Published by: World Tibet Network News Wednesday, December 10th, 1997 International Human Rights Day

Dharamsala: December 10th, 1997 (TYC) -- Today the Tibetans all over the world joins in to celebrate the United Nations Human Rights Day. We celebrate the day with high hope that the universality of the Human Rights will also prevail on the whole of mankind including the Tibetans. Yet it has been a cry in the wilderness till today.

Tibetans were one of the most peace-loving and practicing people until they were suddenly invaded by the red China in 1949. This has culminated into process of dismantling every pillar of the rights that the Tibetans enjoyed as citizens of free Tibet. That has led us to the verge of elimination as a race and as a sovereign country from this world. The systematic and Chinese Government sponsored Human Rights Violation in occupied Tibet are open to see in the media. When we speak of the destruction and violation of Human Rights in occupied Tibet, we are not talking about the statistics only. For Example, while destroying over 6,000 monasteries in Tibet, they have not only destroyed monasteries but destroyed a whole seat of learning because the Monastic Universities existed as the seat of learning. They have also destroyed the whole structure and foundation of our library. The Chinese have forced the Tibetans themselves to destroy the monasteries and stupas brick by brick and stone by stone. That is to show and

convince the Tibetans that there is no such thing as god and therefore the believers should destroy the feeling out of their mind there and than. The Chinese way of encroaching upon the fundamental rights of Tibetans are not only colonialist but totally racist. This often has been reflected in their writing as well.

Gaden Podrang, the government of independent Tibet has approached the United Nations in 1950 when the colonial Chinese were on the process of crossing the Chinese border. Since than several resolutions were passed in the UN General Assembly. Many parliaments of the free world have had passed supportive resolutions on Tibet. International awareness and the support to the issue of Tibet is growing ever since. But United Nations remain aloof to the sufferings of the Tibetans. China herself is signatory to many of the conventions and international instruments. United Nations must see to it that the signatory nations comply with the conventions that they are a party to.

Yet we have to say it reluctantly that this was not the case with China. Today the sufferings are increasing day by day in occupied Tibet. In the last couple of years the Chinese communist regime has tightened the grip and as a result religious and political persecution are on the increase. Number of political prisoners in occupied Tibet has crossed 1,100 and is still on the increase. We the Tibetan people should bear this in mind and increase our independence movement activities proportionate to the Chinese repression inside occupied Tibet.

As usual we appeal to the international community to continue to support the just and nonviolent Freedom movement of people of Tibet. International pressure on China is one of the possible instrument that may count on the China's colonial and racist policy on Tibet and have a direct bearing on it. A just solution to the issue of Tibet could be found by a negotiated settlement between the government of China and the Tibetan government-in-Exile headed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

SD

Tseten Norbu

President (TYC)