World Tibet Network News Monday, February 09, 1998

Dharamsala, (TYC) Feb 7 - Tibet was invaded by Communist China in 1949. Since then the Tibetans have been struggling for their freedom and independence. The then government of free Tibet, Gaden Phodrang, approached the United Nations on November 11, 1950 for it's intervention. The UN General Assembly had then postponed the agenda on Tibet on the urging of representatives of the British and Indian governments. These two governments prevailed on the UN General Assembly of an impending peaceful solution to the issue of Tibet based on the communications and false assurances received from the Chinese government. Communist China has as always lied for the sake of buying time to deal with situations arising out possible resolutions in the UN General Assembly. In fact the colonization of Tibet after the founding of the United Nations in 1945 is a direct challenge to the authority and principles of the United Nations.

Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), the largest non-governmental organization in exile, has for the last few decades consistently raised the demand for an internationally-supervised plebiscite in Tibet to determine the aspirations of the Tibetan people. It is in this spirit that the Tibetan Youth Congress supported the Five-Point Peace Plan of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual and temporal leader. TYC had also approached many governments and concerned international authorities, including the United Nations on this important issue. Unfortunately, the United Nations seem to take matters into consideration only if violent methods are used. So far the Tibetan liberation movement has been guided solely by the principle of non-violence and peaceful means which is in line with the UN Charter.

China's occupation of Tibet has resulted in the death of over 1.2 million Tibetans, and destruction of more than 6,000 monasteries and temples - the repositories of Tibet's rich cultural heritage. The Tibetan people too have had to undergo unimaginable suffering and been subjugated to inhuman conditions under the repressive alien rule. But despite all the suffering and cultural genocide, the determination and spirit of the people inside Tibet remains ever strong. According to available information from occupied Tibet, despite all the risks involved, there were at least 350 demonstrations and protest marches against the Chinese rule in whole of Tibet since 1987. In exile the banner of freedom struggle has been kept alive by the Tibetan refugees. The growing concern and support for the just cause of the Tibetan people from the international community and NGOs is most encouraging. However, not much progress has been achieved to actually resolve the issue of Tibet because of the lack of political will on the par

t of a host of governments and the United Nations which appear impotent in the face of China's aggressive attitude and "veto power". This is obviously very sad.

The latest report of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) on Tibet should serve as an eye-opener for all those who respect human rights and freedoms. The ICJ report titled, "Tibet: Human Rights and the Rule of Law", not only details the past and present situation of Tibet but also suggests in what capacity the UN can play a positive role in solving the question of Tibet. The ICJ report of December 1997 strongly recommends the holding of a UN-supervised plebiscite in Tibet to determine the aspiration of the Tibetan people. This is exactly what the TYC has been appealing to the UN since 70s.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), headquarter in Geneva, is a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the Organization of African Unity. The recent ICJ report on Tibet has therefore given a new hope to the Tibetan people and their aspirations. It is in the light of this development that the Tibetan Youth Congress has resolved to organize an indefinite hunger sit-down at New Delhi, in the true spirit of Gandhian non-violence movement, until the below-mentioned demands are fulfilled by the United Nations:

1) To resume its debate on the question of Tibet based on its resolutions of 1959, 1961 and 1965.

2) To appoint a Special Rapporteur to investigate the situation of human rights in Chinese-occupied Tibet.

3) To appoint a Special Envoy to promote a peaceful settlement of the question of Tibet and initiate a United Nations-supervised plebiscite to ascertain the wishes of the Tibetan people.

In this Do-or-Die situation we hope the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the UN Secretary-General will effectively implement the above mentioned demands which are at par with the UN Charter, and not bow down to pressure from the authoritarian Chinese government.

Tseten Norbu, President - Tibetan Youth Congress, Dharamsala - INDIA