Press Release: Dated: 17th June, 2003
Tibetan Youth Congress, welcome the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to China. We sincerely wish the Prime Minister a good luck and pray for successful endeavour to accomplish a significant bilateral understanding between India and China.
In retrospection, the visit at the President, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister level between India and China has always witnessed Beijing’s successful ploy to make New Delhi accept China’s sovereignty over Tibet.
Notwithstanding lingering disputes between India and China, there is obvious need for each nation to have complete understanding on a range of issues to ensure lasting bilateral understandings. For example, India’s position on Tibet must be clear. Tibet today is a territory under occupation and 1.2 million Tibetans died in the course to liberate Tibet from China since 1950.
The first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru has in his address to Lok Sabha in 1950, said “ It is not right for any country to talk about its sovereignty or suzerainty over an area outside its own immediate range… it should ultimately be the wishes of the people of Tibet that should prevail and not any legal or constitutional arguments”.
World is aware of India’s consistent adherence to the principle of justice, humanity and freedom. Forty four years back, on 8th May, 1959 in Lok Sabha, as a Member of Parliament and the Leader of Bharatiya Janta Party Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee have commented that India made a mistake in 1950 when she accepted the sovereignty of China on Tibet. In relation to India-China friendship, he said; “ We want friendship even today, but we should not build the palace of this friendship on the dead body of Tibet’s Independence. We can’t close our eyes on injustice. It has been the traditional of India, and in this tradition the Prime Minister has conducted the foreign policy of this country that wherever there is injustice, murder of humanity, tyranny, we raise our voice in protest, we speak the language of truth and we fearlessly protect the rights of those who are trampled upon… the Prime Minister may act with restrain, nevertheless if the problem of Tibet is not solved with it, we will have to recognise that it is necessary to bring a little firmness, a little activity into this policy ”.
Time has come to recognise the mistake, retrace the mistake and correct the mistake. Time has come to make statements and restatements of simple truth. Time has come to make it clear to Beijing that the Last voice in regard to Tibet should be the voice of the people of Tibet and of nobody else and that Tibet is not the same as China.
Tibetan Youth Congress is the largest and most active Tibetan organisation with more than 30,000 active members having 77 regionals all over the world. Unwavering commitment to struggle for independence of Tibet and Independent Tibet is the ultimate goal of this organisation.
On this occasion, while we endorse India’s consistent adherence to the principle of humanity, Justice and freedom. We earnestly appeal to the Prime Minister not to endorse China’s efforts under the guise of war against terrorism to contain and suppress non-violent struggle for freedom and self-determination in Tibet by fellow Tibetans. Do not endorse Beijing’s sovereignty over Tibet. Do not endorse militarization of Tibet. Do not endorse Beijing’s policy to restrict the freedom of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetan refugees living in India.
We are happy and optimistic about the outcome of the Prime Minister’s visit to China. We are also happy that Mr. Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whom we regard as Champion of peace, justice and truth, has understanding of unimaginable changes taken place since India gained her independence. Totalitarian regimes, dictators and expansionists are being demolished and many smaller nations are regaining their lost independence. So many changes have taken place and we believe that the voice of the Tibetans will eventually force China to change.
We believe that the Prime Minister’s exemplary courage; honesty and commitment will help the struggling Tibetans to Liberate Tibet from demonic China.
FREE TIBET IS FREE INDIA
Kalsang Phuntsok Godrukpa (Mr.)
President
Tibetan Youth Congress
(CENTREX)
