Voice of America, August 18, 1997

Correspondent report

by Lisa Schlein in GENEVA

Introduction

Tibetan activists are protesting a United Nations decision to allow the Chinese government to hold a so-called "Chinese-Tibetan song and dance performance" on U.N. premises.

From U.N. headquarters in Geneva, Lisa Schlein reports the Tibetans are upset with the organization for supporting what they call "an act of propaganda" by the Chinese.

Text

A group of Tibetans who set up camp in front of the United Nations have been sitting in the sweltering sun all day to protest the Chinese-Tibetan cultural evening. They say the United Nations shouldn't allow itself to be used as a forum for Chinese propaganda. The Chinese say it is purely a cultural event. But Tibetan activist, Nyamtsur Thubten, says the Chinese government is trying to convince the world that Chinese and Tibetan culture is the same.

Nyamtsur Thubten:

Chinese-Tibetan they are showing dance here, (a) culture show. and they are thinking they show this dance and they say (people in) tibet ... are very happy, as they show (it) in dance, you know? ... we are showing truth and they, just all the time (use) propaganda.

The Tibetans, supported by more than 50 non-governmental organizations, urged the U.N director-general, Vladimir Petrovsky, not to attend the Chinese-Tibetan cultural evening. In their petition, the Tibetans and their supporters said the U.N. shouldn't become a platform to either misrepresent an ancient cultural tradition or to serve the political objectives of a member state. U.N. Information Director, Therese Gastaut says her organization explained to the Tibetans that it holds cultural events such as this all the time ... and that Mr. Petrovsky would attend the performance.

Therese Gastaut:

The permanent mission requested the use of the (United Nations) premises for a cultural performance. This, as you know, is happening from time to time. And, this is not at all an exception.

The Tibetans say it's ironic for Chinese authorities to present a "Chinese-Tibetan" performance inside the U-N, whereas, they say, China suppresses the preservation of Tibetan performing arts in Tibet. as an example, they cite the case of a Tibetan ethnomusicologist who is now serving an 18 year prison term in Tibet on charges of "spying."