Print Friendly, PDF & Email

31 October 2011

Geneva: The three chairpersons of the Tibet Discussion Group in the German Parliament urged German Chancellor Dr. Merkel in an open letter “to advocate for an immediate end to the Chinese violence towards the Tibetan people, in talks with the Chinese leadership during the upcoming G20-Summit in Cannes.”

The letter further said, “We hope that you can use the G20 Summit to call on the Chinese government to respond to the Tibetan people’s legitimate demands with a meaningful dialogue instead of force.”

The letter dated 21 October by Mrs. Sabine Weiss MP (CDU), Mr. Harald Leibrecht, MP (FDP) and Mrs. Sabine Bätzing-Lichtenthäler MP (SPD) said, “the situation inside Tibet is currently escalating at a dramatic pace.”  The first two MPs are members of the Germany’s ruling coalition government party.

“The recent self-immolations of eight Tibetan monks and one nun are adding up to a dangerous and possibly explosive atmosphere. In a massive show of force, the Chinese government is deploying more military and police to brutally suppress all forms of resistance. Even small acts of disobedience lead to arrests and torture,” the letter said.

They informed the German Chancellor that for years the families of those detained or arrested are left in the dark regarding the whereabouts of their loved ones.

They highlighted that the monks and nuns of Tibet’s various monasteries have been the most affected.

“The Tibetan people are suffering and living with a feeling of cultural and religious genocide,” the letter said.

They urged the Germany Chancellor to use all your leverage, so that the Tibetan people’s basic human rights that are enshrined in the Chinese constitution will be respected.

They applauded the German Chancellor’s for meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Chancellery and they said, “you have already set a bright example.”

“But the Tibetan people” they said, “need more political support, especially from Europe. We should not convey the impression that human rights are being traded for economic success and commercial relations.”

In a separate video clip posted on YouTube, Mr. Harald Leibrecht, MP called for an international group to investigate the situation on the ground. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qr7JQ-hliw&feature=share

“A group that investigates how those self-immolations came about and what kind of political actions are necessary to prevent them from happening in the future,” he said.

Menu