30 April 1999
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The 55TH UN Human Rights Commission and Tibet
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Ngawang Woeser adopted as PEN honorary member
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15-year-old boy detained two months on suspicion
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An appeal letter from Tibet
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Patriotic re-education campaign continues
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Profile:
Distribution of long life prayer leads to monk's arrest
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STOP PRESS!
President Nelson Mandela to visit China
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The United Nations Human Rights Commission did not
consider a draft resolution proposed by the United States,
(co-sponsored by Poland), on human rights in China,
following a no-action motion tabled by the People's
Republic of China (PRC). The vote on the no-action motion
was 22 votes in favour to 17 against and 14 abstentions. A
no-action motion is a procedural manoeuvre, which enables
the PRC to block the resolution at the initial stage so
that no further discussion is forthcoming. The United
States proposed the resolution because of its concern
over the deteriorating human rights situation in the PRC
since 1998, and in particular the situation in Tibet. It
specifically raised the issues of the 11th Panchen Lama
and the PRC's refusal to hold dialogue with His Holiness
the Dalai Lama.
Had the resolution been accepted, the Commission would
have expressed concern at the continuing reports of human
rights violations, severe restrictions on the rights of
citizens to freedom of non-violent assembly, association,
expression and religion as well as the absence of due
legal process and the right to a fair trial in China.
The Commission would have expressed concern at increased
restrictions on the exercise of cultural, religious and
other freedoms of Tibetans. It would have called on the
government of the PRC to release all political prisoners,
and preserve and protect the distinct cultural, ethnic,
linguistic and religious identity of Tibetans and other
ethnic groups. Also, it would have called on the PRC to
strengthen its bilateral dialogues and its co-operation
with the Human Rights Commission and to co-operate fully
with all thematic Special Rapporteurs and working groups
of the Commission.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy would
like to express its deep regret, disappointment and
frustration that the PRC has again been able to avoid
being made to account for its continuing disregard for
human rights. Unless there is a way to offset the no-action
motion, the PRC will continue to circumvent formal scrutiny
over its deteriorating human rights situation. This will
have grave repercussions for the Tibetan people. The UN
Human Rights Commission must address this issue in the
interest of upholding the doctrine of universal human
rights. On a positive note, the PRC failed to secure seven
votes from African countries. The African members of the
UN body have traditionally voted in favour of the PRC.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy applauds
the stance taken by the African nations, who either voted
against the motion or abstained. The Centre hopes that
their support will continue. From April 5, 1999 three
Tibetans commenced a hunger strike in front of the UN
building in Geneva to draw attention to Tibet's current
human rights situation. Their health has reportedly
deteriorated drastically, as they approach their 30th day.
The issue of violation of human rights by the PRC was last
tabled in 1997 sponsored by the Danish government. The
draft resolution failed to obtain the simple majority
within the Commission, and was not passed.
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The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy is
pleased to announce the adoption of Ngawang Woeser as an
Honorary Member of the Scottish Centre of International
PEN.
A worldwide association of writers, PEN is an independent,
non-government organisation, free from political
affiliations. Its membership is drawn worldwide and it
is non-western dominated. PEN's mandate is to promote
literature throughout the world and to champion the freedom
of the written word.
Ngawang Woeser was profiled in our October 31, 1997
Human Rights Update (Volume II Number 20). He was one
of the 21 Drepung monks who initiated the famous Lhasa
demonstration on September 27, 1987. He was also a founder
of the Drepung printing group, which published a number of
important documents including a Tibetan translation of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Originally from the
Lhoka Region, Ngawang joined Drepung Monastery when he was
23 years old. Ngawang was first arrested on September 27,
1987 but was released less than six months later. His early
release from prison on January 21, 1988, was the result of
repeated appeals by the 10th Panchen Lama to the Chinese
government. He was later re-arrested when the continuing
activities of the "Organisation of Ten" were discovered.
Ngawang is currently incarcerated in Drapchi Prison where
he is serving a term 17 years imprisonment. At the end of
his prison term he will be deprived of his political rights
for a further five years. Ngawang was imprisoned for his
involvement in various Tibetan freedom activities. These
included the formation of a secret organisation, called
the "Organisation of Ten", distribution of speeches given
by the Dalai Lama, and the translation of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and a document produced
by the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, "Future Democratic
Constitution of Tibet".
Ngawang will complete his sentence in the year 2006, if
it is not increased while he is in detention. PEN would
like Ngawang's family to know that he is in its members"
thoughts and that they are working hard for his release.
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15-year-old
Yeshi Yarphel
was detained in late February 1999,
accused of being a spy for the Tibetan Government-in-Exile.
In 1991,Yeshi's parents sent him to Dharamsala
to receive a proper Tibetan education in India. After
studying in India for eight years, Yeshi left school in
late February 1999 because of family problems.
Yeshi's father is a former political prisoner who served 18
years imprisonment in a Chinese prison. While in prison,
Yeshi's father suffered severe torture. As Yeshi is
the only son, when his father turned 60 years old there
was no one to look after his aged parents. Consequently,
Yeshi was called back from school in India.
Yeshi was arrested by the People's Armed Police in late
February 1999 who suspecting him of being spy. He was taken
to Nyari detention centre in Shigatse. PRC officials later
alleged that Yeshi was carrying out espionage activities
for the Tibetan Government in-Exile. He was released in
late April 1999 after being detained for a total of two
months in Nyari Detention Centre, merely on the basis of
suspicion. During his detention, Yeshi's parents were not
allowed to visit him. Despite his youth, the authorities
treated him in the same manner in which they treated
adult prisoners.
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The following letter was handed to an Australian traveller
in Tibet on the eve of the 50th Anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), December
9, 1998. It is written by the
"Cholsum Tibetan's Youth Organisation"
in Tibet:
Honourable Excellency UN Secretary General, High
Commissioner United Nations, High Commissioner for
Refugees, Heads of the States of all the countries,
President of Amnesty International, government and non
governmental organisations, learned dissidents and leaders
of the Chinese democratic movement.
We the Tibetan people, would like to strongly appeal to you
all, from the core of our hearts, that from September 27,
1987 to December 1, 1998 monks, nuns and common Tibetan
people initiated non-violent processions and demonstrations
based on reason and truth on numerous occasions to free
Tibet from Chinese occupation.
Imprisoned political prisoners under Chinese rule are
severely tortured and their blood is extracted. Some are
secretly killed and forced to perform continuous hard work
with chained feet. Sick prisoners are left to die as they
are provided with either no medical treatment or treatment
that is too late. Even those prisoners who are released,
after serving their sentences face immense hardship. Monks
and nuns are expelled from their monasteries and nunneries
and those from offices and co-operatives are dismissed as
their names are struck off the work register. Chinese
officials closely watch those who are independent
technicians and businessmen, making their lives miserable
and impossible. It is sheer shamelessness on the part of
Chinese government, and still it continues. Above all,
Tibet's 11th Panchen Lama, ten year-old Gedhun Choekyi
Nyima, is being detained and the whereabouts of this child
and his health condition are still not known. Since 1993,
under the instruction of the Chinese government, notices
were served to discontinue all teaching of Tibetan culture
and to halt teaching in the Tibetan language in Tibet
University. Elementary Tibetan lessons in primary school
are taught by Chinese methods. According to the notice,
classes conducted using Tibetan Buddhist methods could
expose teachers as counter-revolutionaries. In November
1998, at the Lhasa Elementary School one question for the
"No. 1 Examination", Lhasa Educational Board exam was,
"Who is the head of the splittist movement?"
When the students avoided answering the question, the
helpless teacher told them that there is no alternative
but to answer that the "head of the splittists" is the
Dalai Lama.
The Chinese population is increasing each passing day and,
at the same time, Tibetan women are restricted to having
only one or two children. After the birth of their first
child, women must wait for another three years before they
may have a second. If a child is born before the expiry of
three-year gap period, a penalty of 500 yuan is levied on
the child. We hereby appeal to everyone concerned to deal
with the deteriorating situation of Tibetans, free Tibet
from Chinese occupation and support the just struggle.
International bodies need to intensify their existing
support and to tranform actions into tangible result for
the Tibetan people. They need to emphasise the need to
exert more pressure on the Chinese regime through the
United Nations Human Rights Commission, exposing China's
shameless and ruthless behaviour in Tibet.
From the World Peace loving, Cholsum Tibetans and Tibetan
Youth Organisation involved in the Independence movement
in occupied Tibet, on December 7, 1998.
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The patriotic re-education campaign is still in force in
monasteries in Tibet. On December 3, 1998 a Chinese work-
team issued an order to the monasteries in Ngaba County
to gather at the township the following day, according to
local monk who wishes to remain anonymous. Prior to the
announcement, the authorities distributed re-education
booklets in the monasteries, including the local Drongu
Monastery.
On the evening of the order, the informant monk worked from
8 pm, until 12 midnight to sketch the Tibetan national
flag and write out 30 pages of political slogans. The
slogans included pleas such as
"Long Live H.H the Dalai Lama",
"Tibet is independent" and
"Denounce the Panchen Lama selected by Chinese authorities".
The monk hoisted
the national flag and pasted the slogans as wall posters,
in the town. The following day, seven County work-team
officials arrived at the town at 9 am. They were enraged
to see the flag and posters. They immediately ordered
the monks to pull down the Tibetan flag and remove all of
the posters. The officials later threatened the monks for
almost three hours, explaining the serious consequences
that the culprit or culprits would face if caught.
The following day, on December 4, 1998, at 12 noon the
work-team commenced the patriotic re-education campaign at
Drongu Monastery. Every monk between the ages of 18 and 50
years was required to obtain an identity card. All others
monks were to be expelled from the monastery.
Implementation of the orders would mean that only 30 of 170
monks would be entitled to remain in the monastery. Many
senior monks are concerned about the effect of the order
on religious education.
Seven members of the work-team
returned to Dongru Monastery on the evening of December 16,
1998. They pretended to know who had carried the protest
activities and interrogated several monks for the following
three days. The work-team members were unable to uncover
any information. The patriotic re-education campaign is
clearly continuing in Dongru and all other monasteries
in Ngaba County. Due to the religious repression in his
monastery, the informant monk left Tibet on March 17,
1999 and arrived in Dharamsala on April 25, 1999. He was
imprisoned by the Chinese border police in Nyelam and Dram
for a total of eight days before he was able to make it
to India.
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Kalsang, also known as Jamyang Gyatso, is a 29 year-old
monk from Gyalste Palchoe Monastery in the Tibet Autonomous
Region (TAR). In November 1996, Kalsang visited Drepung
Monastery in Lhasa to seek blessings from the revered
Lamring Rinpoche. While he was in Lhasa, Kalsang obtained
a copy of the long-life prayer composed by His Holiness
the Dalai Lama for the reincarnate Panchen Rinpoche,
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. He took the prayer back to his
monastery where he distributed it to his fellow monks
and other people in his locality. At the same time,
he informed local people about the plight of the 11th
Panchen Lama. The 11th Panchen Lama is revered as the
second highest religious leader of Tibet, and has been
missing since 1995. His Holiness the Dalai Lama recognised
the reincarnate 11th Panchen Lama in May 1995, when the
boy was six years old. To date the Chinese authorities
have not permitted any independent human rights monitor
or UN official to visit the child or his parents, despite
repeated requests. The Chinese justify holding the child
in custody on the basis that his parents allegedly sought
"security for the child from external danger".
In the meantime, the PRC has appointed its own Panchen Lama
and pressures Tibetans in Tibet to recognise him as the
true reincarnation. Many Tibetans have been arrested for
acts as simple as printing and distributing the long-life
prayer, composed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the
true reincarnate lama. Pictures of the Chinese appointed
Panchen Lama are installed in monasteries and nunneries
all over Tibet, including the Potala Palace.
The Gyaltse Public Security Bureau (PSB) became aware of
Kalsang's activities and, on November 20, 1996, he was
arrested. He was immediately taken to Gyaltse Detention
Centre where he was interrogated. He faced brutal beatings
during the interrogation and was detained for a period of
one month. After one month, he was transferred to Nyari
Detention Centre in Shigatse. In Nyari, he continued
to suffer severe beatings at the hands of the prison
authorities. In March 1997, he was tried on a charge of
distributing "counter-revolutionary propaganda". He was
sentenced to four years and six months in prison. He was
also deprived of all political rights for a further year.
After four months of incarceration in Nyari Detention
Centre, Kalsang was transferred to Drapchi Prison,
the TAR ìNo. 1î prison, where he continues to serve his
prison term.
Kalsang is the youngest of four children. He comes from a
reasonably well-to-do family. Prior to his retirement, his
father was the mayor of his town and one of his brothers
trained to be a doctor. Kalsang attended school for seven
years and completed his primary school in Zhuntsug schools,
which were established by the PRC government. He joined
Gyaltse Palchoe Monastery when he was 16 years old as a
novice monk and was ordained in 1987.
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On May 5-7, 1999 President Nelson Mandela will visit the PRC.
The visit will be one of his last official foreign
visits as the President of South Africa. As an
international advocate for peace and an active supporter
of the Tibetan community, TCHRD is hopeful that President
Mandela will voice his concern for the PRC's human rights
abuses in China and Tibet.
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