Durban Review Conference on Racism Highlights Tibet IssueFriday, 25 April 2009, 12:06 p.m.

Tenzin Samphel Kayta (1st R), representing Society for Threatened Peoples, presents Tibet’s case at the UN Durban Review Conference on Racism in Geneva

Geneva: The
UN Durban Review Conference was held from 20 – 24 April in Geneva to
review progress and assess implementation of the Durban Declaration and
Programme of Actions (DDPA).In 2001, Tibetan Centre for Human
Rights and Democracy and International Campaign for Tibet had attended
the third world conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination,
Xenophobia and Related Intolerance held in Durban, South Africa.
However, due to procedural manoeuvred played by China particularly on
TCHRD’s accreditation,  the third Prepcom decided not to take action on
applications of certain NGOS. This decision automatically results
expulsion of TCHRD as EU stated that it was a “de facto expulsion” from
the conference.Despite the absence of the leading Tibetan
independent human rights watchdog in exile, issues of racism and
discrimination that Tibetans have been confronting under China’s
occupation of Tibet since 1959 were raised by several ECOSOC status
NGOs in the final day of the conference.Tenzin Samphel KAYTA on
behalf of Society for Threatened Peoples said “since the third Durban
World Conference Against Racism held in Durban, South Africa in 2001,
one encouraging development is that a growing number of Chinese and
Tibetans are reaching out to each other, including by establishing
associations. An increasing number of Chinese nationals are showing
deep interest into Tibetan Buddhism and appreciate the cultural
heritage of the Tibetan people.He said “as we all know
incitement is one of the greatest sources of racism and racial
discrimination, especially when the State involved. In March 2008 when
massive protests erupted on the Tibetan Plateau, the Chinese Government
quickly in a very derogatory manner defamed that the Dalai Lama “is a
wolf in monk’s robes, a devil with a human face but the heart of a
beast.”

Members of the Tibetan Gu-Chu-Sum Association of ex-political prisoners at the “Geneva Book Fair”

Kayta
called on the UN Human Rights Council to analyse on how it can promote
intercultural and interreligious dialogues when the Tibetan people are
forced to denounce their spiritual leaders through campaigns like the
“patriotic re-education” and the “Anti-Dalai Lama” launched by the
Chinese authorities.Ngawang C. Drakmargyapon representing the
Asian Indigenous & Tribal Peoples Network and Movement Contre le
Racisme et Pour l’amitié entre les Peuples said “The decision
pertaining to the TCHRD has no legal or moral basis.” Among other
issues he said “it must be recorded that a procedural tool was used to
deny participation of an NGO which denotes the name of a community
“Tibetan”. He asked “Is it not identification and discrimination based
on “ethnic origin?”. He further warned that “international community
must not allow repeat such action in future which cannot legally and
morally be justified.”Dekyi Dolkar on behalf of International
Campaign for Tibet said “for Tibetans in present-day China, the
intensification of repression from the State in response to widespread
popular protests since march 2008 has led some Tibetans to liken this
period to the excesses of the Cultural Revolution. They are witnessing
a deliberate and concerted effort of incitement by the Chinese
authorities to portray Tibetans as suspicious, ungrateful, violent and
anti-Chinese or even “terrorist”, a situation which they argue
entrenches mutual distrusts, drives the two communities further apart
and of course, makes a sustainable solution to the Sino-Tibetan problem
all the more elusive. She calls oninternational community not to
forget tragedy of millions of Tibetans suffered and continue to suffer
under oppressive occupation and hard-line policies of the Chinese
government.The Chinese delegates interrupted several times when the above three speakers read their statement.On
the last day of the conference, a group of 15 members from Gu-Chu-Sum
Association currently touring Switzerland performed a 20 minutes play
at the “Geneva Book Fair”. The fair attracts almost 125’000 visitors.
The political play highlights the torture suffered by Tibetan prisoner
while in Chinese prisons in Tibet. And the discrimination ex-political
prisoners faced after their release from prison.Gu-Chu-Sum
Association made up of former political prisoner were invited to
Switzerland by Tibetan Community in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.–Report filed by Tenzin Samphel Kayta