zupagrzybowa
29.03.08, 20:20
Hu Jintao
To date, six men have held the office of the president of the People's
Republic of China, Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Li Xiannian, Yang Shangkun, Jiang
Zemin, and the current president, Hu Jintao.
......
The Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
on the Forty-Ninth Anniversary of the
Tibetan National Uprising Day
On the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan people's peaceful
uprising in Lhasa on 10 March 1959, I offer my prayers and pay tribute to
those brave men and women of Tibet who have endured untold hardships and
sacrificed their lives for the cause of the Tibetan people and express my
solidarity with those Tibetans presently undergoing repression and
ill-treatment.-I also extend my-greetings to Tibetans in and outside Tibet,
supporters of the Tibetan cause and-all who cherish justice.
For nearly six decades, Tibetans in the whole of Tibet known as Cholkha-Sum
(U-Tsang, Kham and Amdo) have had to live in a state of constant fear,
intimidation and suspicion under Chinese repression.-Nevertheless, in addition
to maintaining their religious faith, a sense of nationalism and their unique
culture, the Tibetan people have been able to keep alive their basic
aspiration for freedom. I have great admiration for the special
characteristics of the Tibetan people and their indomitable courage. I am
extremely pleased and proud of them.
Many governments, non-governmental organisations and individuals across the
world, because of their interest in peace and justice, have consistently
supported the cause of Tibet. Particularly during the past year, governments
and peoples of many countries made important gestures that clearly expressed
their support to us. I would like to express my gratitude to every one of them.
The problem of Tibet is very complicated. It is intrinsically linked with many
issues: politics, the nature of society, law, human rights, religion, culture,
the identity of a people, the economy and the state of the natural
environment. Consequently, a comprehensive approach must be adopted to resolve
this problem that takes into account the benefits to all parties involved,
rather than one party alone. Therefore, we have been firm in our commitment to
a mutually beneficial policy, the Middle-Way approach, and have made sincere
and persistent efforts towards achieving this for many years. Since 2002, my
envoys have conducted six rounds of talks with concerned officials of the
People's Republic of China to discuss relevant issues. These extensive
discussions have helped to clear away some of their doubts and enabled us to
explain our aspirations to them. However, on the fundamental issue, there has
been no concrete result at all. And during the past few years, Tibet has
witnessed increased repression and brutality. In spite of these unfortunate
developments, my stand and determination to pursue the Middle-Way policy and
to continue our dialogue with the Chinese government remain unchanged.
A major concern of the People's Republic of China is its lack of legitimacy in
Tibet. The principal way to lend weight to their position is for the Chinese
government to pursue a policy that satisfies the Tibetan people and gains
their confidence. If we are able to achieve reconciliation by treading a path
of mutual consent, then, as I have already stated many times, I will make
every effort to win the support of the Tibetan people.
In Tibet today, due to the Chinese governments numerous actions, driven as
they are by a lack of foresight, the natural environment has been severely
damaged. And, as a result of their policy of population transfer the
non-Tibetan population has increased many times, reducing native Tibetans to
an insignificant minority in their own country. Moreover, the language,
customs and traditions of Tibet, which reflect the true nature and identity of
the Tibetan people are gradually fading away. As a consequence, Tibetans are
increasingly being assimilated into the larger Chinese population. In Tibet,
repression continues to increase with numerous, unimaginable and gross
violations of human rights, denial of religious freedom and the politicisation
of religious issues. All these take place as a result of the Chinese
governments lack of respect for the Tibetan people. These are major obstacles
the Chinese government deliberately puts in the way of its policy of unifying
nationalities which discriminate between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.
Therefore, I urge the Chinese government to bring an immediate halt to such
policies.
Although the areas inhabited by Tibetan people are referred to by such
different names as autonomous region, autonomous prefectures and autonomous
counties, they are autonomous in name only; they actually have no real
autonomy. Instead, they are governed by people who are oblivious of the
regional situation, and driven by what Mao Zedong called Han chauvinism. As
a result, this so-called autonomy has not brought the concerned nationalities
any tangible benefit. Disingenuous policies that are not in tune with reality
are causing enormous harm not only to the respective nationalities, but also
to the unity and stability of the Chinese nation. It is important for the
Chinese government, as advised by Deng Xiaoping, to seek truth from facts in
the real sense of the term.
The Chinese government severely criticises me when I raise questions about the
welfare of the Tibetan people before the international community. Until we
reach a mutually beneficial solution, I have a historical and moral
responsibility to continue to speak out freely on their behalf. However, it is
common knowledge that I have been in semi-retirement since the political
leadership of the Tibetan Diaspora has been directly elected by the general
Tibetan populace.
China is emerging as a powerful country due to her great economic progress.
This is to be welcomed, but it has also provided China an opportunity to play
an important role on the global stage. The world is eagerly waiting to see how
the present Chinese leadership will put into effect its avowed concepts of
"harmonious society" and "peaceful rise". For the realisation of these
concepts, economic progress alone will not suffice. There must be improvements
in observance of the rule of law, transparency, and right to information, as
well as freedom of speech. Since China is a country of many nationalities,
they must all be given equality and freedom to protect their respective unique
identities if the country is to remain stable.
On 6 March 2008, President Hu Jintao stated: The stability in Tibet concerns
the stability of the country, and the safety in Tibet concerns the safety of
the country. He added that the Chinese leadership must ensure the well-being
of Tibetans, improve the work related to religions and ethnic groups, and
maintain social harmony and stability. President Hus statement conforms to
reality and we look forward to its implementation.
This year, the Chinese people are proudly and eagerly awaiting the opening of
the Olympic Games. I have, from the very beginning, supported the idea that
China should be granted the opportunity to host the Olympic Games. Since such
international sporting events, and especially the Olympics, uphold the
principles of freedom of speech, freedom of expression, equality and
friendship, China should prove herself a good host by providing these
freedoms. Therefore, besides sending their athletes, the international
community should remind the Chinese government of these issues.
