World Conference Against Racism

Overview of the accomplishments and challenges faced by the Tibetan delegation at the WCAR.

China Reacts with a "Right of Reply" Statement

Durban, South Africa - Yesterday afternoon as the Plenary session of the III World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) resumed general statements on the five themes of the Conference, an historic Tibetan NGO statement was delivered by Mr. Lobsang Nyandak highlighting racism and related issues in Tibet.

In the exercise of a "right of reply" towards the close of the plenary session, a representative of the Chinese government delegation tried his best to undermine the Tibetan statement even to the extent of propagating that China is a "democratic" society. He further stated that the current situation in China is a "moving locomotive" and "free" society in which religious freedom is "fully respected."

In his statement, Mr. Lobsang Nyandak while appealing to the WCAR to recognize Tibet as a "de facto colony of China" said: "...the distinguished Vice-Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, in his statement in this room, correctly pointed that the heinous crimes caused by foreign occupation and colonialism should never be repeated. We welcome this call! However, we wish to alert this conference that the conduct of the Chinese authorities in Tibet, Eastern Turkestan and Inner Mongolia, if judged from an independent analysis, involves the same crimes, which the distinguished Vice-Minister has asked this World Conference to avoid".

The Tibetan issue was also raised prominently in the statements delivered to the plenary session of the WCAR by the International Steering Committee of the NGO Forum, the Youth Summit representatives and the Linkage Caucus of the NGO Forum.

Mr. Lobsang Nyandak's statement is the first-ever Tibetan NGO statement delivered to a UN World Conference. "This was an emotional and victorious moment for the Tibetan delegation", said Ms. Dolkar Lhamo, President of the Tibetan Women's Association and member of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile.

The statement was made on behalf of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights, International Campaign for Tibet, Worldview International Foundation, and International Fellowship of Reconciliation, four NGOs accredited to the WCAR. The Foreign Occupation Caucus of the NGO Forum, Human Rights in China, Tibetan Women's Association and Tibetan Youth Congress, associated themselves with the statement.

"We believe the delivery of this statement on Tibet is a new message to China that it will not always succeed to bar Tibetan NGOs from officially participating in major UN conferences," said Mr. Jampal Chosang, Representative of H. H. the Dalai Lama in South Africa and the Head of the Tibetan Delegation to the WCAR. "The community of NGOs here in Durban consider the Tibetan statement as an important breakthrough for the Tibetan cause", he added.

Other Tibetan Events

Foreign Occupation Panel Discussion

On 31 August, two days after the successful Tibet Briefing to the NGO Forum, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy organized a panel discussion on "Peoples under Foreign Occupation. Representatives of Palestine, Kurdish People, Aceh, West Papua, Eastern Turkestan and Tibet exchanged views on the suffering of their peoples living under foreign occupation. The meeting conducted in an informal atmosphere decided to implement collaborative follow-up events in the near future.

Chinese-Tibetan Dialogue on Racism

Again on 31 August, Chinese and Tibetan participants to the NGO Forum held an informal discussion on how the two communities can develop a better understanding on the issue of racism in the future. Mr. Xiao Qiang of Human Rights in China took a special responsibility to organize this gathering. Mr. Sonam N. Dagpo, Ms. Tsering Jampa and Mr. Jampa Monlam were the Tibetan participants. Some Chinese from Indonesia also participated.

Workshop on Self-Determination

On 1 September, Mr. Sonam N. Dagpo presented Tibet's case of self-determination at a Workshop on Self-Determination and Conflict Transformation organized by Pax Romana, a NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland. Ms. Ela Gandhi was the main speaker amongst the panelists which included representatives of Indigenous people of Canada, Hawaii, Kurdish people and Tibet.

Celebration of Tibetan Democracy Day

On 2 September, the Tibetan Delegation celebrated the Tibetan Democracy at a function attended by many members of the Tibet Society South Africa-Durban chapter. At this gathering some members of the Tibetan delegation were able to inform supporters about the work different Tibetan NGOs and Tibetan Government offices.

Highlight of the celebration was the cultural performances of Mr. Tenzin Gonpo from France. Tenzin Gonpo has played an important role during the NGO Forum introducing the rich performing arts of Tibet at various cultural events. He has also been able to give several performances in schools and institutions in and around Durban.

Tibet Vigil at ICC

On 4 September, as a follow-up to the Tibetan Vigil at the NGO Forum, the Tibetan delegation organized another Vigil outside the ICC Building that is the venue of the official WCAR session. Carrying a huge banner, "China's Tibet" - The World's Largest Remaining Colony and placards which read, "Racism Begins in Beijing, too!", members of the Tibetan delegation received a lot of media attention and support from the participants.

Media Coverage

The Tibetan presence in Durban has received a lot of international media coverage as well as from the media in South Africa. Major newspapers in Durban and other cities of South Africa have been running feature articles on the Tibetan issue and the participation of the Tibetan delegation to the NGO Forum and WCAR. An editorial comment of "Mercury", one of the biggest newspapers in Durban, on 5 September said: "Also a pity is the fact that acrimonious debate over attempts to equate Zionism with racism has obscured the broader work of the conference, which has produced instances such as continued slavery in Africa; discrimination against gypsies in Europe; the plight of indigenous North Americans and Australians; the persecution of religious devotees in China; and the suppression of rights in Tibet. These should have been illuminating but, instead have been eclipsed."

Another newspaper, the Natal Witness published from the city of Pietermaritzburg, ran a feature article on Jampa Monlam, a former-political prisoner, on 5 September under the heading, "Soft voices taking on Chinese Racism" (www.witness.co.za).

NGO Forum Declaration and Programme of Action

The Tibetan issue has received prominent support and mentioned in the final Declaration and Programme of Action of the NGO Forum which is now available on the website: (www.racism.org.za) In the programme of action section, the NGO Forum call "on all states to exert pressure on the Chinese government to open negotiations with the Tibetan government in exile, headed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in order to find a mutually acceptable and lasting solution to the situation in Tibet."

One of the three paragraphs on Tibet under the Declaration section, the NGO Forum "recognize the situation of 6 million Tibetan people suffering from 50 years of the occupation of their country who continue to suffer institutionalized forms of racial discrimination under the Chinese occupation, and condemn actions of the Chinese government that continues to exploit, explore and extract the rich mineral resources of Tibet, causing irreversible damage to the fragile eco-system on the Tibetan plateau."

WCAR Declaration and Programme of Action

Since the official WCAR began, the Tibetan delegation has been observing the proceedings of the two Working Groups that have been negotiating the adoption of the two documents. We have especially followed the developments surrounding paragraphs that have explicit references to foreign occupation, colonialism and population transfer. At this stage none of the paragraphs referring to foreign occupation has been adopted in the Working Group that is dealing with the draft Declaration.

In this respect, the summary of the Tibetan Government in Exile's position on the WCAR Declaration and Programme of Action has been released to all delegates. This position paper is produced in this update.

Three members of the Tibetan Delegation, Tenzin Gonpo, John Ackerly and Tsering Jampa have now left Durban.