|
"I
truly believe that individuals can make a difference in society. Since
periods of great change such as the present one come so rarely in human
history, it is up to each of us to make the best use of our time to help
create a happier world".
Tenzin GYATSO, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, 1992
 Re:
letter to friends of Tibet
Dear friends,
It is now over nine months since around 250 of us met in Brussels to try
to work out a series of common initiatives on a question which concerns
us all: that of Tibet.
At the end of the two days of discussion, we decided in particular:
Olivier Dupuis
"1) to launch a new campaign targeting all national Parliaments of Europe
urging them to promptly adopt parliamentary resolutions similar to the
one adopted by the European Parliament last June calling on their respective
governments to recognise the Tibetan Government in Exile if, within the
next three years, the Beijing authorities and the Tibetan Government in
exile have not reached an agreement on a new status for Tibet through
a negotiation under the aegis of the Secretary General of the United Nations;
and to multiply all initiatives to make the demonstration of 10 March
2001 an important occasion for mobilisation in this sense;
2) to launch a new campaign targeting tens of thousands of municipalities
all over Europe with the objective of permanently displaying the Tibetan
flag until a new status of full autonomy for Tibet is reached;
3) to work to ensure that the European Union and its Member States continue
their dialogue with the People's Republic of China but abandon the so-called
"Critical Dialogue on Human Rights" policy and make the establishment
and enforcement of democracy, the rule of law and freedom in China and
in the occupied territories of Tibet, Southern Mongolia and Eastern Turkestan,
their absolute priority, and to defend this position in all bilateral
and multilateral forums, beginning with the forthcoming session of the
UN Commission on Human Rights;
4) to multiply all initiatives in order to create a worldwide movement
to unite all those people in China, Tibet and the rest of the world who
have decided to make the struggle for the establishment and enforcement
of democracy and the rule of law in China, and Freedom in Tibet, Eastern
Turkestan and Southern Mongolia one of the priorities of their political
commitment;
In order to achieve these goals, the participants in the Seminar decided:
5) to set as the first objective of the new campaign "A Flag for a new
Status of Full Autonomy for Tibet" the permanent display of the flag,
within the next six months, in at least 1,000 cities in Europe;
6) to create a "EuroTibetForum" through the opening in their respective
Internet sites of a section for debate and for discussion of strategy;
7) to create a working group on the economic situation in the People's
Republic of China and on Sino-European economic relations."
What results have we obtained?
3 regional councils, 2 provincial councils and 104 town councils around
Europe have so far decided to take part in the campaign for the permanent
display of the Tibetan flag: the Italian regions of Piedmont, Tuscany
and Lombardy, the Italian provinces of Florence and Cremona, and town
councils from Italy (43), France (34), Hungary (18), Spain (4), Albania
(3), Switzerland (1) and Croatia (1).
Not many compared to the over 1,000 town councils around Europe who, in
the space of a few weeks, joined the campaigns launched for 10 March 1996
and 1997. And even less when we remember that there are over 60,000 town
councils in Europe. A long way, in any case, from the target of 1,000
town councils in six months that we set ourselves.
In January our friend Patrick Bonnassieu from Lyons suggested that we
launch a similar campaign addressed to the general public. An initiative
that was christened "a flag at your window" and which seemed to me, and
to others, a good way to back up the campaign we decided on together in
Brussels. Up to now, thanks in particular to the efforts of Patrick and
of Dan Golfier from Millau, over 600 people have joined the initiative.
Mainly in France, but also in other European countries and on the other
side of the Atlantic. A remarkable results if we consider that it is the
fruit of the efforts of just a few people. An absolutely mediocre result
if we consider the number of people who work day after day for the freedom
of Tibet and who might be willing to take part in the initiative... if
only they knew about it!
Why such disappointing results? In my opinion one of the reasons is undoubtedly
the decision taken by some people to give the town councils the "choice"
between displaying the flag for just one day, on 10 March, and displaying
it on a permanent basis. With the predictable result that many mayors
chose not to commit themselves to a long-term initiative and confirmed
their adhesion, in a rather bureaucratic manner, for 10 March alone! The
old saying "the less you ask for, the less you get" proved once again
to be true.
This was, however, not the most important reason. What we have lacked
over the last ten months is a firm belief in the objective we set ourselves.
An objective which is in reality nothing more than an attempt to translate
the European Parliament resolution of 6 July into concrete action at institutional
level, beginning with the regional and town councils in order to arrive
eventually at our national parliaments.
The EP resolution, as you will remember, called (and continues to call)
"on the Council, the Commission and the Member States (of the European
Union) to do all they can to start up negotiations between the Government
of the People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama on a new status for
Tibet which guarantees full Tibetan autonomy in all areas of political,
economic, social and cultural life, the only exceptions being defence
and foreign policy"
and:
"to give serious consideration to the possibility of recognising the Tibetan
Government in exile as the legitimate representative of the Tibetan people
if, within three years, the Beijing authorities and the Tibetan government
in exile have not, through negotiations organised under the aegis of the
Secretary-General of the United Nations, signed an agreement on a new
Statute for Tibet."
Today we are still at the same point. The European Parliament is still
alone. A Parliament which, as you know, only has powers of invitation
and pressure in the field of foreign affairs. Only three regional councils,
two provincial councils, and 104 town councils have so far adopted the
position of the EP. No national parliament, neither in Europe nor elsewhere,
has adopted a similar resolution to call on its government to tell Beijing
that there is no longer any place for fine words or promises of independence,
that only concrete actions are now expected and that in the absence of
such actions they will be forced to draw the conclusions that they have
set for themselves, that is to proceed to the official recognition of
the Tibetan Government in Exile.
In the meantime the situation in Tibet remains as it was. Bad, very bad.
While in Beijing nothing changes except that the oligarchs are even more
arrogant, even more scornful, even more ferocious, and even more determined
in their policy of repression. In Tibet, in Turkestan, in Southern Mongolia,
in the whole of China where the internauts, the members of the Democratic
Party and of the Falun Gong Movement are subjected to the sort of repression
that has not been seen for several years. Every day brings more arrests,
executions, and acts of destruction.
And each of us, in the absence of the conviction to share a common objective
and to work together to achieve it, have thrown ourselves into the initiative
that seemed at the time to be the most effective in conveying the message,
the most attractive, or simply the most urgent: the campaigns on driving
schools, against the Olympic Games, against the construction of the new
railway line... right up to ideas for campaigns that are either questionable,
such as the campaign against mobile phones (don't the people of Tibet
have the right to mobile phones?) or completely improbable, such as the
campaign to boycott the Games seven years before they are due to be held.
Have we not lost our battle to prevent the IOC from assigning the 2008
Games to Beijing? In that case it is up to the "democrats" who supported
the candidature of Beijing to weigh up the effects of the Olympic Games,
in five or six years' time, on the evolution of the situation in China.
And if they discover that nothing has changed, it will be up to them to
appeal for a boycott of the Games!
You might be thinking that my view of things is particularly gloomy. True,
I have not had an opportunity this year to exchange ideas and discuss
projects as we did during the trans-Alpine march for Tibet last summer.
I am, however, full of gloomy thoughts. I am simply trying to look objectively,
with you and thanks to you, at the state of our campaign as it stands.
And, what is more important, at the situation of our Tibetan friends.
In this bleak panorama there are evidently a few positive points, such
as the participation of two Tibetan NGOs in the United Nations Conference
on Racism in Durban, the forthcoming visit of the Dalai Lama to the European
Parliament, where for the first time he will address a plenary session.
And above all the fact that the Tibetans in Exile (the only ones who are
free to vote) have for the first time elected their Prime Minister. The
outgoing President of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, our friend Professor
Samdhong Rinpoché. A new Prime Minister whose declarations immediately
after his election, reported by the major press agencies, were extremely
clear: he stated that he is ready "for the start of a battle for the total
independence of Tibet if China refuses to initiate a dialogue for genuine
autonomy within three years" (AFP, 20 August 2001).
One last word on "nonviolence". Nonviolence is not (or not principally)
a way of being. It must be rather a way of action. And the "Satyagraha"
about which we have talked so much, and on which we reflected so much
in 1996 and 1997 with Prof. Samdhong Rinpoché, is nothing other than the
exercise, together, of this "way of acting".
We have an objective. That which the Dalai Lama never ceases to repeat:
full, effective autonomy for Tibet. There are tens of thousands of us
around the world who consider the solution of the question of Tibet to
be a priority. We must, however, organise ourselves better to be able
to act with greater strength and effectiveness, especially in our own
countries, by addressing our own governments and parliaments. These are
our main interlocutors. Not the oligarchs in Beijing who do not answer
to their own people, let alone to the principles of democracy and the
rule of law, ultimately not even to themselves, but simply to the logic
of power. It is our governments that we must urge to take up a policy
consistent with the principles and the values they claim to represent:
freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.
Unless we prefer to wait for the Chinese authorities to intensify their
campaign to "occupy" Europe, we must relaunch the "flag campaign", an
operation that might seem quaint - and risks becoming so - the initiative
to obtain motions and resolutions in town councils, regional councils,
and national parliaments, an initiative that might seem marginal, and
risks becoming so. These initiatives can become the platform on which
to launch and expand the worldwide Satyagraha for the freedom of Tibet.
Brussels, 22 September 2001.I was about to finish this letter when the
terrible events in New York and Washington took place. Nothing is the
same as it was before. I don't know about you, but as far as I'm concerned
I think it will take me a long time to recover. And already many "collateral
effects" are visible. The processing of visa applications for our Chechen
friends has slowed down to a standstill. Recommendations abound to put
off to better days any initiatives on issues directly or indirectly concerning
our Moslem friends. The vultures in the Kremlin and the Forbidden City
are revelling shamelessly in the tragedy, presenting their state terrorism
as battles against their own terrorist enemies in Oughouristan, Chechnya,
and Tibet. Our leaders have retreated into a defensive response based
on the need for "security", forgetting that two-thirds of humanity are
ruled by dictatorships, the breeding ground for terrorism of all kinds.
We are therefore far, very far, from concerted action to attack the roots
of the problem. We are far from a large-scale campaign of information
and nonviolent subversion through knowledge and active non-complicity,
to undermine from within and from without the autocratic and criminal
regimes that work their oppression in Lhassa, Grozny, Beijing, Urumchi,
.
Please accept my apologies for the length of this letter.
Best wishes,
Olivier Dupuis, MEP
Secretary General of the Transnational Radical Party
PS. Tibet is a long way away. As is Chechnya, which is only slightly
nearer. Two tragedies, undoubtedly very different in many respects. Two
countries, two peoples, both of them oppressed, one for fifty years, the
other for over two centuries. Two decimated peoples who resist the ferocious
colonial enterprise of the last two imperial powers (though we ought perhaps
to start talking about another empire, less well-known as such, Indonesia,
and to start to help its oppressed peoples, starting with the Papuans).
Considering the complicity between the masters of these empires on the
question of the territories and the peoples they occupy, any process of
decolonisation in one of the empires would probably have serious consequences
for the other. One reason more not to forget the Chechens .
Tel. +32-2-284.71.98
Fax. +32-2-230.36.70 or 284.91.98
email: odupuis@europarl.eu.int
www.radicalparty.org
Editor's Office: Massimo Lensi
7H149 - Rue Wiertz 60 - 1047 Brussels (Belgium)
Tel :+32-02.230.41.21 - Fax :+32-02.230.36.70
eMail:tibet.fax@agora.it - Web:
http://www.radicalparty.org
Layout & Distribution:: A.Novi
|
