For the kind attention of Hon. Chris Patten

Member of the European Commission

Brussels, June 20, 2000.

Dear Commissioner Patten,

We are writing concerning the Western China Poverty Reduction Project.

As you know, the Western China Poverty reduction Project has reised serious concerns about the World Bank's partecipation in the Chinese government's policy of relocating of ethnic Chinese into the Tibetan areas, as well as the possible violation of the Bank's own policies concerning indigenous peoples, involuntary resettlement, and the environnement.

In order to respond to the numerous protests and alarms araisen all over the world about this project, an Inspection Panel was constituted with the aim of monitoring the possible implications and impacts of the project on the Tibetan regions.

Recent press reports indicate that the Inspection Panel report is highly critical of the development and planning process on the WCPRP. In light of the on-going questions about this specific project and continuing concerns about the overall procedures of the World Bank, we believe that it behooves the World Bank to release this report and its recommendations prior to the Bank Board's final vote on the project.

For these reasons we think that the European Commission should ask the World Bank to make further efforts towards transparency, accountability and openess and publish the Inspection Panel report and Recommendation on the WCPRP before the vote of the World Bank Board.

We thank you in advance for your attention and for the help you cand bring to the Tibetan people.

Best regards,

Olivier Dupuis Gerard Collins Thomas Mann

Ulla Sandbaek Reinhold Messner