By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, May 21: The Human Rights Committee in the German Bundestag (federal parliament) on Wednesday issued a declaration sharply criticizing China for its policies in Tibet. The declaration passed with votes from the governing CDU/CSU and SPD parties, along with opposition FDP and Alliance 90/The Greens, to commemorate the signing of the disputed 17-point agreement between China and Tibet on May 23, 1951.
The US-based International Campaign for Tibet issued the translation of the declaration and called upon China to respect human right of Tibetans, “The Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid of the German Bundestag supports the non-violent path of the Tibetan people to express their will for self-determination in this way and calls on the Chinese government again to respect the human rights of the Tibetans as well as their culture and religion and finally to guarantee this, as provided for in the 17-Point Agreement and as it is guaranteed in the constitution of the People’s Republic of China.”
The statement recalled the controversial signing of the 17-point agreement and acknowledged that the signing of the agreement was “forced upon under pressure from the Chinese military that had occupied Tibet in previous years,” further adding that Tibetans have continued to face discrimination, and strategies of assimilation and sinicization implemented by the Chinese government.
It also noted the reluctance from the Chinese side to adhere to the agreement proposed by the CCP, “Contrary to the treaty, the Tibetan political system has been completely abolished. The 17-Point Agreement only served to expand the power of the Chinese Communist Party, not for peaceful and equal coexistence. The peaceful resistance of the Tibetan people against the deliberate deprivation of rights urgently needs more attention and support worldwide.” The parliamentarians also lauded the Dalai Lama’s ‘Middle Way Approach’, which is also the official stance of the Dharamshala-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), as an “opportunity to avoid possible future conflicts.”
The German lawmakers also called upon the Chinese government to immediately end the repressive policies against Tibetans and “resume dialogue with the legitimate representatives of the Tibetans.” It announced its continued commitment to “vehemently demand an improvement in the human rights situation in China.” The statement also called for an immediate end to human rights violations against all religious and ethnic minorities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
2 Responses
Bravo! to the German Parliament. And, will Merkel’s government follow suit or continue to maintain the Beijing-friendly stance?
The free world media and the governments appear to have concluded as if all’s well in Tibet. The fear is that the Middle Way policy may be attributed to the deafening silence from the international community these days. The exile government in Dharamsala must refocus their priority in firing up the peaceful fight against continued illegal occupation of Tibet.
I believe that the Tibet movement is intensifying. Only after the Corona virus, the world has realised the plight of Tibetans in and out of Tibet.