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Riceviamo e pubblichiamo (traduzione in corso)
Tibetan Youth Congress Calls off Hunger Strike After UN Assistant Secretary-General Gives Assurance on Their Demands
New York, May 3, 2004: The Tibetan Youth Congress called off its indefinite hunger strike at the United Nations on May 3, 2004, following a visit by UN Assistant Secretary-General Carolyn McAskie at the hunger strike venue at 4:30 pm. She assured the hunger strikers that the relevant UN organs would follow up on the concerns expressed by the hunger strikers.
Three members of TYC, Ms. Dolma Choephel (central committee member), Mr.
Gyatso (executive committee member of RTYC Gangtok) and Mr. Sonam Wangdu (member of RTYC in New York and New Jersey), began their hunger strike in front of the United Nations in New York on April 2, 2004.
UN Assistant Secretary-General Carolyn McAskie said that the United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan had instructed her to visit the hunger strikers to convey the message that the United Nations has heard the message conveyed by the hunger strikers and that they have succeeded in bringing their appeal to the UN. As a result, she said the concerns are being given the highest level of attention by the UN and a broad range of UN human rights mechanism are taking up the cases that the hunger strikers had sought to highlight.
She said the relevant mechanism of the UN have expressed concern about the process leading to the death sentence of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, and about the case of the Panchen Lama.
She said the hunger strikers have received two visits from a senior representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, that the hunger strikers have received a written letter from the Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights. She said the hunger strikers have received a joint press release from three UN Special Rapporteurs (on the Judiciary, on human rights defenders, and on free expression). The hunger strikers have been visited by a fourth Special Rapportuer, Miloon Kothari.
The hunger strikers have been advised that the UN Special Rapportuer on Torture, Theo van Boven, will undertake a mission to China in a months'
time, and he has been asked to raise the case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche with the authorities.
The Assistant Secretary-General said the relevant UN mechanisms and offices will continue to follow-up as appropriate within their respective mandate.
The Tibetan Youth Congress salutes the courage and endurance of the three Tibetans and look upon their action as inspiration for our continued struggle to regain the rights of the Tibetan people.
“We look at the assurance provided by UN Assistant Secretary-General as a step forward in the United Nations giving consideration to the plight of the Tibetan people,” said Kalsang Phuntsok, President of the Tibetan Youth Congress. “The Tibetan Youth Congress organized the indefinite hunger strike to highlight the United Nations’ negligence of the issue of Tibet,”
added Phuntsok.
The visit of the Assistant Secretary-General was preceded by statements made by the Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as by three special rapporteurs. “The hunger strikers were also greatly touched by the messages received from the Assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies as well as by the Kashag.
Although the United Nations has not addressed our demands in entirety, the TYC nonetheless felt we needed to respect the appeals and messages being received from governments, parliamentarians, NGOs as well as individuals
from throughout the world. While calling off this current action, the TYC
leadership is fully committed to continuing working so that the just and rightful demands of the Tibetan people can be met.
The Acting UN Human Rights Commissioner Bertrand Ramcharan in his communication to the Tibetan Youth Congress of April 13, 2004 said he will exercise “my good offices in encouraging the relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms” to follow up on our concerns. He outlined the action taken by his Commission on the matters of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, the Panchen Lama and of Tibetan political prisoners in general.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to the freedom of opinion and Expression Ambeyi Ligabo, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Leandro Despoiuy, and the Special Rapporteur of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders Hina Jilani, in their statement on April 14, 2004 addressed the specific case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche. They said, “We are concerned that Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche might be executed at any time upon the expiration of the suspension of his death sentence on 3 December 2004. We are similarly concerned at the alleged lapses in respect for human rights during the trial proceedings and urge the authorities to grant Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche a new trial ensuring respect for international norms and standards of due process.”
Similarly, in her message to the hunger strikers dated April 29, 2004, US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Paula J. Dobriansky, said, “You have my personal assurance that we will continue to work in international fora, including the United Nations, with whomever will stand with us to promote human rights and other Tibetan issues.”
The Czech Republic sent a message through its Permanent Mission in New York on April 22, 2004, saying it will raise the TYC concerns in the European Union, of which it is a new member. “… we will keep looking for further opportunities to keep this question on the top of the EU agenda in its dialog with China,” the Czech message said.
The Tibetan Youth Congress is grateful to the messages of support received from the Japan Parliamentarian Group for Tibet, British Parliamentarian Group for Tibet, the European Parliament Intergroup for Tibet, the Friedrich Neumann Foundation of Germany, the Nepal Human Rights Organization, and from Tibet Support Groups in different parts of the world.
TYC is particularly encouraged to receive messages of support from Chinese democracy activist Harry Wu as well as from the Party for Freedom & Democracy in China. We have also received messages from organizations in Taiwan.
On account of the above development and taking into consideration the fact that we have moved forward in achieving justice for the Tibetan people, the TYC is calling off the hunger strike. Assistant Secretary General offered juice to the hunger strikers at a moving function to break their fast.
The situation in Tibet continues to be grave. Tibetans inside Tibet are doing everything they can, at daily risks to their lives, for the freedom of our country. The very identity of the Tibetan people, and of our nation,
faces extinction if we do not find an early solution. The TYC feels every
Tibetan owe it to ourselves to do whatever we can for the fulfillment of our rightful demands. While this may be an end to our hunger strike in New York, this is not the end of the TYC struggle for Tibet. The TYC will continue our struggle until we regain the freedom and independence of Tibet.
Kalsang Phuntsok Godrukpa (Mr.)
President
TYC, Centrex |
In Breve
(lingua: Italiano
)
