A special lecture on Tibet was held for the first time at the Political Science Institute in Toulouse on the 25th January 2006. Over 140 students of the Institute attended the lecture session entitled “Tibet, today’s perspectives” which was addressed by Mr Wangpo Bashi, Secretary of the Bureau du Tibet, Paris. Bashi talked about contemporary history of Tibet, the exile Tibetan community and its democratisation and the consistent efforts made by the exile Tibetan government led by His Holiness to resolve the Tibet issue through dialogue.
Mrs Renee Courtade of the Amnesty International talked about the grave violation of human rights in China and in Tibet. She urged every person to act as a citizen of the free world and explained the efficiency of the opinion pressure on China.
Mrs Jordane de Marliave, of the local TSG Rencontres Tibetaines, exposed various actions undertaken by her association for the last fifteen years in liaison with other 55 TSGs at the national level and also at an international level networking with some 350 different groups and associations. Mrs Marliave said she respects the Chinese people and culture. She said she travels to China every year and even speaks some Chinese. However, she argued that the deplorable situation of the Tibetan people under Chinese rule can not be ignored.
Bashi also spoke at length about the ongoing Sino-Tibetan dialogue which resumed in 2002 after a decade long standoff. This Tibet lecture session shows that most of the students have heard and studied about the issues of the Tibetan people. The day before, a movie on Kundun was shown at the Institute.
Pamphlets on Tibet were also distributed. The lecture was organised by the Institute’s Students’ Association for Development and Solidarity action.
with inputs from Bureau du Tibet, Paris
