Within the framework of the title, “A New UNPO for Challenges of the New Century: Raising the Voice of the Unrepresented”, the Unrepresented Nations
and Peoples Organization (UNPO) has held its VIII General Assembly (GA) and deliberated on organizational reform to strengthen UNPO and its upcoming activities around the world. From 27 until 29 October 2006 in Taipei, Taiwan, the summit convened UNPO Members from around the world to discusscurrent activities and map strategies for the future.
Outgoing UNPO General Assembly Chairman, Mr. Gran Hansson, opened the VIII General Assembly on Friday 27 October. Other notable speakers and
participants who addressed the summit included; Mr. Ken-Marti Vaher, Former Minister of Justice, Estonia; and statements from Hon. Mr. Hans van Baalen, Member of the Dutch Parliament, Vice-President Liberal International and
Hon. Mr. Marco Pannella, Member European Parliament. Chairman Mr. Jin-Pyng Wang and President Dr. Wen-Cheng Lin of host organization Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, and UNPO General Secretary Marino Busdachin also addressed
the assembly. The Opening Day also featured a Panel tackling core thematic UNPO issues – identity, democracy, security, and self-determination, respectively.
As outlined by the GA’s title, a key element of the gathering was to continue finding new arenas and best practices to advocate for the rights of
unrepresented peoples and nations such as Taiwan. Opposition to oppressionand non-violent alternatives to conflicts were also themes that resonated throughout the UNPO GA. Fifteen years after it was founded, now counting 63 Members, representing more than 250 million people across the world, UNPO continues to strive for improvement in the conditions of its Members
worldwide.
The GA brought together the diverse composition of UNPO Members in a unique display of unity in diversity with common aspirations of freedom and
justice, bridging social, cultural and geopolitical fault lines.
A central component of the VIII UNPO General Assembly was also to facilitate the discussion of specific problems facing UNPO Members, as well as
potential strategies for resolving these with the help of UNPO, its Members, and its supporters.
As part of this process, a Session on the final day of proceedings, Sunday 29 October, was dedicated entirely to the presentation and discussion of resolutions submitted by UNPO Members, detailing specific problems faced by
their communities, and detailing the steps that might be taken towards a peaceful and equitable solution.
The number of submitted resolutions bore testament to the faith and confidence UNPO Members have in the value of gathering as an Assembly to
discuss and share common experiences and strategies. Following much informative and constructive debate, resolutions submitted by the following Member were adopted by the VIII UNPO General Assembly: Abkhazia, Ahwazi,
Assyria, Balochistan, Cabinda, Cordillera,East Turkestan, Mapuche, Montagnard, Naga, Ogoni, Southern, Cameroons, Tibet and Zanzibar.
The VIII UNPO General Assembly also articulated and adopted a General Resolution, aimed more broadly at detailing the challenges facing UNPO and its Members in the years to come, as well as the means by which UNPO might fulfil its mandate to serve as an instrument of support and solidarity, aiding its Members as they confront these obstacles.
Text of the resolution on Tibet
VIII General Assembly,
27 – 29 October 2006,
Taipei, Taiwan
Member Resolution
Tibet: Extrajudicial Killings of Tibetans in the Himalayas
The UNPO General Assembly:
Reiterates its previous resolutions of grave concern on the persistent and systematic pattern of violation of human rights and fundamental freedom in Chinese-occupied Tibet;
Applauds the Tibetan people under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for their persistent path of a non-violent freedom struggle;
Takes serious note of the 30 September 2006, extrajudicial killings of several Tibetans in the Himalayas (Nangpa Pass on the Tibet/Nepal border) in a brutal shooting spree by Chinese soldiers as witnessed by many foreign mountain climbers and others, including Tibetans from Tibet;
Alarmed by photographic and video evidence of the killings; Welcomes the role of the media in highlighting the brutal killings and attempts to kill by Chinese soldiers of an estimated 70 to 80 Tibetans, including children, men and women, on 30 September 2006;
Also welcomes the truth-adhering mountain climbers from the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Norway, Romania and Slovenia and other witnesses, despite the pressures from mountaineering agencies, for swiftly informing the world about the true nature of the Nangpa Pass shootings of 30 September, 2006,
1. Expresses solidarity with the Tibetans in their non-violent struggle for justice and especially those who were shot at Nangpa Pass on 30 September;
2. Remains deeply concerned about the whereabouts of those Tibetans, including children who were arrested from the group by Chinese soldiers;
3. Fully endorses the call by the Secretary General of UNPO that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights publicly intervene on this case with the Chinese authorities and that the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions of the UN Human Rights Council issue an Urgent Action intervention to the People’s Republic of China;
4. Strongly rejects the “self-defence” claim of the Chinese authorities;
5. Deplores the attitude of Chinese soldiers killing civilians,
6. Strongly condemns the Peoples Republic of China for engaging in the extrajudicial killings of Tibetans, including 17-year-old nun, Kelsang Namtso;
7. Urges the Peoples Republic of China to fully account for those Tibetans, including children who were arrested following the shootings;
8. Strongly urges the People’s Republic of China to guarantee freedom of movement of the Tibetan people and to conduct a full investigation to the Nangpa Pass killings;
9. Calls upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to condemn the 30 September killings of Tibetans on the Nangpa Pass;
10. Also Calls for an international response to the Nangpa Pass killings;
11. Decides to monitor the situation in Tibet.
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Personnel Change-Tibet related
UNPO Presidency: Tibet
President of GA: Ledum Mitee (Ogoni)
Vice President: Yang Maysing (Taiwan)
Honorary Presidents: Tsering Jampa (Tibet)
Presidency: Ngawang Choepel (Tibet)
Secretariat: Ngawang Choepel (Tibet, Geneva Representative)
