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Tibetan NGOs Condemn Chinese Statement at Global People’s Forum
For Immediate Release August 29, 2002
Contact: D’Arcy Richardson, Tibet Justice Center -082 858-3884, Norzin Dolma, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy-072 478 8180, Lisa Sock, International Campaign for Tibet - 082-379 5792
Representatives of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, International Campaign for Tibet and Tibet Justice Center, as part of the Tibetan Delegation to the Global People’s Forum at Nascrec, today strongly condemned "Chinese NGOs’ Position Paper on What on Earth is Missing," issued at Nasrec on 27 August 2002.
The Global People’s Forum operates under a democratic process that allows all voices to be heard. It is well outside the purview of Chinese "NGOs" to attempt to censor the opinions of others with whom they disagree. The organizations representing Tibetan interests at the Forum will continue to express our opinion that Tibetans should be afforded the right to self-determination, as guaranteed for all peoples in the United Nations Charter. We will continue to advocate for strong language in the Civil Society Statement that supports fundamental human rights and freedoms for all peoples. These rights are encoded in various UN conventions to which China is a party and has obligations.
Once again, Chinese participants have shown that they are not interested in constructive dialogue, and instead are intent on silencing Tibetan voices. Our NGOs have been working and will continue to work to create dialogue, to discuss environment and development issues pertinent to Chinese-occupied Tibet and Tibetans, and to push for a human rights-based approach to sustainable development around the globe.
We call on the NGO community interested in peace, justice, and democratic debate to uphold the rights of all peoples to contribute to the global dialogue on sustainable development and to make special efforts to support the many occupied and oppressed peoples represented in this gathering.
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