-UN SUB-COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

The work of the 49th session of the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights, which studied the problems of protecting minority groups and preventing discrimination, has concluded its work in Geneva. In the previous issue we announced the TRP' s contribution to the session, and in this issue we are publishing a brief synthesis of two speeches in which questions concerning China and Tibet were confronted directly.

* Administration of justice and the respect of the rights of prisoners

During the course of the debate on the administration of justice and the respect of prisoner's rights, the reliance upon re-education through forced labor and torture on a massive scale was emphasized as a central issue. Wei Jingsheng's case was presented, as was the Chinese authoritie's refusal for the provision of adequate medical treatment for Wei' s deplorable health condition, which has resulted, in part, from the way he has been treated in prison. The Transnational Radical Part was shocked in particular by the fact that the group discussing arbitrary detention had decided to suspend its examination of reports relating to prisoners in the People's Republic of China, and asked that the necessary medical attention be provided for inmates with health problems, and that all those who have been imprisoned for having exercised their right freedom of expression and association, and the peaceful expression of their opinions, be released.

* Elimination of all forms of intolerance and discrimination

During the course of the debate on the subject of the elimination of intolerance and discrimination religion and belief, it was recalled that Islamic schools and Mosques in Eastern Turkistan have been closed due to their being designated as sites of "illegal" religious activities. In China, religion is controlled by the state. Members of the Chinese Communist Party do not have the right to exercise any form of religion. In relation to the situation in Tibet, it was mentioned that the eleventh Panchen Lama remains detained by the Chinese authorities. The Transnational Radical Party requested that the question of religious intolerance be examined within the framework of the general political repression practiced by various governments.

-THE TRANSNATIONAL RADICAL PARTY ON THE INTERNET

The TRP - which has been present on the Internet for some time at the address http:// agora.stm.it/pr/ - offers Internet navigators a series of information and action services. It is possible to sign the appeals of various TRP campaigns at the site. Users can also connect with other Web sites, such as the Tibetan and Cuban sites, as well as those of numerous organizations, including the anti-prohibitionists, the Esperanto movement, and, on a special page, find the addresses of more than 700 sites relating to minorities and oppressed peoples. Every week the Internet journal "Freedom for Tibet- Democracy for China" is published there, as well as the monthly "Transnational Fax." It is also possible to become a member on-line.

(Published by FREEDOM FOR TIBET/DEMOCRACY IN CHINA ! - Number 63 - 1 September, 1997)