By Tenzin Dickyi
New Delhi

Tibet Support groups from across the countries are showing their disagreement and disappointment over the deportation threat declared by the Indian government for the young 31 year old Tibetan activist/writer Tenzin Tsundue if he leaves the territorial jurisdiction of Dharamsala town from November 12 to 25 because of the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to India.

Many dignataries and organizations are putting forward their urge to the Indian government to withdraw the inhumane order considering the fact that such threatening deportation are not worthy of the democratic country like India.

Sent by alternative-tibetaine.org

France The French TSGs and the Tibetan Community in France addressed today a letter of indignation to the Indian Embassador in Paris.

In a common letter, they express their deep concerns about the current order of restriction served to the Tibetan writer Tenzin Tsundue who was also threatened with ‘deportation to Tibet’. So they denounce an obvious attack to the freedom of expression and a practice of threatening wich are not worthy of a democratic country.

They ask to the Indian government through its Embassy in France:
-to withdraw the order forbidding Tenzin Tsundue to leave the territorial juridiction of Dharamshala.
-to turn dowm any ambiguities on the nature of a possible sanction and to stop such police practices of threatening.
-to not pronounce should the occasion arise any unwarranted and disproportionate sanction, as it was suggested through police threat.

In the same time, they express their deep thanks to India for its support to the Tibetan community since their exile in 1959, as long as India will remain a democracy keeping its glorious mission without any compromising with the Chinese dictatorial power.

As the Chinese president Hu Jintao will visit India soon, they invite the Indian government to think about the interest for India to get as northern neighbourg a pacifist Tibet rather than an expansionist China.

French TSGs and Tibetan Community in France expressed their stand clearly with all the respect owed to an Embassy representative and a friendly nation. For that, they adressed together a common letter and each organisation had sent one more copy.


Signer organisations : Alternative tibetaine (Marseille), la Communaute tibetaine en France (Paris), Tibet Destination Rangzen (Marseille), Etudiants pour un Tibet Libre (Paris), Drome Ardeche - Tibet (Valence), Rhone-Tibet (Lyon), CSPT-Bretagne (Plouisy), Tibet Liberte Solidarite (Arles), Briancon05-urgence.Tibet (Briancon), Lions des Neiges Mont-Blanc (Les Houches), Lions des Neiges (Lyon), Nos amis de l’Himalaya (Bordeaux), France-Tibet (Paris), Autodetermination Tibet (Ariege), Objectif-Tibet (Sciez-Evian), Association Paloise pour l’Art et la Culture Tibétains (Pau), Axion Tibet (Drome), Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain (Paris), Auvergne-Mainpat-Tibet (Clermont-Ferrand), Espoir pour le Tibet (Vannes)

New Delhi: Dr. N.K.Trikha National Convener for Core Group for Tibetan Cause wrote that he is shocked to see the order of Superintendent Police of Kangra asking Mr. Tenzin Tsundue, Tibetan refugee activist of the Friends of Tibet, not to leave the territorial jurisdiction of Dharamsala town from November 12 to 25 because of the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to India.

This amounts to gagging free speech in a country that is wedded to freedom of expression and the right to protest by every one. The order specifically mentions "the agitational activities indulged in” by Mr.Tenzin Tsundue during the previous visits of the Chinese premiers Zhu Rongji and Wen Jiabao in 2002 and 2005 respectively, and claims to have credible information that he would do the same during Hu's visit from November 20 to 23, 2006.

The Core Group considers this gag order on someone who may want to give vent to his genuine grievances in a peaceful agitational manner as against the democratic grain of India. Apart from being unjust and undemocratic, this order, which has been obviously issued at the instance of the Union Government and seems to be a result of an undue pressure being exerted by the Chinese authorities, will lower India's profile in the eyes of the world as a liberal democracy that respects human rights of all and allows all genuine voices of dissent being aired.

The Core Group urges upon the Government of India and the state Government of Himachal Pradesh to immediately lift the ban on movements of Mr. Tenzin Tsundue and any other Tibetans out of Dharamsala or other places of their residence.