibetans in different parts of India, especially in Delhi organised various demonstrations to condemn the visit. While the majority of Tibetan people took out processions from the Tibetan camp in Majnu-ka Tilla, over 300 students from Delhi University and Punjab University (Chandigarh) held demonstrations at various Jiang Zemin's conference venues and important points in the city. Many of them were arrested, of which a few are still detained at Tihar Jail. The Tibetan people will keep this torch of freedom struggle burning until Tibet is returned to its rightful owners.

Issued by the Tibetan Women's Association and the Tibetan Youth Congress