BY JOHN COWAN
The president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has pledged the local Church’s support for the freedom struggle of Tibet.
In a letter, Cardinal Wilfred Napier told the South African chapter of pressure group Christian Friends of Tibet (CTF) that the SACBC endorses the group’s work “to promote and defend religious and cultural freedom and other human rights for the Tibetan people.”
The mountain kingdom of Tibet was invaded by China in 1950, and remains occupied today in conditions deplored by human rights groups.
Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalal Lama, was forced into exile in 1959.
The pledge of the Catholic Church’s support for CFT came after the director of the group’s South African branch, Donovan Roebert, contacted Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg ~ vice-chairman of the SACBC’s Justice & Peace Commission.
“The Tibetan people need a voice that is not constrained by the compromises and philosophy of expediency which characterises economically oriented politics,” Mr Roebert wrote in his November letter to Bishop Dowling.
Mr Roebert said the world’s governments were ignoring the plight of Tibet in favour of economic ties with the People’s Republic. of China.
“The need for support from humanitarian and moral institutions such as the Christian churches has become more urgent.”
China is accused of committing human rights abuses in Tibet that include arbitrary imprisonment, torture, murder, forced sterilisation of Tibetan women, mass starvation and others,
In a draft proposal for the international CFT Campaign against these abuses, the South African Friends of Tibet envisages a three-tier membership: Core group members, co-ordinating members and ordinary members.
“Ideally these co-ordinating members should constitute the local religious and the laity,” said Mr Roebert.
Ordinary members need not necessarily be active.. “They are parishioners, members of parish organisations or other church groups. They are people who are informed on the Tibet issue and can inform others.”
In his letter of reply to Cardinal Napier, Mr Roebert expressed his thanks and appreciation for Catholic support.
“From the outset we have been touched and impressed by the openness and generosity with which our petitions for support were received by members of the Roman Catholic clergy and laity.”
This month the Dalai Lama’s special envoy, Lodhi Gyari Rinpoche, is visiting South Africa.
For further information on the CFT Campaign in South Africa, Donovan Roebert may be contacted on(012) 2071266.
