For Immediate Release
7 September 2008
Tibetan Youth Congress strongly condemns the visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister Mr. Yang Jiechi to India to improve trade relations between the two countries, to discuss on the border and other bilateral issues. The experience of the several decades of India’s sincere effort of reconciliation despite the historic betrayal by China and China’s iniquitous diplomacy record reveals a grim reality for any amicable outcome.
The visiting delegate, Foreign Minister Mr. Yang Jiechi is a leader of the Chinese Communist Regime that lacks the legitimacy, mandate and support of the Chinese population and is responsible for the death of over 70 million Chinese including 1.2 million Tibetans in Tibet. The most unprecedented evidence of the Chinese government’s lack of legitimacy in Tibet was displayed by the series of courageous peaceful Tibetan protests in all the traditional three provinces of Tibet who were expressing their grievances and resentment against the Chinese regime. The series of peaceful protests since March 2008 were mostly led and participated by Monastic Communities which clearly indicates the lack of Religious Freedom inside Tibet. Even during the selected media visit after the protests, some monks came out openly on camera risking their life to speak up the truth and stated that they do not have religious freedom.
The protests were quelled by the use of brute force, heightened repression and the re-intensification of the “Patriotict Re-education campaigns” in all the monasteries and areas where there were protests. As international pressure mounted over China’s brutal crackdown inside Tibet, the Chinese government rather than positively responding to the mounting international pressure and being apologetic about their brute use of force against the innocent peaceful Tibetans, the CCP shamelessly blamed His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama for inciting protest inside Tibet. The Premier of China Mr. Wen Jaibao blatantly called our leader a “Lair” during the press conference. Some Chinese Officials even lost their little moral sense by calling our leader “a wolf in monk’s robe”. Such baseless and inflammatory accusations from China will only serve in provoking further public anger and generate more resentment. The Chinese Public Security Bureau made false and baseless allegations stating that Tibetans will carry out suicide bombs inside China to sabotage 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has openly challenged these baseless allegations by appealing them to prove their accusations and also demanded to appoint an independent inquiry committee to assess the whole situations inside Tibet and what are the causes of recent peaceful protest in Tibet.
The Special Envoy’s latest visit to China this July 2008 further proved that China’s intentions on the dialogue were not sincere and serious as the Envoy’s have conveyed to their counterparts that in the absence of serious and sincere commitment on their part the continuation of the present dialogue process would serve no purpose and His holiness the Dalai Lama also expressed his disappointment on outcome of the 7th round of talk.
For the last five decades, China has consistently pursued policies to strategically destabilize India and prevent India’s rise as a global power by creating conditions to deteriorate the natural balance of power in the Indian Subcontinent. China’s consistent assistance to Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles programs to counterbalance India’s development and keep India preoccupied with Pakistan reduces India’s strategic strength in the Asian Security Context. China’s use of India’s neighbors to curtail Indian influence has not been restricted to Pakistan. Its contribution to India’s souring relationship with almost all its neighbors at its periphery, including Nepal, Bangladesh or Burma are a part of China’s devious policy of containment.
China’s reservation against India’s emergence as a global power was clear at the NSG meeting over this week where it put up a strong resistance despite their promises to support India’s entry into the Global Nuclear club. To which the Indian National Security Advisor Mr. N K Narayanan expressed India’s disappointment with China’s behavior during the meeting at Vienna.
China’s plan to divert the Brahmaputra and other southward flowing river waters from the Tibetan plateau will dry up the low-lying Indian farmlands and severely affect the lives of several hundred millions of Indians. It raises concerns of dispute over inter-state river-water resources as Tibet’s rivers are a lifeline not only to China and India, but also to Bangladesh, Burma, Bhutan, Nepal, Cambodia, Pakistan, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. China’s growing appetite for energy and natural resources have led to China exploring large hydro-projects and reckless exploitation of Tibet’s mineral resources causing destruction of Tibet’s fragile ecosystem and contamination of water sources from ore falling from mining operations.
As the second largest trading partner of India, trade with China exceeded over $25 billion last year but the need to progress economic trade ties with China should not be allowed to override or overwhelm the national interest and security and most importantly the supreme human values of truth, justice, love and freedom, that India is reputed for espousing.
Tibetan Youth Congress, strongly condemns the latest move by the Aluminum Corporation of China’s (Chinalco) to conduct mineral exploration, mining and smelting in Tibet, whose smelting plant in the Amdo region of eastern Tibet has already harmed the local livestock herds and water supplies. Chinalco’s has already violated its pledge to pursue cooperative and socially responsible development in the region and the pledge cannot be upheld as the Chinese Government continues to suppress the Tibetans.
Tibetan Youth Congress, while strongly condemning the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to India, firmly believes that the Government of India, while dealing with the Chinese delegates, will not take any measure that may go against the historical truth and the aspirations of the six million Tibetans living in and out of Tibet. For a lasting solution of the disputes and to ensure lasting peace and development in Asia, restoration of a Free Tibet as a historical buffer state is, but inevitable and imminent.
The Indian government must pressure the visiting delegates to improve the human rights situation inside Tibet; to stop using force against the peaceful Tibetan demonstrators and release all the arrested Tibetans without any condition; to allow independent fact finding delegations inside Tibet; to stop cultural genocide and demographic transformations inside Tibet; to allow Tibetan people to exercise Freedom of expression, Freedom of movement and Freedom of assembly; to lift the ban on international media and allow free movement of Press in Tibet without further delay.
Tibetan Youth Congress reiterates its stand for a complete Independence of Tibet and urge the Indian Government and the people for its much prized and impending political support in the realization of the sacred objective of the Tibetan people all over the world.
Issued by: The Office of Central Executive Committee, Tibetan Youth Congress
—
Dhondup Dorjee Shokda
Vice President,
Tibetan Youth Congress,
Office of the Central Executive Committee
Dharamshala Number: 9418795547
New Delhi Number : 9899769790
www.tibetanyouthcongress.org
