The Hague, 25 July 2007 – His Holiness the Dalai Lama has from 21 to 27 of July 2007 presented a series of lectures in the city of Hamburg, Germany, discussing issues including non-violence, Buddhist Philosophy, and globalisation.

[Full Programme]

Within the framework of this visit, UNPO has partaken in a number of events organised by the Tibet Initiative of Germany in Hamburg, aiming to further develop the discussion of these issues, in particular as they relate to the human rights of Tibetans and other minorities living within the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

[Tibet Initiative Germany – Hamburg Branch]

On 24 July 2007, along side prominent human rights defenders Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, President of the World Uyghur Congress, Mr. Harry Wu, Founder and Executive Director of the Laogai Research Foundation, and the International Campaign for Tibet, UNPO presented its views at the University of Hamburg under the banner “China – World Power without Human Rights”. 

Ms. Kadeer, a Rafto Prize laureate and Noble Peace Prize nominee, spoke passionately about the challenges faced by UNPO members in East Turkestan. Focusing on the destructive effects of ongoing assimilation policies, including the forceful transfer of young Uyghur women to provinces elsewhere in the PRC, as well as the growing intolerance of autonomous political movements in East Turkestan, Ms. Kadeer stressed that the Uyghur culture and people continue to live under a considerable threat, with all political opposition punished severely. This, she reminded participants, has included recently the imprisonment of two of her own sons following widely criticised trials.

Similar concerns were expressed by the International Campaign for Tibet with respect to the plight of Tibetans living within the PRC. Though superficial practice of Tibetan Buddhism is now largely permitted, it was stressed that PRC authorities maintain strict control over the institutions of religion, including monasteries and nunneries, and continue to force the denunciation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Faced by these religious restriction as well as discrimination which prevents access to meaningful employment, many Tibetans consequently continue to opt for treacherous routes to refuge in Nepal and India.

Mr. Wu, himself a laogai inmate for 19 years, detailed the extent to which long and arbitrary detention, combined with forced hard labour, remains a prominent means of punishing and discouraging political opposition in the PRC. Mr. Wu noted also that the death penalty continues to be exercised on an extensive scale in the PRC, often also as a punishment for political crimes, and as such, political freedom within the PRC remains a distant prospect.

UNPO underlined that all minorities living within the PRC remain especially vulnerable to such oppression and human rights abuses. This however is also true of all individuals working to protect and promote these rights, including journalists, lawyers, and grass-roots activists. Focusing on available means of addressing these challenges, UNPO highlighted its work with Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, emphasising the importance of recognising and providing human rights defenders with a platform on the international stage. Acknowledging also the hospitality of the State Parliament in Hamburg, Members of which met with the speakers earlier in the day, UNPO encouraged participants to urge their political representatives, on all levels, to continue receiving such individuals.

UNPO noted also however that many of the democratic institutions central to the process of claiming and exercising rights remain absent from the PRC, including; a free press, political parties, civil society, NGOs, and free lawyers. The case of Tibet is however a particularly strong example of how an unwavering commitment to non-violence and human rights can create en extensive and respected network capable of initiating progress on this front. UNPO concluded therefore by thanking the organisers, in particular the Tibet Initiative of Germany in Hamburg, and encouraged all organisers and participants to share their experiences from the event and the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with other organisations and cities in Europe, with the hope that the event might be replicated and take place also elsewhere.