Sep 05, 2013

Tibet: Urging G20 Leaders To Unite For Tibet


Tibetan exiles and supporters worldwide launched a campaign yesterday [September 4 2013] urging the G20 leaders meeting in St. Petersburg to “Unite for Tibet,” a call to world leaders to take multilateral diplomatic action over the Chinese Communist Party’s 60-year occupation of Tibet.

Below is an article published by Phayul

The G20 summit is the premier international forum for discussing global economic issues and the first since Xi Jinping took over the reins as President of China.

Copies of the report “Unite for Tibet” have been delivered to governments by Tibet support groups ahead of the G20 Summit. The report, claims International Tibet Support Network, illustrates “the abject failure of the current policy to address China’s occupation of Tibet through bilateral approaches.”

The organizers here held a mock submission of the report to Xi Jinping and other G20 leaders who wore masks of the leaders.

The campaign here was jointly organized by Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women’s Association, National Democratic Party for Tibet, Gu-Chu-Sum Movement for Tibet and Students for a Free Tibet, India.

“While we understand the need to further strengthen economic ties, we must remember that principles and values that sustain human rights, respect and dignity should be treated with equal importance,” said Tsewang Dolma of the Tibetan Youth Congress. “In order for there to be genuine progress in either economic or political field, G20 members must respect the right for people to have freedom and then hold accountable those nations who deprive people of basic human rights.”

Calling China’s threat to withdraw trade ties with other nations “hollow”, the organizers said China need the support of its G20 nations just as the G20 nations need China. “China needs the world as much as the world needs China. The hard numbers show that meeting with the Dalai Lama and pressing China’s leaders on Tibet does not negatively impact trade relations,” said Tenzin Tselha of Students for a Free Tibet.

Lukar Jam, Acting President of Gu-Chu-Sum Movement for Tibet said, “Since Xi Jinping came to power, nations occupied by China such as Tibet, Uyghur, and the Chinese Mainland Democracy activists, have come to fear what Xi terms the ‘Chinese dream’.”

“G20 leaders have to be fully aware of (and accept) the fact that the power and pride that the Chinese government is currently parading is built on the blood and destruction of fundamental human ethics and values,” Lukar added.

Tibetans and supporters held simultaneous protests and campaigns in various cities around the world.