TWA appeal Indian Prime Minister to raise Tibet issue with meeting with Xi Jinping

A week prior to Xi Jinping’s India visit, Central Tibetan Women’s Association has submitted appeal letters to the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi and the Indian Minister for External Affairs Ms. Sushma Swaraj urging them to raise Tibet.

To

Date: September 9, 2014

 Subject: Requesting to bring forward Tibet’s issue during Chinese President’s visit.

Your Excellency,

Central Tibetan Women’s Association would like to seek your intervention to bring forward Tibet’s issue during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India.

We appeal your Excellency to urge Chinese government to review their harsh policies on Tibet, which has incited greater resistance and acted as an unwavering catalyst to the increasing number of self-immolations as well as peaceful demonstrations.

To date we have seen a staggering 131 self-immolations in Tibet alone. At least 107 of these protesters are known to have died. The self-immolators have repeatedly called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and freedom in Tibet. Leaders across the world and Tibetans in exile have made numerous appeals to China to examine its policies. China, however, instead of responding to these appeals, has further intensified the suppression of Tibetans in Tibet. Moreover, we are now seeing a new level of repression in the punishment of not only the families of the self-immolators, but the entire community.

Last month, Tibetan woman who was seven months pregnant committed suicide when she heard her husband died in Chinese prison. Her husband was identified as Jinpa Tharchin, one of the five identified people from Denma Shugpa Village in Lishu (Ch: Luoxu) Township in Sershul (Ch: Shiqu) County, Kardze, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture who died in the Chinese prison due to severe torturing on August 18, 2014

On August 12, 2014, Chinese security forces opened fire on unarmed Tibetan protesters in Dema Shupa Township in Lishu. According to the sources, at least ten Tibetans were injured. The unarmed civilians were protesting for the detention of Wangdak, a 45-year-old village leader on the previous night. Wangdak has complained local Chinese government for banning the observance of the Denma Horse Festival. Wangdak argued that the celebration of the festival is a part of Tibetan culture and religious practice. He reasoned out that banning such festival is a violation of the religious freedom of Tibetans. Currently, the situation in Denma Shupa village is becoming more intense as the Chinese armed forces have surrounded the village and civilians above the age of 16 were arrested randomly. So far, five arrested civilians have died inside the prison as a result of severe torture and denial of medical care.[1]

To resolve Tibet issue, the Middle Way Approach is the position of the Central Tibetan Administration in Exile. This approach was democratically adopted by the Central Tibetan Administration; its goal is to resolve the issue of Tibet and to bring about stability and co-existence between the Tibetan and Chinese based on equality and mutual co-operation. Therefore, we strongly appeal your Excellency to urge China to respond to the negotiations extended by the Exile-Tibetan leadership.

We believe that only coordinated and swift diplomatic action can stop this crisis. We thereby request you to kindly highlight the current crisis in Tibet during your meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

We remain deeply grateful to the Government of India for all the support and help bestowed upon us and more importantly for providing the requisite security for His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama to date.

Thanking you,

 Yours Sincerely,

 The Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) is the second largest Tibetan Non Governmental Organization (NGO) based in exile India and the only Women’s NGO in Tibetan history. We are today a 17,000 member organization with 56 chapters in four continents- Asia, US. Europe and Australia. TWA’s slogan is ‘Advocacy for Home, Action in Exile.’

[1] http://www.tchrd.org/2014/08/tchrd-condemns-chinese-police-shooting-of-unarmed-tibetans-in-kardze-2/