EU-China Summit must address the issue of Tibetby Kelsang Gyaltsen, Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai LamaFriday, 15 May 2009

Kelsang Gyaltsen, Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

The
forthcoming summit offers a timely opportunity for the European Union
to address the issue of Tibet with their Chinese counterparts. The
situation inside Tibet is compelling and urgent. Presently, the
Tibetans in Tibet are undergoing the harshest wave of repression since
the days of the Cultural Revolution. The increasing number of death
sentences passed on Tibetans in recent months is a clear indication of
the grave and tense situation in Tibet.On October 31, 2008 the
envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama presented a Memorandum on Genuine
Autonomy for the Tibetan People to the Government of the People’s
Republic of China. This memorandum puts forth the Tibetan position on
genuine autonomy and how the specific needs of the Tibetan people for
autonomy and self-government can be met through application of the
principle on autonomy of the Constitution of the PRC.Unfortunately, the Chinese government rejected the Tibetan proposal without presenting their own views on a way forward.His
Holiness the Dalai Lama has steadfastly followed the Middle Way
approach, which means the pursuit of a mutually acceptable and mutually
beneficial solution through negotiations in the spirit of
reconciliation and compromise. His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s thinking
on the issue has evolved in the course of time since presenting his
“Five Point Peace Plan” in 1987 and “the Strasbourg Proposal” in 1988.
He has adjusted and refined his position on a number of issues in light
of changing realities on the ground and in consideration of the Chinese
government’s legitimate concerns, needs and interests. This reflects
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s flexibility, openness and pragmatism.The
Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People and not earlier
proposals and other statements, authoritatively represents His Holiness
the Dalai Lama’s position today with respect to an acceptable solution
to the Tibetan issue. Although it differs in significant aspects from
earlier proposals, it remains true to the fundamental approach known as
the Middle Way of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.Despite the
categorical rejection of the memorandum by the Chinese side, the
Special Meeting of the Tibetans in Diaspora held in November 2008 in
Dharamsala, India, reconfirmed the mandate for the dialogue process
with the PRC on the basis of the Middle Way approach of His Holiness
the Dalai Lama. As a result the Tibetan leadership in exile reiterated
its commitment to the dialogue process. Today, the Tibetan side stands
ready to engage in honest and earnest discussions on autonomy for the
Tibetan people anytime and anywhere. It is now for the Chinese
governments to show sincerity and seriousness in addressing the real
problems and issues of the Tibetan people in Tibet.Against the
background of a current policy of merciless repression of the slightest
dissent by the Chinese authorities, which is resulting in grave and
wide-spread violations of human rights throughout the Tibetan plateau,
and His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s consistent and unwavering commitment
to non-violence and to dialogue in the spirit of reconciliation and
compromise, it would be befitting the European Union to take the lead
in promoting a peaceful resolution of the issue of Tibet. In today’s
heavily interdependent world no country and no government is immune to
world opinion and to outside influence. There is no doubt that the
European Union could play a much more proactive and constructive role
in bringing about a honest dialogue and negotiations on the issue of
Tibet between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Chinese leadershipWe
Tibetans are in dire need of international help. First and foremost in
opening up Tibet to the rest of the world so that the Chinese
authorities and security forces no longer have a free hand in Tibet.
International presence will have a restraining influence on the
authorities and the security forces and will thus provide some measures
of protection to the captive Tibetans inside Tibet. Sending government
and parliamentarian delegations to Tibet is a way to ensure this.
Moreover, the Chinese government must be encouraged to open up Tibet to
international press, aid organisations, other non-governmental
organisations and to tourism. Immediate interventions for the
suspension of the death sentences passed on to Tibetans recently are a
matter of great urgency.Moreover, it is important to leave no
doubt that the current aggressive pressure politic of the Chinese
government in attempting to isolate His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to
silence the issue of Tibet, has no chance of succeeding. The message of
the European Union to the Chinese leadership must be that the issue of
Tibet will continue to be an important agenda in the EU-China bilateral
relationship unless it is properly addressed and resolved through
dialogue in a mutually acceptable way for the parties concerned.
Evading the issue of Tibet during the EU-China Summit will only
increase the suspicion and distrust in the minds of the Chinese
counterpart in the light of the wide-spread sympathy and support for
the cause of Tibet and for His Holiness the Dalai Lama by the people
and the public across Europe.Above all, such a consideration of
the political sensitivity of the issue of Tibet for the Chinese
government would only encourage and strengthen the hardliners within
the Chinese leadership. Consequently, it is the Tibetan position and
appeal that the issue of Tibet be judged by the universally recognized
principles and norms and dealt with accordingly. It is unacceptable and
can only undermine the international system based on agreed upon
principles and international legal covenants, when the political
sensitivity of the Chinese government is made the primary criteria in
dealing with the cause of the Tibetan people instead of judging it in
terms of the gravity of the violations of human rights, injustice and
oppression taken place in Tibet. It is a fact that Tibet today belongs
to the most restricted and least free places and the Tibetans to the
most repressed and threatened peoples in the world.Ultimately,
we Tibetans need on the other side of the negotiating table a sincere
partner for an honest dialogue. Last year after the wide-spread
demonstrations throughout the Tibetan plateau, the EU Foreign Ministers
called on March 29, 2008 “for substantive and constructive dialogue
which addresses core issues like preservation of the Tibetan language,
culture, religion and traditions”. The Tibetan side has answered the
call of the EU Foreign Ministers and presented the Memorandum on
Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People. On account of the Chinese
rejection of the Tibetan memorandum, the Sino-Tibetan dialogue process
has now reached an impasse. Consequently, failing to address the issue
of Tibet at the forthcoming EU-China Summit would greatly undermine the
credibility of the EU position on the issue of Tibet in particular and
on human rights in China in general.This is a very critical and
crucial time for the Tibetan people and the issue of Tibet. The
EU-China Summit will be watched closely by millions of Tibetan and
Chinese peoples. The Tibetan people need a message of hope, sympathy
and solidarity – not only not to give in to despair and bitterness but
also to strengthen their faith in the path of non-violence, dialogue
and reconciliation as advocated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.