Neil Steedman writes:
Yesterday (12th June) the General Secretary of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, nominated the President of Ireland, Mrs. Mary Robinson, as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. His nomination must be approved by the UN General Assembly, but this will almost certainly happen. (No country has a veto on this issue and The Irish Times reports this morning that "As far as Irish diplomats can gather, China did not express any opposition.")
Any Tibet organisation or Tibet Support Group wishing to send a congratulatory message to Mrs. Robinson may like to know that the fax number is: (+3531) 671 1572 and that the e-mail address is: webmaster@aras.irlgov.ie .
Please note that these contacts are the official ones and therefore messages will go through Government officials.
***For Background Information Only - Not for Public Use***
Mary Robinson has been one of Ireland's most prominent supporters of Tibet.
When a Senator in 1989 she introduced into the Irish Senate a motion on Human Rights in Tibet and spoke at length in support of the Tibetans.
When a candidate for the Irish Presidency in 1990, she joined Tibet Support Group-Ireland's Tiananmen Square Day demonstration outside the Chinese Embassy (we have a photograph of her at the event wearing a headband sporting - written in Chinese - "Tanks cannot crush ideas"!!)
In 1991, when President of Ireland - despite pressure from the then Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, for her not to do so - she insisted on attending the Official Opening of an exhibition on Buddhism in Dublin by the Dalai Lama and had a private meeting with His Holiness.
Briefing on Irish General Election:
We have also just had a General Election here in Ireland and it is almost certain that a minority coalition Government will be formed in two weeks' time by the Fianna Fail and Progressive Democrats parties. The new Taoiseach (Prime Minister) will be Bertie Ahern, who also "broke ranks" as a Minister in 1991 to meet His Holiness and who has been making strong statements in support of Tibetans' right to self-determination. He is leader of the Fianna Fail party which was in Government when Ireland co-sponsored the UN General Assembly Resolutions of 1959, 1961 and 1965 (i.e. Frank Aiken's party). We are "cautiously optimistic" (knowing full well that politicians say things while in Opposition that they may not repeat when later in office!!) that the next Irish Government, with Ireland's current President as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, may be encouraged to take an initiative on Tibet. Time will tell!
