We, the Tibetan Women’s Association, are very pleased to learn the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s official visit to China in June 2003. We sincerely hope that the Prime Minister visit will be able to achieve meaningful discussions from your meeting with Mr. Hu Jintao and other Chinese government dignitaries.
During this important occasion, we also hope that the Prime Minister will be able to discuss and impress upon the Chinese leadership for the need to a peaceful solution to the Tibet debacle. We once again strongly appeal to you to urge the Chinese leaders to resolve the Tibet-China crises through peaceful negotiations. We are extremely concerned about the worsening condition of Tibetans, especially the serious and widespread human rights abuses facing Tibetans in Tibet. Political prisoners of conscience continue to be treated inhumanly; resulting in higher rates of death due to routine torture and abuse.
We respectfully urge Your Excellency to support His Holiness’ the Dalai Lama’s call to the Chinese government to peacefully resolve the Tibet problem. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is extremely sincere when he speaks about resolving the problem through dialogue, negotiations and through non-violent means. Resolving the Tibet issue in a non-violent way would be a great example to the world, where often violence prevails.
Over the last forty-three years, with the kind hospitality of the Indian government, Tibetans in exile have been able to actively continue to work towards our self-determination. Tibetans came to India as political refugees and we will continue to pursue all avenues to attain our right to self-determination.
The Chinese claim Tibet as part of China, however we Tibetan’s feel that racially, historically, culturally and geographically, we are separate and far apart from the Chinese. Indian government officials are well aware of Tibet’s history and also historical documents show that Tibet was an independent state. However, for the sake of good Sino-Indian relations, India consistently succumbs to pressure from China regarding the issue of Tibet. We are not against the improvement of Sino-Indian relations, but we ask that the wishes of 6 million Tibetans be taken into account.
As the Dalai Lama has publicly proposed, Tibet once returned to Tibetans will become a zone of peace. A peaceful buffer state between China and India will be beneficial not only to India’s security, but also to the security of the whole of Asia.
We have great hope that the Prime Minister’s visit to Beijing will bring meaningful results to both the Indian and Tibetan people.
With our highest respect,
Passang Dolma (Ms.) General Secretary of Tibetan
Women’s Association.
