TIBET: SPEACH OF PROF. SAMDHONG RINPOCHE
President of the Tibetan Parliament in exile

Press Conference, Office of the European Parliament, Paris, October 17, 2000

Samdhong Rinpoche: Good morning. I want to speak about the present situation in Tibet. Since the French President is visiting China very shortly, some timely information about the present situation in Tibet seems to be important. This morning I met Mr Badinter. We had a long discussion and he was very sympathetic to the Tibetan issue; he had a lot of great motivations. Thereafter, at the Prime Minister's office, I met the technical adviser for Asian affairs and he also had a similar concern about Tibetan situation. We had an exchange of views. Then at eleven we had a meeting with the parliamentary group in the Parliament House, the Senator's group for Tibet and there was a great hearing. So my visit is very useful.

The situation in Tibet is deteriorating at great speed since last three years, and particularly since July this year. Religious repression, racial discrimination and economic exploitation have spontaneously increased. Their systematic planning to transfer large number of Chinese people to Tibet has already brought more than seven and a half millions of Chinese people, which is much more than the number of native Tibetan population. In near future, they are also planning to bring in much more Chinese people. Under the economic program in "Tibet Autonomous Region", more than 40 big projects have been identified and under these projects, they are planning to shift Chinese population in the name of skilled labour, technicians, and managerial staffs and so forth. So by that way, Chinese population can be shifted to Tibet in more efficient way. At the same time, the repression has increased.

Tibetans living inside Tibet is undergoing a great misery, and every day they have to live under fear and doubts. Therefore, the urgency to resolve the Tibetan issue is much more needed than ever before and the time is running out. Under such circumstances, as we had discussed in May in 'Berlin Conference' [of Tibet Support Groups], time-frames strategy should be adopted now.

The international public pressure on the Chinese authorities as well as public pressures to the different nation governments must be increased to get some results in near future. For the Tibetan Government in Exile and His Holiness The Dalai Lama is concerned, our policy of the middle path approach to have a dialogue with Chinese authorities about the settlement of Tibetan issue, but the Chinese government's response is very slow and mostly negative. So the only way to bring them at the negotiation table is to put visible and invisible pressure on them from various sources, particularly from international community. It is the only method; we have no other ways to deal with China.

Our approach is very sincere: we want stability in China and we are ready to compromise with the Chinese occupation if they guarantee to the Tibetan People, the cultural and religious autonomy, allow the Tibetans to lead their own way of life and to perform their legitimate responsibility and their duty. The minimum demand is put forwarded by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, is in consonance with the Chinese leadership statement given a long time ago, in 1978 where the then Chinese leader M. Deng Xiao Ping stated that except for the separation of Tibet from China, all other issues can be settled through negotiation. In response to that His Holiness agreed that if the three regions of Tibet are unified and given a genuine democratic autonomy, no demand for separation or independence would be made. So in the vision of these two frameworks, the Tibetan Government in Exile was ready to negotiate but China is trying to buy time and was putting forward impossible new pre-conditions. Under such circumstances as we discussed in Berlin; three years is the time for Chinese to consider the negotiation meaningfully with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Within three years if there is no response, a new strategy of the Tibetan Government would be required. This is our thinking at this moment; it appears to us that it is the only way. The recent European Parliament resolution in July of this year gave a strong support in this matter. Now we have to think how to follow-up this resolution, how to adapt it in various national governments and national parliaments, give a follow-up to the European Parliament resolution. I think the time of three years is extremely important to the Tibetan cause. So I asked for all initiatives of Tibet Support Groups, to coordinate themselves their actions at national and international level. The Tibetan support groups have worked hard for the last many years and I am confident that they will continue until the issue of Tibet case is settled.

Thank you all for meeting here this morning. It is very encouraging, and I hope we will coordinate and can work more and more in future time. Thank you very much.

Question: Do you think that compassion can disarm China and save Tibet?

S.R.: I very much think so. If we could develop a genuine compassion then it will definitely disarm Chinese people. Mahatma Gandhi used to say that if he get one hundred very qualified satyagrahin, then he would overcome the British regime within 24 hours. I also use to say that if the majority of Tibetan people could generate a genuine compassion for Chinese people, then I think that within three months of time, a positive change can be achieved. But it is very difficult for the people of Tibet, because they are hurt in their heart very deep, so it is a very difficult task. With His Holiness preaching's, I hope Tibetan people will be understand this and we might be able to generate such a compassion. It may be three months, it may be three weeks, it may be three days, but I want to say that there would be the change.