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Home , Free Tibet, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima

jd STUDENTS FOR A FREE Tlfiff 545 EIGHTH AVENUE, 23RD FLOOR HK-9J989 NEW YORK, NY 10018 USA TEL (212) 594-5898 FAX (212) 594-6536 http://www.tibet.org/sft. [email protected]

December 9, 1999

H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan The Secretary General of the , The Office of the Secretary General The United Nations New York

Dear Secretary General,

On behalf of Students for a Free , a network of nearly 500 student chapters in over thirty countries dedicated to supporting the Tibetan people in their nonviolent struggle for human rights in freedom, I would like to present you with this appeal. More than 200 organizations from thirty-four countries have signed the appeal, asking you to use your leadership to assist the people •of Tibet. .

I will be happy to provide you with any additional information you may need to move forward, either about Tibet or the signatory organizations. I thank you for your careful consideration of this appeal, and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

John Hocevar Executive Director THE OFFICE OF TIBET 241 EAST 32ND STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10016

iol4JJJ.l; 11 -"**~-tv • i December 9,1999

His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan Secretary-General The United Nations New York, NY 10017

Your Excellency,

I have the pleasure and honor of forwarding here the appeal letter addressed to Your Excellency from over 200 Tibet Support Groups in 34 countries in the world.

As Your Excellency will be aware, the current situation in Tibet continues to remain grim and critical. Various international reports indicate a continuing suppression and repression of religious, political and social rights of the Tibetan people. His Holiness the Dalai has always sought to resolve the problem in Tibet through peaceful dialogue with the Government of without any precondition.

We, therefore, urge Your Excellency to encourage the Chinese government to engage in dialogue with His Holiness the without any precondition.

With the expression of my deepest appreciation and highest esteem,

Yours Sincerely

Nawang Rabgyal Representative of H.H. the Dalai Lama

Tel: (212) 213-5010 Fax:(212)779-9245 WORLD TIBET APPEAL TO THE UNITED NATIONS

December 9, 1999 I » H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan DEC - 9 The Secretary General of the United Nations, II The Office of the Secretary General i EXEC(JT(VE The United Nations • .Of THE New York

Dear Secretary General,

In the light of your recent visit to China, and with regard to the USA-China preliminary agreement on entry to the World Trade Organization, China's record on human rights remains a major issue. In view of your own affirmation of the universality of Human Rights, (Annual Report to the UN General Assembly on the 20th. September 1999) it is all the more important that China, whose abuse of human rights has been virtually institutionalized under the present regime, be persuaded that it is time to move onwards from the present, deplorable position.

China always claims that human rights, far from being universal, are strictly a matter of "internal affairs," a position we do not accept. Equally unacceptable is President Jiang Zemin's recently re-iterated view that subsistence is the basic human right, and that the others must come later, in contradiction to the UN Convention China has signed. Nor indeed can we accept the Chinese view that human rights are somehow a western concept, not applicable in Asia, or with different standards for different races. As the Tibetan monk pointed out in his account of 33 years in Chinese prisons, "Fire under the Snow," eastern people feel the pain of electric shocks, beatings torture and bullets just the same as everyone else. Doubtless the victims of the recent Falun Gong suppression would feel the same.

It is sad to reflect that as long as the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been in existence, Tibet has suffered under Chinese occupation. The UN Charter declares that the fundamental human right is that of self-determination. In this regard, we recall that only last year several Tibetans in exile in Delhi went on prolonged hunger strike, one even burning himself to death, followed by a second hunger strike at the UN in Geneva this year, in the desperate hope that the UN would do something to help Tibet. In recent years the Tibetans have seen the UN intervene on behalf of Kuwait, Kosovo, and East Timor, but still Tibet is ignored and underrepresented at the UN. We recall that both the PLO and the ANC enjoyed observer status at the UN. Furthermore, the Chinese occupation of Tibet is an "unresolved dispute," and therefore as a party to that dispute China should not be eligible to vote on any S:ecurit$ Council motion concerning Tibet.

The Tibetan hunger strikers, with the support of the International Commission of Jurists, called for:

1. Resumption of the UN debate on Tibet based on the General Assembly Resolutions adopted in 1959, 1961 and 1965, the latter two of which specifically recognized the Tibetan people's right to self-determination.

2. Appointment of a Special Rapporteur to investigate the human rights situation in Tibet.

3. Appointment of a Special Envoy to promote a peaceful settlement of the Tibetan question, and a UN plebiscite of Tibetans to decide their future.

We would especially ask that you insist, as a matter of urgency, on personal contact between a UN representative and the young Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the recognized by the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people, who have not been seen since he and his family were kidnapped by the Chinese authorities in May, 1995. Very recent reports have emerged from China , South China Morning Post, 5th. November) which suggest that he may have died in Lanzhou No.l Prison last month, and may already have been cremated. As the Chinese authorities have consistently forbidden access to the young boy and his family, it is a matter of the greatest urgency that you personally establish whether he is indeed alive, and call for his release. He is now aged 10, still officially the world's youngest political prisoner.

We understand the limitations within which your visit to China operated, but we sinceiv'v hope, inasmuch as China is slowly opening to le?r, totalitarian ways of being, that you will use every resource to make some substantial progress on the status of Tibet.

Yours sincerely:

Anthony OBrien, TSG Ireland, International Appeal Co-ordinator

Signatures of participating organisations:

INTERNATIONAL International Network of Engaged Buddhists Society for Threatened Peoples Tibet Online International Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation

AUSTRIA

Austria Family Planning Organisation Austrian Parliamentarians for Tibet Friends of Tibet, Austria Save Tibet, Austria S.O.S. Mitmensch Austria Tibetan Community in Austria Women in Development Europe, Austria

AUSTRALIA

Australia Tibet Council Tibet Independence Movement, Australia

BELGIUM

Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain, Belgium Les Amis du Tibet, Belgium

BELORUSSIA

Zen Center Belorussian Mogilev, Belorussia

BRAZIL

S.O.S.Tibet, Brazil

CAMBODIA

Maryknoll Missionaries

CANADA

Association des Etudiants de Sherbrooke, Canada Buddhist Social Action Network of B.C., Canada Canada Tibet Committee Canada Tibet Committee, Edmonton,Alberta. Canada Tibet Committee, Calgary Chapter Canada Tibet Committee, Victoria Chapter Canadian Labour Congress China Tibet Initiative, Canada Friends of Tibet Newfoundland, Canada Ottawa Friends of Tibet, Canada Students for a Free Tibet, Canada Students for a Free Tibet, Concordia University, Canada Students for a Free Tibet, McGill University, Montreal, Canada Students for a Free Tibet, Montreal, Canada Tibet Committee, Edmonton Alberta, Canada Tibetan Community of Quebec, Canada

DENMARK

Tibet Support Group, Denmark

ESTONIA

Estonian Centre Estonian-Tibetan Cultural Society

FINLAND

Campaign for Tibet, Finland Parliament of Finland Friends of Tibet

FRANCE

Alpes Tibet, Grenoble, France Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain, France f SPT-Midi Pyrenees C:>i', •'••- . ..'• CSPT - Herault ECOTibet, France Association France Tibet Les Verts, ( The Green Party ),France Lions des Neiges,Lyon, France Observatoire des Libertes en Asie Orientale, France Solidarite Tibet, France Solidarite Tibet- Blois, France Tibet59/62, Lille, France

GERMANY Aryatara Institut eV Munchen, Germany Bodaisan Shoboji Zentempel Hakuin Zen Society of Germany Deutsche Buddhist Union, Germany ECOTibet, Germany Engaged Buddhist Network, Germany Friends of Tibet, Germany Gelugpa Berlin, Germany Karma Verein, Germany Herr Thomas Mann, Chairman, European Parliamentary Group for Tibet Rigpa, Germany Tibet Foerderkreis eV, Germany Tibet Forum, Germany Tibet Initiative Deutschland eV, Germany Tibet Initiative Muenster, Germany Tibet Initiative Munchen, Germany Tibet Information Service, Germany Tibetisches Zentrum eV., Germany

GREECE

Friends of Tibet, Greece

INDIA

Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain, Friends of Tibet, India

IRELAND

AFRI, Ireland CONCERN (International Aid ) Ireland Earthwatch, Ireland East Timor Solidarity Campaign, Ireland ECOTibet, Ireland Galway One World Centre, Ireland Des O'Malley, TD, Chairman of Irish Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee founder of Progressive Democrat Party, former Minister of Trade, Industry & Commerce, and Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Ireland Irish Parliamentarians for Tibet Latin American Solidarity Centre, Ireland Michael O'Kennedy, TD,former Foreign Minister, Minister of Finance, and EEC Commissioner, Ireland Noel Davern, TD, Minister of State, former Minister of Education, Ireland Pax Christi, Ireland Ruairi Quinn, TD, Irish Parliamentary Labour Party Leader. Senator David Norris, Irish Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commitee Senator Joe Doyle, former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ireland Senator Brian Mullooly, Chairperson of the Irish Senate Tibet Support Group Ireland

ISRAEL

Israel Friends of the Tibetan People Karma Kagyu, Israel

ITALY

Associazione Ttalia-Tibet C.I. S.L.Italy Friends of Tibet, Florence, Italy Friends of Tibet, Italy

JAPAN

Friends of Tibet, Japan Tibetan Snowlion Friendship Society, Kyoto, Japan KOREA

Stream of Free Tibet, Korea

LITHUANIA

Buda Jr. Lithuania Didelis Pasaulis (Experimental Music Group ) Echidna Aukstyn ( Experimental Music Group ) Ersdirhe Vis. Sat f Experimental Music Group ) lia Recced:;, Lithuania

LUXEMBOURG

Les Amis du Tibet, Luxembourg

MALTA

Friends of Tibet, Malta Tibet Information Service, Malta Tibet Support Group Malta NETHERLANDS

Friends of Tibet, Netherlands Maitreya Institute, Netherlands Namkhai Norbu Group, Netherlands Reflexies Management Training, Netherlands Rigpa, Netherlands Tibet Support Group Netherlands

NEW ZEALAND

Friends of Tibet, New Zealand Jam Tse Dhargey Ling Trust, New Zealand New Zealand Tibet Commitee Parliamentary Lobby Group for Tibet, New Zealand Students for a Free Tibet, Dunedin, New Zealand Students for a Free Tibet, New Zealand Tibetan Community of New Zealand

NORWAY

Ms. Ragnhild Nystad, Vice-President, Sami Parliament, Norway Norwegian Tibet Committee Prof. Ole Henrik Magga, former President, Sami Parliament, Norway Sami Parliamentarians for Tibet, Norway Sami T.S.G., Norway

RUSSIA

Friends of Tibet, Russia Kaliningrad Friends of Tibet Partnership Corporation, Moscow, Russia Russian on the Internet Association

SOUTH AFRICA

Tibet Society of South Africa Tibet Support Group Johannesburg, South Africa

SWEDEN

Social Democratic Youth of Sweden Swedish Parliamentary Group for Tibet Swedish Tibet Committee Swedish Tibet Projects Students for a Free Tibet, Sweden

SWITZERLAND

Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain, Switzerland Friends of Tibet, Switzerland Les Amis du Tibet, Switzerland Swiss Parliamentary Group for Tibet Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association Students for a Free Tibet, Switzerland T;het Bureau Geneva, Switzerland iioet Culture Centre, Switzerland Tibet Democratic, Geneva Switzerland Tibet Women's Organisation, Switzerland T.W.A.S. Switzerland

THAILAND

Dhamma Park Project, Thailand International Network of Engaged Buddhists Maryknoll Missionaries Overseas Mon Young (Burmese) Monks Union

UK

Free Tibet Campaign, UK The Tibet Society of the United Kingdom

UKRAINE

Fric;i:l:-.-rr' .•< Ukraine

USA

Alaska Communication Arts, Fairbanks, USA Alaska Tibet Committee, USA Capital Area Tibetan Association. Washington DC, USA Bay Area Friends of Tibet. USA Boston Tibet Network, USA Buddhist Peace Fellowship, USA Captive Daughters Citizens against Communist Chinese Propaganda, USA Colorado Friends of Tibet, USA Committee of 100 for Tibet Conservancy for and Culture, USA Council for the Interfaith Call for Freedom of Worship in Tibet and Universal Religious Freedom Duckworld Travel, USA Friends of Tibet, Seattle, USA Friends of Tibet, USA International Campaign for Tibet, USA International Media Chair for the Parliament of World Religions International Tibet Independence Movement Khawachen Center, Alaska, USA Kashi Church Foundation, USA Lam Rim Buddhist Centre, Boston, USA Los Angeles Friends of Tibet, USA Loseling Institute, Atlanta, USA Foundation, USA North American Representative to the Tibetan Parliament in Exile Wangchuk Dorjee) Orange County Friends of Tibet, Ca. USA Princeton Area Friends of Tibet, USA River Fund (for AIDS and cancer sufferers) USA San Diego Friends of Tibet, USA Students for a Free Tibet, USA Students for a Free Tibet, Berkeley Ca., USA Students for a Free Tibet, Boulder, Colorado, USA Students for a Free Tibet, Chicago, USA Students for a Free Tibet, Madison, Wisc.,USA Students for a Free Tibet, Malibu, California, USA Students for a Free Tibet, Stanford U. USA Students for a Free Tibet, UCF, Orlando, Florida, USA Students for a Free Tibet, UCLA, USA Students for a Free Tibet, Madison,Wisconsin, USA Tibetan American Foundation, Minnesota, USA Tibetan Alliance of Chicago, USA Tibetan Association of Minnesota, USA Tibet Association of Northern California, USA Tibetan Association of Washington, USA Tibetan Assoc. of Southern California, USA Tibet Committee Fairbanks, Alaska, USA Tibetan Nuns Project, USA Tibet Education Network, Global Source, USA Tibet Environment Watch, USA TffiETWest Michigan, USA Tsepon W.D. Shakabpa Memorial Foundation, USA United States Tibet Committee Utah Friends of Tibet, USA Utah Tibetan Association, USA Vietnamese Canadian Federation Western Colorado Friends of Tibet, USA Wisconsin Tibetan Association, USA World Artists for Tibet World Tibet Day Foundation, USA

VIETNAM

Maryknoll Missionaries

ALPHABETICAL LISTING

' F.R.I., Ireland .. xa Tibet Committee, USA Alpes Tibet, Grenoble, France Association des Etudiants de Sherbrooke, Canada Association France Tibet Associazione Italia-Tibet Australia Tibet Council Austria Family Planning Organisation Austrian Parliamentarians for Tibet Aryatara Institut eV Munchen, Germany Bay Area Friends of Tibet, USA Bodaisan Shoboji Zentempel Hakuin Zen Society of Germany Boston Tibet Network, USA Buda Jr., Lithuania Buddhism from Russia Buddhist Peace Fellowship Buddhist Social Action Network of B.C., Canada Campaign for Tibet, Finland C<; -;.' TIVi fV-y --tee Canada Tibet Committee, Kdmonton,Alberta. C inada Tibet Committee, Calgary Chapter Canada Tibet Committee, Victoria Chapter Canadian Labour Congress Capital Area Tibetan Association. Washington DC, USA Captive Daughters China Tibet Initiative, Canada C.l.S.L. Italy Citizens against Communist Chinese Propaganda, USA Colorado Friends of Tibet, USA Committee of 100 for Tibet Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain, Belgium Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain, France CSPT-Midi Pyrenees, France CSPT- Bretagne, France CSPT-Herault, France Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain, India Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain, Switzerland Concern (International Aid Org. ) Ireland Conservancy for Tibetan Art and Culture, USA Council for the Interfaith Call for Freedom of Worship in Tibet and Universal Religious Freedom Deutsche Buddhist Union, Germany Didelis Pasaulis, Lithuania Dhamma Park Project, Thailand Noel Davern, TD, Minister of State, former Minister of Education, Ireland Senator Joe Doyle, former Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ireland Duckworld Travel, USA Earthwatch, Ireland East Timor Solidarity Campaign, Ireland Echidna Aukstyn, Lithuania ECOTibet, France ECOTibet, Germany ECOTibet, Ireland Endiche Vis. Sat, Lithuania Engaged Buddhist Network, Germany Estonian Nyingma Centre Estonian-Tibetan Cultural Society Free Tibet Campaign, UK Friends of Tibet, Austria Friends of Tibet, Florence, Italy Friends of Tibet, Germany Friends of Tibet, Greece Friends of Tibet, Japan Friends of Tibet, India Friends of Tibet, Italy Friends of Tibet, Malta Friends of Tibet, Netherlands Friends of Tibet Newfoundland, Canada Friends of Tibet, New Zealand Friends of Tibet, Russia Friends of Tibet, Seattle, USA Friends of Tibet, Switzerland Friends of Tibet, Ukraine Friends of Tibet, USA Galway One World Centre, Ireland Ganesha Records, Lithuania Gelugpa Berlin, Germany Interculture, Ireland International Campaign for Tibet, USA International Media Chair for the Parliament of World Religions International Network of Engaged Buddhists International Tibet Independence Movement Irish Parliamentarians for Tibet Israel Friends of the Tibetan People Jam Tse Dhargey Ling Trust, New Zealand Kaliningrad Friends of Tibet, Russia Karma Kagyu, Israel Karma Kagyu Verein, Germany Kashi Church Foundation, USA "hawachen Dharma Center, Alaska, USA Lam Rim Buddhist Center, Boston, USA .tin American Solidarity Centre, Ireland Les Amis du Tibet, Switzerland Les Amis du Tibet, Belgium Les Amis du Tibet, Luxembourg Les Verts, ( Green Party ) France Los Angeles Friends of Tibet, USA Herr. Thomas Mann, Chairman, Euro.Parliamentary Group for Tibet Maryknoll Missionaries, Cambodia Maryknoll Missionaries Thailand Maryknoll Missionaries Vietnam Loseling Institute, Atlanta, USA Maitreya Institute, Netherlands Milarepa Foundation, USA Senator Brian Mullooly, Chairperson of the Irish Senate Namkhai Norbu Group, Netherlands New Zealand Tibet Commitee Norwegian Tibet Committee North American Representative to the Tibetan Parliament in Exile Wangchuk Dorjee) I\ "• '•"'•'* •...;. } Vice-Pr<""ident, Sami Parliarr. >":• Norway Ouservaioue ues Libeites en Asie Orientale, France Orange County Friends of Tibet, Ca. USA Des O'Malley, TD, Chairman of Irish Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee founder of Progressive Democrat Party, former Minister of Trade, Industry & Commerce, and Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Ireland Michael O'Kennedy, TD,former Foreign Minister, Minister of Finance, and EEC Commissioner, Ireland Ottawa Friends of Tibet, Canada Overseas Mon Young ( Burmese ) Monks Union Thailand Oxfam Ireland Parliament of Finland, Friends of Tibet Parliamentary Lobby Group for Tibet, New Zealand Partnership Corporation, Moscow, Russia Pax Christi, Ireland Princeton Area Friends of Tibet, USA Prof. Ole Henrik Magga, former President, Sami Parliament, Norway Ruairi Quinn, TD, Irish Parliamentary Labour Party Leader. Reflexies Management Training, Netherlands Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Minnesota, USA Rigpa, Germany Rigpa, Netherlands River Fund ( for AIDS and cancer sufferers) USA St.Petersburg Buddhist Union, Russia Sami Parliamentarians for Tibet, Norway Sami T.S.G., Norway San Diego Friends of Tibet, USA Save Tibet, Austria Senator David Norris, Irish Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commitee Social Democratic Youth of Sweden Society for Threatened Peoples International, (Germany) Solidarite Tibet, France Solidarite Tibet - Blois, France S.O.S. Mitmensch Austria S.O.S.Tibet, Brazil Stream of Free Tibet, Korea Students for a Free Tibet, USA Students for a Free Tibet, Berkeley Ca., USA Students for a Free Tibet, Boulder, Colorado, USA Students for a Free Tibet, Canada Students for a Free Tibet, Chicago, USA Students for a Free Tibet, Concordia University, Canada Students for a Free Tibet, Dunedin, New Zealand Students for a Free Tibet, McGill University, Montreal, Canada Students for a Free Tibet, Madisaon, Wisc.,USA Students for a Free Tibet, Malibu, California, USA Students for a Free Tibet, Montreal, Canada Students for a Free Tibet, New Zealand Students for a Free Tibet, Stanford U. USA Students for a Free Tibet, Sweden Students for a Free Tibet, Switzerland Students for a Free Tibet, UCF, Orlando, Florida, USA Students for a Free Tibet, UCLA, USA Students for a Free Tibet, Madison,Wisconsin, USA Swedish Parliamentary Group for Tibet Swedish Tibet Committee Swedish Tibet Projects Swiss Parliamentary Group for Tibet Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association The Tibet Society of the United Kingdom Tibet 59/62 - Lille, France Tibetan Alliance of Chicago, USA Tibetan American Foundation, Minnesota, USA Tibetan Association of Minnesota, USA Tibet Association of Northern California, USA Tibetan Association of Washington, USA Tibetan Assoc. of Southern California, USA Tibet Bureau Geneva, Switzerland Tibet Committee, Edmonton Alberta, Canada Tibet Committee Fairbanks, Alaska, USA Tibetan Community of Quebec, Canada Tibetan Community in Austria * lUi-ut-r. ^'ummunity of New Zealand Tibetan Nuns Project, USA Tibetan Snowlion Friendship Society, Kyoto, Japan Tibet Culture Centre, Switzerland Tibet Democratic, Geneva Switzerland Tibet Education Network, Global Source, USA Tibet Environment Watch, USA Tibet Foerderkreis eV, Germany Tibet Forum, Germany Tibet Independence Movement, Australia Tibet Initiative Deutschland eV, Germany Tibet Initiative Muenster, Germany Tibet Initiative Munchen, Germany Tibet Information Service, Germany Tibet Information Service, Malta Tibet Independence Movement, Australia Tibetisches Zentrum eV., Germany Tibet Online International Tibet Society of South Africa T n- vip Denmark Tibet Support Group Ireland Tibet Support Group Johannesburg, South Africa Tibet Support Group Malta Tibet Support Group Netherlands TIBETWest Michigan, USA Tibet Women's Organisation, Switzerland Tsepon W.D. Shakabpa Memorial Foundation, USA T.W.A.S. Switzerland United States Tibet Committee Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation, International Utah Friends of Tibet, USA Utah Tibetan Association, USA Vietnamese Canadian Federation Western Colorado Friends of Tibet, USA Wisconsin Tibetan Association, USA Women in Development Europe, Austria World Artists for Tibet World Tibet Day Foundation, USA Zen Center Belorussian Mogilev, Belorussia