GENEVA/54 COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

The Radical Party, in its capacity of Category 1 Non-Governmental Organization, intervened in the UN Commission on Human Rights regarding religious freedom in Tibet. In its intervention, it focused more especially on the detention of the 11th Panchem Lama and on the 6-year prison sentence handed down on Chadrel Rinpoche, a monk at the Tashilumpo Monastery. The Radical Party has, moreover, called on China to hand over documents to the "UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances" on the state of health of the young Panchem Lama.

CHINA/EXPULSION OF WANG DAN

On April 19, Olivier DUPUIS, the Secretary of the Radical Party, made the following statement on WANG Dan's expulsion from China : "these expulsions, similar to those which took place during the old Soviet regime, have no special meaning in terms of assimilation and acceptance of democratic principles and a state of law by the Chinese Communist Party. They do, however, show that in relations with Beijing, the policy which consists of kow-towing to the demands of a dictatorial regime, which appears to be the policy currently being followed by the European Union and its Member States, is not the only possible one".

EP/CHINA/HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

On March 11, the European Deputy, Gianfranco DELL'ALBA put the following oral question to the Council of General Affairs, which in its note of February 23 had decided, in view of the initial "encouraging results" achieved in the Chinea-EU dialogue on human rights, not to present a resolution on human rights violations in China during the UN Commission meeting in Geneva. The quite extraordinary response given by the Council includes the signing by Beijing of the convention on economic, social and cultural rights and the invitation addressed to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit China in these initial encouraging results. For those who are happy with very little, this is no doubt acceptable.

RADIO VOICE OF TIBET/HOME PAGE

Radio VOT has now also installed a home page on the Internet. The address is : www.vot.org. It also has a real audio system to listen to Tibetan programmes.

MAY 1/RP INITIATIVE

On May 1 in Turin, the radicals of the Piemont city handed out post cards calling for the release of the Panchem Lama. On this occasion, the RP's Giulio MANFREDI made a statement in which he invited Italian mayors to dedicate Labour Day to the right of more than one billion Chinese to personal freedoms, including the right to trade union representation.

RADICAL RADIO/WEI JINGSHENG

"THE FAMOUS PERSONALITY"

Interviewed by Radical Radio, the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lamberto DINI, told of his dismay at not having been able to meet the "famous personality" visiting Italy. During the interview, Mr DINI, nevertheless, reaffirmed his commitment to backing the request for a meeting between the Dalai Lama and Kofi Annan, as called for by the 1,300 MPs who signed the RP's petition.

EP/NAGALAND/PROPOSED RESOLUTION

A draft emergency resolution for the Nagaland has been submitted by the MEPs Olivier DUPUIS and Gianfranco DELL'ALBA, members of the ARE Group. In the document, the EP, the Indian government and the Naga's representatives congratulate themselves on having extended the cease-fire and decided to embark on negotiations. The Naga's representatives have been asked to abandon violence, with the Burmese government having been requested to halt all military action and to open up political dialogue with the Naga's representatives.

>> MEETING

- Friday, May 29, 9 p.m., Cinisello Balsamo (Italy : "Lombardie Libertaire is organizing a concern in conjunction with the Municipality of Cinisello Balsamo entitled "Non-violence and Human Rights". Interventions by : Piero Verni, Chairman of Italy-Tibet and Paolo Pietrosanti from the Radical Party.

- June 13-14, Washington D.C., USA, (JFK Stadium) : 3rd Free Tibet Concert.

LAST MINUTE/WANG YOUCAI ARRESTED

On May 3, another Tianamen Square leader was arrested in Beijing. The aim of this was to prevent Wang from taking part in the festivities organized for the centenary of deBeida, the capital's secondary school. The Head of State, Jiang Zemin, attended the festivities.

SIGN UP !

We would like to ask all those who wish to advise us of meetings, information, initiatives, events organized in favour of Tibet and China to use our e-mail address : tibet.fax(agro.stm.it or to write to the editor.

(Published by FREEDOM FOR TIBET/DEMOCRACY IN CHINA ! - Number 69 - 6 May, 1998)