East Timor (Timor-Leste) Speaks of Positive Development on Tibet while Sweden says situation in Tibet unacceptable
Geneva, 24 March 2003: As the 59th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights completed its first week of the annual six-week session, East Timor’s Senior and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta and Sweden Foreign Minister Ms. Anna Lindh raised the human rights situation in Tibet in their statements.
On 18 March, the Foreign Minister of the UN’s newest member told the
Commission that his country “commend the Chinese authorities for the recent
meeting held in Beijing with senior representatives of His Holiness the
Dalai Lama of Tibet. While we are not aware of any outcome and possible
follow up, the meeting in itself was a very positive development.”
On 20 March, the Swedish Foreign Minister in her statement said: “In China,
we can see some improvements in the legal field, and in the cooperation with
the international community. Still, however, the general situation of human
rights and the situation for the Tibetan people remain unacceptable.”
Rep. Chhime R. Chhoekyapa, Representative of H. H. the Dalai Lama for UN
Affairs, at the Tibet Bureau in Geneva was able to personally thank both the
Foreign Ministers for their remarks on the human rights situation in Tibet.
Much of the Commission’s first week session was devoted to what is termed as
a “high level segment” wherein dignitaries from around the world came to
address the forum about their respective human rights policies or the
situation in their countries. Ambassador Jeane J Kirkpatrick, the Head of
the U. S. Delegation, speaking to the Commission on 18 March said: “Some
criticisms aimed at the Commission overlooks positive steps taken in recent
sessions, but the widespread overall impression is that too many serious and
systematic abuses of human rights go unchallenged or even covered-up in this
body. The practice of electing the Commission members from some of the world
‘s worst human rights offenders is especially serious. The cynical resort to
procedural tactics to avoid taking a position on human rights abuses has not
gone unnoticed and is rightly criticized.”
On 20 March, when the U. S. Delegation gave its first briefing to NGOs, it
was clear from answers by the delegation that Washington is yet to make a
firm decision on the submission of a resolution against China. The
delegation said that the decision on China would be made at the
highest-level of their administration, including by President Bush himself.
The first week session of the Commission also witnessed a few large vigils
organised by the followers of Falun Gong to highlight the situation of their
practitioners in China.
Tibet Bureau, Geneva
