Published by: World Tibet Network News ISSUE ID: 97/10/21

UN Briefing held by Office of Tibet, NY

Under the auspices of International League for Human Rights

October 21, 1997

On Tuesday, 21 October, 1997, the Office of Tibet presented an update on the Human Rights situation in Tibet to United Nations NGOs and Mission staffs. This was the first in a series of "Briefings Over Breakfast," sponsored by The International League For Human Rights based in New York.

Present at the meeting were representatives of the Missions for United States, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Germany, and the Ambassadors of Lesotho and Burundi. Also present were representatives of the U.S. Dept. of State, UNDAW, Quaker UN Office, Child Rights Research Institute, Burma UN Office, World Council of Churches, etc. The event was chaired by Marjorie Lightman, who recently

stepped down from duty as Executive Director of the League.

Yoden Thonden, a human rights lawyer representing the International Committee of Lawyers for Tibet, spoke about the People's Republic of China's lack of regard for the rights of women. Thonden discussed reports of sterilization and forced

abortion in Tibet, and how these violations of human rights contradict the Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which China has signed. Thonden established the link between the rights of women and the rights of children.

Then Dawa Tsering, Representative of His Holiness The Dalai Lama for the Americas, spoke about the background of human rights violations in Tibet of recent years, specifically focussing on violations in the fields of Religion, Torture, and Ethnic Discrimination. The accelerating pace of Chinese resettlement in Tibet was highlighted, and the Representative made it clear that

this population transfer is threatening the survival of the Tibetan race and culture. He implored the delegates present to "consider the tragedy of our people carefully and condemn the People's Republic of China for its repeated violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Tibet and China."

Special briefing packets were prepared and distributed, consisting of UN Reports, Reports of Human Rights NGOs, and updates from the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, all from 1996 or 1997 and organized by subject. These are also being mailed to a list of 70 United Nations Missions in New York,

and other lobbying efforts are planned. These plans will culminate with a major briefing on Human Rights within the UN Secretariat hosted by the NGO Committee for Human Rights on November 19, 1997.

Also speaking at the meeting were Gail Lerner, representative to the United Nations from the Commissioner of Churches, and Jane Connor, of the UN Division for the Advancement of Women.

Submitted on behalf of the Office of Tibet by

Glen Kelley

Special Assistant