'Conference for an Independent Tibet'


| Background | Key Speakers | Conference Speeches (MP3/PDF) | Supporting Organisations | Letters of Support | Conference News | Conference Poster | Conference Resolution |

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9am, June 23, 2007: Delegates of the first-ever 'Conference for An Independent Tibet' begins their day from Raj Ghat, Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi by offering prayers. Gandhi who advocated achieving independence through peaceful means, repeatedly reminded the British that 'they are free to live in India as brothers and sisters, not as rulers'. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)
9am, June 23, 2007: Delegates of the first-ever 'Conference for An Independent Tibet' begins their day from Raj Ghat, Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi by offering prayers. Gandhi who advocated achieving independence through peaceful means, repeatedly reminded the British that 'they are free to live in India as brothers and sisters, not as rulers'. (Photo: Friends of Tibet / Click here to enlarge).

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Needed: Poorna Swaraj for Tibet
(By Claude Arpi | Rediff.com | June 29, 2007)

If you have visited Dharamshala or any other place where Tibetan refugees live, you would have had the opportunity to hear modern Tibetan songs. The uncommon blend of traditional Tibetan tunes with a contemporary beat is particularly enjoyable. Although one is unable to grasp the lyrics, one can notice a word coming up again and again in all songs - Rangzen. It means 'Iindependence' in Tibetan.

Every young Tibetan longs for rangzen, even though nearly 20 years ago, the Dalai Lama had made his famous Strasbourg Proposal.

In front of the European Parliament in 1988, he dropped for the first time his insistence on an independent status for Tibet, by stating: 'The whole of Tibet known as Cholka-Sum (U-Tsang, Kham and Amdo) should become a self-governing democratic political entity founded on law by agreement of the people for the common good and the protection of themselves and their environment, in association with the People's Republic of China.' The Tibetan leader has not gone back on this commitment, but the Tibetans continue to dream of rangzen. At the same time, the communist leadership in Beijing is dragging its feet in opening meaningful negotiations with Dharamshala.

Five rounds of 'dialogue' between the Dalai Lama's representatives and Beijing's officials have led nowhere except perhaps to an acknowledgement of a larger than expected gap between the two sides. For Beijing today, there is no question of giving to the people of Tibet the autonomy promised 50 years ago by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai.

This was the background of the first two-day 'Conference for an Independent Tibet' organised by Friends of Tibet at the Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi on June 23 and 24, 2007.

'Conference for an Independent Tibet': Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi on June 23, 2007. (Photo: Phayul)

The organisers had announced: 'The conference will have a sharper focus and seek to bring in organisations and individuals who are genuinely opposed to the Chinese occupation of Tibet and support the ongoing Tibetan struggle for independence inside Tibet. "The conference will try seeking answers to questions surrounding the Tibetan movement and work towards building a stronger network of organisations and individuals who aspire for a free and an independent Tibet.'

Friends of Tibet, an NGO-based in India received a message from the Private Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama stating that the Tibetan leader has always encouraged democracy and the expression of different point of views. Interestingly, one of the issues on which the talks between Dharamshala and Beijing stumble is 'democracy'. The Dalai Lama has clearly stated that unless Tibet becomes a self-governing democratic political entity 'founded on law by agreement of the people for the common good', the Tibetan people will not be able to enjoy a genuine autonomy.

More than 300 people - mostly Tibetans and Indians from different walks of life attended the conference.

(Left) Prominent Gandhian and Educator Shri Rajiv Vora delivers his Inaugural Speech during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet' at the Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi on June 23, 2007. (Right) Gandhian and Chairman of Gandhi Peace Foundation Smt Radha Bhatt speaks during the Conference. (Photos: Friends of Tibet/Tenzin Dasel, Phayul)
Inauguration: (Left) Prominent Gandhian and Educator Shri Rajiv Vora delivers his Inaugural Speech during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet' at the Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi on June 23, 2007. Shri Sethu Das (President, Friends of Tibet) and Shri Vijay Crishna (Managing Director, Godrej Upstream) next to him. (Right) Gandhian and Chairman of Gandhi Peace Foundation Smt Radha Bhatt speaks during the Conference. (Photos: Friends of Tibet/Tenzin Dasel, Phayul)

A passport which belonged to Tsepon Shakabpa, the Tibetan government's envoy in the 1940sRajeev Vora, a prominent Gandhian and founder of Swaraj Peeth inaugurated the conference by unveiling a passport which belonged to Tsepon Shakabpa, the Tibetan government's envoy in the 1940s.

This passport is one of the surviving legal documents proving that Tibet's independent status was recognised by the Western powers. Vora explained why he was supporting the Tibetan cause: "The struggle for an independent Tibet is a search for truth."

Another interesting document from the British Archives was shown during the conference. In December 1949, a British MP asked the UK government what the legal status of Tibet was. The minister for commonwealth relations reiterated: 'Since the Chinese Revolution of 1911, when Chinese forces were withdrawn from Tibet, Tibet has enjoyed de facto independence. She has ever since regarded herself as in practice completely autonomous and has opposed Chinese attempts to reassert control.'

When the parliamentary question and its answer were shown to KPS Menon (India's first foreign secretary and grand-father of the present foreign secretary), Menon declared: 'This should be given wide publicity', thereby acknowledging that the position of the Government of India was the same.

Another prominent Gandhian, Radha Bhatt, chairperson of the Gandhi Peace Foundation described the time when the borders between Uttarakhand, where she grew up, and Tibet were non-existent. Cross-cultural exchanges were constant and people could freely move from one side of the border to the other. After Tibet was invaded, these cross-border movements were stopped; new rules and regulations are being added everyday, she complained, making it impossible to keep the century-old contacts with Tibet. She movingly added: "The need to free Tibet is also the need to free India, give me back the culture I grew up with."

'Tibet Of Our Minds: A Journey's End': Shri Vijay Crishna - avid mountaineer, theater personality and the Managing Director of Godrej Upstreams with his audio-visual presentation titled 'Tibet Of Our Minds: A Journey's End' on June 23, 2007. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)
'Tibet Of Our Minds: A Journey's End': Shri Vijay Crishna - avid mountaineer, theater personality and the Managing Director of Godrej Upstreams with his audio-visual presentation titled 'Tibet Of Our Minds: A Journey's End' on June 23, 2007. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)

Lawrence Liang, legal researcher of Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore, mentioned that as a kid in Bangalore where his parents, of Chinese origin, ran a noodle shop, he came into contact with Tibetans refugees. It is what motivated him to study the Tibetan case in international law. For him, the international community has weakened Tibet's case by recognising China's de facto sovereignty over Tibet as de jure sovereignty. The Strasbourg Proposal further does help Tibet's case as the Tibetan people themselves surrendered its rightful right to self-determination.

Several other speakers highlighted the deadlock of the present negotiations and the lack of trust in the present authoritarian regime in Beijing which will be organising the Olympics next year. They all agreed on one aspect of the Tibetan struggle: the urgency of the situation. With the arrival of the train in Lhasa, it is only a question of a few years before Tibet faces the same fate as the Native Americans after the opening of the railway line in the West of the United States in the 19th century. Today, the 'first Americans' live in reserves where they are reduced to perform for American tourists. Next year more than two million Chinese 'tourists' are expected to visit the Roof of the World. Is it any different?

(Left) Shri Lhasang Tsering,</b> former President of Tibetan Youth Congress presents the case of Tibetan Independence during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet'. (Right) Shri Lawrence Liang, Legal Researcher of Alternative Law Forum presents a legal case for Tibet's Independence. (Photos: Friends of Tibet/Phayul)
(Left) Shri Lhasang Tsering, former President of Tibetan Youth Congress presents the case of Tibetan Independence during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet'. (Right) Shri Lawrence Liang, Legal Researcher of Alternative Law Forum presents a legal case for Tibet's Independence. (Photos: Friends of Tibet/Phayul)

When one looks at what is happening in Tibet today, with the train bringing lakhs of migrants, the environmental degradation, the threat to divert rivers, the militarisation of the plateau, the marginalisation of the Tibetan people in their own country, the situation has never been so gloomy and critical. Many speakers noted that the situation is gloomy not only for the Tibetans, but also for India which acquired a new neighbour in 1950.

The Conference Resolution asked for recognising Tibet as a colony. Quoting the UN Resolution of 7th February 1995 on 'Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples' adopted by the UN General Assembly, it called upon the United Nations and other international bodies to take action to remove the last vestiges of colonialism.

According to this Resolution, ratified by China, it was 'one of the priorities of the Organisation for the decade that began in 1990'. The conference pointed out that: 'Realising that complete independence (Poorna Swaraj) under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and with the help of India and other members of the freedom-loving world community is the only hope for Tibet.'

Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, the Dalai Lama's special envoys have been summoned to Beijing soon after the conference. According to the statement of the Dalai Lama's Office, the envoys received instructions from the Dalai Lama during an audience on June 26, 2007, and are due to leave soon.

Inside The Colony: Prominent Photo-Journalist Shri Vijay Kranti does a slide-show presentation with photographs from the Chinese-occupied Tibet. He is the first ever Indian journalist who travelled inside occupied Tibet for eight days as an ordinary tourist without Beijing's patronization or direct control. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)
Inside The Colony: Prominent Photo-Journalist Shri Vijay Kranti does a slide-show presentation with photographs from the Chinese-occupied Tibet. He is the first ever Indian journalist who travelled inside occupied Tibet for eight days as an ordinary tourist without Beijing's patronisation or direct control. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)

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Key Speakers of the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet'

Rajiv Vora

Rajiv Vora: Born into a Gandhian family in Gujarat, Rajiv Vora is a writer, speaker and educator, is a pre-eminent interpreter of Gandhi’s works and in particular his root text, Hind Swaraj. He received his primary education in the alternative Gandhian residential rural schools. A scientist and keen student of Indian classical music, he earned his reputation as a writer, commentator, and public speaker. He is frequently interviewed in national and international press and is known for his lucid, fresh, insightful, and unorthodox interpretation of Mahatma Gandhi’s thought and practice. In 1977, Vora walked away from power politics and joined the Gandhi Peace Foundation. In 1992, he founded Swarajpeeth with his wife Dr Niru Vora. Swarajpeeth brings a fresh approach to Gandhian vision, thought, and methods and is involved in dialogue on non-violence at the community and national level.

Jamyang Norbu

Jamyang Norbu: Jamyang Norbu has worked with the Tibetan government-in-exile in India and was briefly a member of the Tibetan Resistance Force in Mustang, Nepal. He was the creator of Tibetans-in-exile taxation scheme (the green book system), which has been the main source of funding for the exile government since 1972. Norbu has regularly commented on Tibetan and Chinese affairs. A collection of his political essays were published as a book, Illusion and Reality (1989), by the TYC. Chinese authorities in Tibet have, on the other hand, derided his writings as being inconsequential as "the wings of a fly beating against a boulder". He has written and produced five plays: The Chinese Horse (1970), Yuru (1981), The Claws of Karma (1982), Official Problem (1984), Titanic II (1998) and a traditional opera libretto The Iron Bridge (1983). His novel ‘The Mandala of Sherlock Holmes’ has become a best-seller and has received unanimously enthusiastic reviews in the Indian press. Jamyang Norbu was the editor of ‘Mangtso’ (Democracy) the largest independent Tibetan language newspaper and the founding director of the Amnye Machen Institute.

Vijay Crishna

Vijay Crishna: Vijay Crishna is an industrialist, theatre personality and an avid mountaineer – a person of many facets has done many exploratory trips to the Chinese-occupied Tibet. He is the Managing Director of Godrej Upstream, a subsidiary of the Godrej Group. In 1991 he established Naoroji Godrej Centre for Plant Research in Satara district which researches and propagates rare and endangered species of medicinal plants endemic to the Western Ghats. ‘Tibet Of Our Minds: A Journey's End’ – Vijay Crishna’s audio-visual presentation based on his trips to occupied-Tibet where he shares his perspectives of Tibet's ancient and modern history and how these impact us today has been presented across the country. He has been active in theater since 1965, taking occasional bit role in films – like Gandhi and Devdaas.

Lhasang Tsering

Lhasang Tsering: Graduated from Wynberg Allen School, Mussoorie, Lhasang Tsering was offered a scholarship to study medicine in the US. However, he refused to accept the offer and joined the Tibetan resistance who were then operating from Mustang in Western Nepal instead. After the guerrilla base was closed in 1974 he returned to Dharamshala and worked for the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in the Department of Security and also, the now defunct, Tibetan Office of Research and Analysis. In 1986 Lhasang was elected President of the Tibetan Youth Congress and it was in this capacity that he became the first Tibetan to publicly question in 1988 the so-called Middle Way Policy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to seek only 'Genuine Autonomy' for Tibet within China and not to continue the struggle for independence. Among other magazines and newsletters, Lhasang was the Acting Editor of the 'Tibetan Review'; Editor of ‘Rangzen’ and Editor of 'Mangtso'.

Iqbal Hadi Rizvi

Iqbal Hadi Rizvi: After LL.M from Kashmir University, he joined second LL.M programme in Continental Law in University of Rome, Italy. After returning to India in late 80s, he taught Law at the Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. During the course of teaching in Delhi University, he worked as a consultant with SC-ST Commission. Since last one decade, he is teaching Law in Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh.

Raghav Mittal

Raghav Mittal: After graduating from IIT Kharagpur in the year 2004 securing his B Tech and M Tech degrees in Computer Science & Engineering, Raghav worked for a while in the industry. But his heart was elsewhere in the developmental sector. He soon joined the ongoing drive to conserve the rich cultural heritage of Braj region - the land of Lord Krishna. Currently he is based at Mathura and has founded a pan-indian students' organisation namely Students' Forum for India's Heritage. He is also the convener of Bharat Bandhu Network - an initiative to network all those individuals and organizations dedicated to Indian resurgence.

Radha Bhatt

Radha Bhatt: Woman leader of the Chipko, the well-known environmental movement based in the hills of Uttar Pradesh, India and a regional women's network from the Hindu Kush Himalayas. Radha Bhatt has presented various papers which examines the social context of these environmental movements; especially reasons for the proactive role women played and continue to play, also the presence of Van Panchayat(s) in the hills and the reasons for their inability to manage community forest lands. She is now the Chairman of Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi.

Tenzin Tsundue

Tenzin Tsundue: Tenzin Tsundue published his first book of poems ‘Crossing The Border’ while studying in Bombay and won him the first-ever ‘Outlook-Picador Award for Non-Fiction’ in 2001. He represented Tibet in the Second South Asian Literary Conference in New Delhi in January 2005. He is the General Secretary of Friends of Tibet (India). In January 2002 his profile peaked when he scaled scaffolding to the 14th floor of the Oberoi Towers in Mumbai to unfurl a Tibetan national flag and a banner which read “Free Tibet” down the hotel’s facade. China’s Premier Zhu Rongji was inside the hotel addressing a conference of Indian business tycoons. The world's media featured Tsundue’s feat and Indian police officials reportedly congratulated him in prison for standing up for his rights. Recently, in April 2005 he repeated a similar feat with a stunning protest that captured the imagination of the world. Single-handedly, he snatched the world media attention from the visiting Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jia Bao in the south Indian city, Bangalore.

Vijay Kranti

Vijay Kranti: Vijay Kranti is a prominent journalist and a long-time friend of Tibet. He is the first ever Indian journalist who traveled inside Chinese-occupied Tibet for eight days as an ordinary tourist without Beijing's patronization or direct control. He is also the editor of Tibbat Desh, a bi-monthly magazine in Hindi.

Claude Arpi

Claude Arpi: Born in France, Claude Arpi’s real quest started thirty-three years ago with a journey to the Indian Himalayas. Since then he has been an enthusiastic student of the history of Tibet, China and the subcontinent. He is the author of The Fate of Tibet (Har-Anand Publications, 1999), Tibet, le pays sacrifié (Calmann-Lévy, Paris, 2000), La politique française de Nehru: 1947-1954 (Pavilions Series, Auroville, 2001), Cachemire, le paradis perdu (Editions Philippe Picquier, France, 2004) and Born in Sin: the Panchsheel Agreement (Mittal Publications, New Delhi, 2004), India and Her Neighbourhood (Har-Anand Publciations, 2005). Claude Arpi has been the Guest Editor of the La Revue de l'Inde (No 4) Special Tibet-Buddhism and No 7 - Special Kashmir. He writes regularly on Tibet, China, India and Indo-French relations in The Pioneer, the New Indian Express, Rediff.com and other Indian and French publications.

Lawrence Liang

Lawrence Liang: A graduate form National Law School subsequently pursued his Masters degree in Warwick, England on a Chevening Scholarship. His key areas of interest are law, technology and culture, the politics of copyright and he has been working closely with Sarai, New Delhi on a joint research project Intellectual Property and the Knowledge/Culture Commons. A keen follower of the open source movement in software, Lawrence has been working on ways of translating the open source ideas into the cultural domain. Lawrence Liang is the author of 'Guide to Open Content Licenses' published by Piet Zwart Institute. He works with the Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore as a legal researcher.

Niru Vora

Dr Niru Vora: Formerly with the Dept. of Chinese and Japanese Studies, Delhi University, among the founders of Delhi unit of Sangharsha Vehini under JP Narayan's guidance, founder member of Mahila Dakshata Samiti and Swarajpeeth Compiled and edited "Gandhi’s Dialogue with Christianity". She is also the Director of Swarajpeeth.

Phuntsok Wangchuk

Phuntsok Wangchuk: Phuntsok Wangchuk is a former political prisoner from Tibet who was sentenced to five years imprisonment for counter revolutionary activities. In the prison, he was one the youth leaders who refused to salute when the jail authorities were forcing all prisoners to stand and respect the China's national flag which flared up what is now known as the "1998 Drapchi prison protest". This resulted in police shooting leaving behind two deaths and many injured. Phuntsok Wangchuk lives in Dharamshala and works with Gu-Chu-Sum, an ex-political prisoners association.

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Supporting Organisations

Comite de Apoyo al Tibet, Madrid, Spain

France-Tibet

Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka)

Friends of Tibet (UK)

Friends of Tibet (Spain)

Friends of Tibet (Nepal)

Friends of Tibet (Pakistan)

Friends of Tibet (Uruguay)

Independent Tibet Network

International Tibet Independence Movement, USA

The Committee of 100 for Tibet

TibetMichigan

World Tibet Day Foundation

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Letters of Support from Individual Supporters and Tibet Support Groups

George Fernandes, Former Defence Minister of India (Read)

Claudia Roth, Federal Chairwoman of Green Party and Member of Germany Federal Parliament (Read)

Comite de Apoyo al Tibet, Madrid, Spain (Read)

International Tibet Independence Movement, USA (Read)

The Committee of 100 for Tibet (Read)

World Tibet Day Foundation (Read)

Independent Tibet Network (Conference Paper) (Read)

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Shri Jamyang Norbu (Second from Left) makes his presentation. Shri Vijay Kranti, Dr Niru Vora, Shri Tenzin Tsundue and Shri Raghav Mittal next to him. Norbu, a member of a short-lived Tibetan guerrilla movement that carried out raids from the Mustang Valley of Nepal in the 1970s, said companies operating in China should be targeted to force them to divest.
Shri Jamyang Norbu (Second from Left) makes his presentation. Shri Vijay Kranti, Dr Niru Vora, Shri Tenzin Tsundue and Shri Raghav Mittal next to him. Norbu, a member of a short-lived Tibetan guerrilla movement that carried out raids from the Mustang Valley of Nepal in the 1970s, said companies operating in China should be targeted to force them to divest.

Tibet Activists Call For New Tactics
(AFP | June 26, 2007)

New Delhi: Tibetan activists Sunday called for new tactics in the campaign for independence from China, saying attempts by spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to engage Beijing were "not successful." Activists said they would copy South Africa's anti-apartheid campaign by targeting companies that do business with China, and would use next year's Beijing Olympics to highlight the issue.

"You do one hunger strike in front of Yahoo headquarters in the United States and see what happens," said veteran activist Jamyang Norbu, referring to the US-based Internet portal. Tibetans in exile said attempts by the Dalai Lama to negotiate greater autonomy for the Himalayan region occupied by China in 1951 had yielded little and it was time to consider new strategies. "It is not successful. The dialogue today is almost finished," said Tenzin Tsundue, general secretary of the Friends of Tibet exile group at a conference.

The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet after a failed uprising against China in 1959, has campaigned for the six million Tibetans under Chinese rule from the seat of his government-in-exile in the Indian town of Dharamshala. But he has dropped calls for independence and called for a "middle way," which the activists oppose.

"No one doubts his sincerity. But sincerity is not enough to get a solution," said Tsundue, 32, who in 2002 unfurled a Tibetan flag from an Indian hotel hosting a meeting between former Chinese premier Zhu Ronghji and Indian business leaders. Norbu, 58, a member of a short-lived Tibetan guerrilla movement that carried out raids from neighbouring Nepal in the 1970s, said companies operating in China should be targeted to force them to divest. As well as Yahoo he mentioned Canada's Continental Minerals, which is carrying out exploration in Tibet.

"China's power is eroding democracy all over the world," he said. Activists also said they will also use next year's Beijing Olympics to bring attention to their cause. This month five Americans unfurled a Tibetan flag at Everest base camp, on the route of the Olympic torch relay, prompting Chinese authorities to expel them and complain to Washington.

Conference organisers also displayed for the first time a Tibetan "passport" from 1947 bearing entry stamps from numerous countries to challenge Chinese claims that the region was long a part of China.

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Dr Niru Vora, Director of Swarajpeeth makes her presentation during the first 'Conference for an Independent Tibet' on June 24, 2007. Dr Vora called upon the United Nations to fulfill its obligation in view of its 1993 UN Declaration that there should remain no colonized country in the world by the year 2000. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)
Dr Niru Vora, Director of Swarajpeeth makes her presentation during the first 'Conference for an Independent Tibet' on June 24, 2007. Dr Vora called upon the United Nations to fulfill its obligation in view of its 1993 UN Declaration that there should remain no colonized country in the world by the year 2000. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)

Tibetan Conference Gets Underway
(By Lipika Kamra | The Indian Express | June 23, 2007)

New Delhi: The first ever "Conference for an independent Tibet" began at the Gandhi Peace Foundation in New Delhi today. The two-day conference, organised by Friends of Tibet (FOT), aims at bringing together individuals and organisations who support the cause of Tibet's independence from China, said organisers.

Noted Gandhian and educationist Rajiv Vohra, who inaugurated the conference, said, "The very culture of Tibet has symbolised the concept of Swaraj that Mahatma Gandhi had talked about."

Day one of the conference saw several eminent speakers, including Lhasang Tsering, former president of the Tibetan Youth Conference, Radha Bhatt, chairperson of the Gandhi Peace Foundation and Lawrence Liang, legal researcher with the Alternative Law Forum presenting their points of view. Vijay Crishna, an industrialist, gave an audio-visual presentation based on his exploration of Tibet in 2006.

The highlight of the conference was the first-ever public display of a "historic" passport of 1948, issued by the then government of Tibet. The passport was recovered by "Friends of Tibet" from an antique dealer in Nepal three years ago. The group looks at it as the proof of Tibet's existence as an independent nation.

Alongside the conference, there was also an exhibition - Indian Cartoonists on Tibet' - which showcased 30 selected cartoons on the Tibetan issue and Sino-Indian relations from 1950-2005. Works of several renowned cartoonists like Shankar, RK Laxman, Ravi Shankar and Yesudasan were also on display.

"Friends of Tibet is the Indian support group for the Tibetan freedom cause. This conference is an effort to explore the idea of independence and to deliberate on the various practical ways and means to make Tibet a free nation," said Tenzin Tsundue, general-secretary, FOT and poet-activist.

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Shri Tenzin Tsundue, Tibetan Poet and General Secretary of Friends of Tibet calls for Tibetan Independence. He spoke on various practical ways and means to make Tibet a free nation. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)
Shri Tenzin Tsundue, Tibetan Poet and General Secretary of Friends of Tibet calls for Tibetan Independence. He spoke on various practical ways and means to make Tibet a free nation. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)

Tibetan Independence Claim Proved at Delhi Conference
(ANI Correspondent | June 23, 2007)

London: Tibetan indpendence activists attending a conference here have claimed that their country was independent right till 1950. The activists have based their claim on a crumpled, faded and torn at the edges sheet of paper that on closer inspection suggests the existence of a Tibetan passport issued to the Dalai Lama's finance minister and used in at least eight countries, including Britain, in 1948.

The document is on public display at the conference venue, reports The Times. The independence activists say that this document is the strongest evidence yet to support the Dalai Lama's longstanding claim that Tibet was an independent nation before Chinese communist forces entered in 1950. China says that Tibet has been an integral part of its territory for centuries.

If the document is genuine, it supports the view that Tibet was at least considered a de facto sovereign state by Britain and several other countries. Type-print on the passport says that it was issued to Tsepon Shakabpa, a Tibetan finance minister, who led a trade delegation to China, India, the Middle East, Europe and the United States.

Friends of Tibet, an international group campaigning for Tibetan independence, said it bought the document for 10,000 dollars (5,000 pounds) from an antique dealer in Nepal in 2003. "This is one document that can prove Tibet's independence," Tenzin Tsundue, its general secretary, told The Times.

"There is no way that it is a fake," he added. His group presented the document in 2004 to the office of the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala. "The passport is certainly genuine - Mr Shakabpa was very active in diplomacy," Thupten Samphel, a spokesman for the Dalai Lama, said. Shakabpa never returned to Tibet after his mission, but settled in India and later lobbied on behalf of the region at the United Nations, Samphel said. The Dalai Lama will not attend this weekend's conference because its organisers are still calling for independence.

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Tibetan Passport used by Tsepon Shakabpa
Click Here to download a high-resolution image of the Tsepon Shakabpa passport

Historic Tibetan Passport to be on Display in Delhi
(June 21, 2007 | Press Trust of India)

New Delhi: A Tibet support group has claimed to have dug out a passport of 1948 with visas of seven countries to "prove" the plateau region's independence and its recognition by many nations. The passport of Tsepon Shakabpa Wangchuk Dedhen, the Finance Minister of erstwhile Tibetan government, was recovered by 'Friends of Tibet' from an antique dealer in Nepal three years ago, the organisation said here.

The Tibetan group paid USD 10,000 to the dealer in Kathmandu, which they raised mostly through donations from Tibetans in exile. The document, which the group claims is "historic" and now in the possession of the Dalai Lama, will be on display for two days in the capital this weekend.

The passport has visa stamps of seven countries - United States, Britain, Switzerland, France, Italy, Egypt and Saudi Arabia - as he visited these countries in 1948 as part of a Tibetan trade delegation. They had passed through India while going abroad and coming back.

"The passport proves that Tibet was an independent country and it was recognised by these countries," Tenzin Tsundue, General Secretary of 'Friends of Tibet', said here. The document will be on display at the Gandhi Peace Foundation during the two-day 'Conference for an Independent Tibet' beginning June 23, 2007.

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(Left) Shri Raghav Mittal of Bharat Bandhu Network and (Right) Shri Iqbal Hadi Rizvi of Aligarh Muslim University speak during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet' on June 24, 2007. (Photos: Friends of Tibet)
(Left) Shri Raghav Mittal of Bharat Bandhu Network and (Right) Shri Iqbal Hadi Rizvi of Aligarh Muslim University speak during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet' on June 24, 2007. (Photos: Friends of Tibet)

Conference for an Independent Tibet Gets Underway
(Phayul | June 24, 2007)

New Delhi: Friends of Tibet today successfully inaugrated the first ever conference for an Independent Tibet. Day one saw a packed hall of two hundred, listening intently to Rajeev Vora, a prominent Gandhian and founder of Swaraj Peeth, as he explained the true value of Tibet. "The struggle for an Independent Tibet is a search for truth. And, this struggle cannot be waged without testing our strength to test ourselves, question ourselves". He inaugrated the Conference by unveiling the Shakabpa passport. This passport is the only surviving legal document proving Tibet's Independence recognized internationally.

After him, another prominent Gandhian, Radha Bhatt, Chairperson fo the Gandhi Peace Foundation described the time when the borders between Uttarkhand, where she grew up, and Tibet was almost non-existent. Cross cultural exchange was constant and people felt free to move about the borders, Suddenly, the movement was as good as stopped, what with all the rigid rules and regulations. In Hindi she stated how "the need to free Tibet is also the need to free India, give me back the culture I grew up with."

Earlier in the day, the delegate-members of the Conference visited Rajghat and began the sessions by saluting the contribution of Gandhi's thought and practice to the non violent struggle being waged in and for Tibet. Sethu Das, President, Friends of Tibet gave the welcome speech, by raising questions like, "During the last two decades, some of the crucial questions concerning the Tibetan struggle have found no answers - What is the role played by the exiled Tibetan community and Tibet Support Groups worldwide in the movements? Is there an attempts from a power centre to divert people's attention from the issue of occupation to some unrealistic issues? With no alternative thinking, does the debate on Tibet remain merely at an intellectual level, without leading to any conclusion?"

Phuntsok Wangchuk, a former political prisoner from Chinese-occupied Tibet who was sentenced to five years imprisonment for 
      counter revolutionary activities narrates his prison experiences during the 'Conference for an Independent 
      Tibet' in New De
Shri Phuntsok Wangchuk, a former political prisoner from Chinese-occupied Tibet who was sentenced to five years imprisonment for counter revolutionary activities narrates his prison experiences during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet' in New Delhi on June 24, 2007. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)

'Tibet of Our Minds: A Journey's End', an audio-visual presentation by Vijay Crishna was the next session. Armed with an exhaustive slideshow of images which historically documented the changing nature of Tibet, Vijay Crishna spoke at length about the way Tibet has been seen by the outside world, how the chinese colonization is leaving its imprints on the people,culture, water and soil.

The afternoon session had Lhasang Tsering, former President of the Tibetan Youth Congress deplore the Middle Way approach of the Dalai Lama, which seeks genuine autonomy within China. "Where is the need for China to talk to a bunch of refugees? The Strassbourg Resolution of 1988 has divided the Tibetans, it has confused them and we are still thinking about which path to follow, when time is running out for Tibet." He also mentioned how "there is a certain loss of a pain with death", but if today, Tibet is lost, it would mean peril for India. Even while thanking India for the support it has been showing since 1959, he warns India of the scenario in which it shares a permanent border with China. "I want to take one step forward, even if it is wrong."

Lawrence Liang, Legal Researcher of Alternative Law Forum, Banglore started his talk on a very personal note. "My parents are chinese who ran a noodle shop in Banglore and Tibetans would visit the shop often and ask me whether I was Tibetan or not. I have been to Dharamsala and met some Tibetans who had crossed over. I was often asked the question, "Gyami re?" and I would answer

"Gyagar Gyami". He then contextualized Tibet's right to self determination in a time when the concept of nation state itself is contested. He explained how there is growing gap between the real world of International Relations and normative world of International Law. The Tibetan claim to nationhood falls in this gap. The international community has weakend Tibet's case by recognizing China's defacto sovereignty over Tibet as de jure sovereignty. The Dalai Lama's stand of seeking autonomy further hurts Tibet's case as it was a move from reclaiming the right to external sovereignty to internal self determination.

The first day of the conference thus tried to understand Tibet's case for Independence through a varied lens. It was able to expand the various possibilities which have remained un talked about till now.

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(Left) A visitor at 'Indian Cartoonists on Tibet' exhibition during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet'. (Right) Claude Arpi, French Tibetologist in conversation with Dr Niru Vora of Swarajpeeth. (Photos: Friends of Tibet/Phayul)
(Left) A visitor at 'Indian Cartoonists on Tibet' exhibition during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet'. (Right) French Tibetologist Shri Claude Arpi in conversation with Dr Niru Vora of Swarajpeeth. (Photos: Friends of Tibet/Phayul)

We Shall Overcome
(7DAYS, United Arab Emirates | June 24, 2007)

New Delhi: Tibetan activists yesterday called for new tactics in the campaign for independence from China, saying attempts by spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to engage Beijing were "not successful". Activists said they would copy South Africa’s anti-apartheid campaign by targeting companies that do business with China, and would use next year's Beijing Olympics to highlight the issue.

"You do one hunger strike in front of Yahoo headquarters in the United States and see what happens," said veteran activist Jamyang Norbu, referring to the US-based internet portal. "Western institutions are open to embarrassment." Tibetans in exile said attempts by the Dalai Lama to negotiate greater autonomy for the Himalayan region occupied by China in 1951 had yielded little and it was time to consider new strategies.

"It is not successful. The dialogue today is almost finished," said Tenzin Tsundue, General Secretary of the Friends of Tibet group at a conference. The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet after a failed uprising against China in 1959, has campaigned for the six million Tibetans under Chinese rule from the seat of his government-in-exile in the Indian town of Dharamshala.

But he has dropped calls for independence and called for a "middle way", which the activists oppose. "No one doubts his sincerity. But sincerity is not enough to get a solution," said Tsundue, 32, who in 2002 unfurled a Tibetan flag from an Indian hotel hosting a meeting between former Chinese premier Zhu Ronghji and Indian business leaders.

Norbu, 58, a member of a short-lived Tibetan guerrilla movement that carried out raids from neighbouring Nepal in the 1970s, said companies operating in China should be targeted to force them to divest. "China's power is eroding democracy all over the world," he said.

Activists also said they will also use next year's Beijing Olympics to bring attention to their cause. This month five Americans unfurled a Tibetan flag at Everest base camp, on the route of the Olympic torch relay, prompting Chinese authorities to expel them and complain to Washington. Conference organisers also displayed for the first time a Tibetan 'passport' from 1947 bearing entry stamps from numerous countries to challenge Chinese claims that the region was long a part of China.

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Tibet Is A Colonised Country, Not Only An Occupied Territory: Delhi Conference
(Phayul, June 28, 2007)

New Delhi: The first ever conference on Tibetan Independence organised by Friends of Tibet (India) - an Indian Tibet support group concluded meaningfully after much debate and discussions shaping a sharper point of view on the Independence as the goal of the Tibetan struggle and how to make it happen.

The Conference held at the Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi from 23 to 24 June 2007, was attended by more than 300 people, mostly Indians from all walks of life, including a sizeable number the Intelligence who sat through out the conference like well mannered school kids. On the concluding second day early morning, over two hundred Indians and Tibetans listened to Jamyang Norbu, noted Tibetan writer and veteran activist who stands for complete independence of Tibet, as he explained how the next two years are crucial for Tibet, and how the "Olympics could provide the one-chance for Tibetans to come out and protests like one mighty force". He noted that unless a mass protest occurs, Tibet would continue to slip out of the world map, leaving very little to protest for.

Saying attempts by spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to engage with Beijing were "not successful", Jamyang called for new tactics in the campaign for independence from China. "You do one hunger strike in front of Yahoo headquarters in the United States and see what happens," said the ardent activist. He stated that companies operating in China should be targeted to force them to divest. The Tibetan writer and celebrity activist spoke in style and distinct of his personality without mincing words. For many Tibetan youngsters who were sitting on the floor, due to limited chairs, it was their first experience to hear Jamyang Norbu speak with such vigorous drive.

Niru Vora, prominent Gandhian and a former professor in the school of Chinese and Japanese Studies of Delhi University, stated, "Tibet is a colonised country, and not just an occupied territory." The usage of occupied territory implies the forced presence of an army, but the situation in Tibet is far more complex and worse, wherein it has been colonised culturally, economically and not just taken over by the Chinese army when it was a full-fledged nation in 1959.

French Tibetologist and writer Shri Claude Arpi presents his views during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet' in New Delhi on June 24, 2007. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)
French Tibetologist and writer Shri Claude Arpi presents his views during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet' in New Delhi on June 24, 2007. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)

The organisers were surprised with more than triple the number of people expected turning up for the conference. As the sessions were many and there was no end to the flow of questions, tea breaks were forgiven and sessions had to be stretched for hours.

Chairperson Vijay Kranti said "Now our hero will speak". There was a spark of alertness in the hall as Tibetan poet and activist Tenzin Tsundue was invited to speak. In his distinct red-band and black-shirt he spoke with conviction and emotionally connecting to the audience. He said "though our political stand is different from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, our commitment to Non-violence is same. But non-violence without mass support will not succeed". Responding to questions he said "we appeal to all parties involved to reconsider their investments in China and Tibet. Your business is destroying our country." Citing the South African example of success of mass movement, he said "Only when corporate interests of Coca-Cola, IBM and scores of others were hurt then they put pressure on the white government to relent. We will now devise to do this. If our non-violence fails, we will have to find other means. The international community has the responsibility to support and make the Tibetan struggle succeed."

The other noted speakers on the day, Vijay Kranti, prominent journalist and a long time supporter of an Independent Tibet, Claude Arpi, French researcher and Tibet commentator, Raghav Mittal of Bajaj Foundation also argued for Rangzen. Arpi presented historical and legal documents, which proved Tibet's nationhood and contextualised the seventeen-point agreement and the Strasbourg Proposal. Out of thirteen speakers of the conference, eight of them questioned the validity of Middle Way Approach seeking Autonomy, saying "when China repeatedly rejected this proposal why does it continue to be the policy of the Tibetan Government in Exile?"

Phuntsok Wangchuk, former political prisoner and the General Secretary of Gu-Chu-Sum movement of soeaking in Tibetan, related his experiences of life in prison and the atrocities committed by the Chinese authorities. On the whole he gave the picture of freedom struggle inside Tibet today. When asked what the Tibetans inside Tibet want, he stated confidently that the Tibetans inside Tibet are working for Independence, and nothing else. He said if the hundreds of prisoners submit their loyalty to the Chinese authorities, within five minutes they would be released. "They never give up on Independence and the prisoners continue to languish in prison for many years, some of which more than 20 years," he said. His speech received maximum applause from the audience.

Heated discussion marked the second day of the conference, some of which reflected huge differences in political and ideological point of view.

Indian supporters coming from right-wing Hindu Nationalist, Leftist, Liberal Leftist and Marxist and also a good number of Gandhians and followers of Jayprakash Narayan only goes on to prove the variety of Tibet supporters and backgrounds they come from. Naturally their perspectives would lock horns and they did. However, everyone stood firmly on the stance of Independence of Tibet acknowledging the view Radha Bhatt expressed "Jab tak Tibbat Azaad nahin hai, India kabhi azaad nahin ho sakta. India hamesha Chin ki Dabao main rehne padega" (As long as Tibet is not free, India can never be free. India will have to forever live under Chinese pressure).

Radha Bhatt is a Gandhian, an activist who hugged trees to save them from felling during the 1980s famous Chipko Movement of North India.

The Conference was attended by many prominent journalists, lawyers, and defence strategists, and intellectuals of the country, like Parth Shah of the Centre of Civil Society, Colin Gonzalves, founder of the Human Rights Law Network, Harsh Dhobal, editor Combat Law, Madhur Santanam Sondhi, Major Gen (Retd) Vinod Saighal, Dr Trika of Core Group for Tibet, Sonam Wangdue of US Tibet Committee were among others. Many young Tibetans and Indians attended the conference with great attention and sat through five sessions that spread into two days. International participants from USA, France, the UK and Poland and Indian participants from more than 20 states made to the conference. Tibetan participants came from Dharamshala, Kollegal, Bangalore, Dimapur and Dehradoon at their own expenses. Dharma Bums and JJI Exile Brothers presented Rangzen songs. Besides receiving support letters from various International Tibet support bodies, Claudia Roth, Federal Chairwoman of Green Party and Member of Federal Parliament, Germany and George Fernandes, former Defence Minister of India had sent a letter of support to the conference. Dr Niru Vora, who has been closely associated in organising the conference with Friends of Tibet, chaired the final session and also presented the Conference Resolution.

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Two-Day Tibet Conference Ends
(By Lipika Kamra | The Indian Express | June 24, 2007)

New Delhi: A Two-day 'Conference for an Independent Tibet', organised by Friends of Tibet (FOT), ended today with the participants resolving to to 'call upon all Tibetan support groups around the world to aim at complete independence from China' as their principal goal. The resolution also mentions calling upon the United Nations to fulfill its obligation of ensuring 'no colonisation in the world'.

Tenzin Tsundue, poet-activist and General-Secretary of Friends of Tibet, Niru Vora, expert on Chinese and Japanese studies, Jamyang Norbu, renowned Tibetan writer and Phuntsok Wangchuk, former Tibetan political prisoner were among the key speakers on Sunday.

"For us, freedom of Tibet means everything. It is because of this hope of freedom that I exist. We want an independent Tibet and that is our sacred goal," said Tsundue. Talkin about the conditions of political prisoners in Tibet, Phuntsok Wangchuk said, "There is a growing awareness of human rights and its violations worldwide, but the situation in Tibet is getting worse."

French Writer Claude Arpi presented several documents he procured from the British Government archives which 'documented' that Tibet existed as a fully independent nation before Chinese occupation in 1951.


Team Dharma Bums Performs during the 'Conference for an Indenpendence Tibet' at the Gandhi Peace Foundation on June 23, 2007. Founded by songwriter-activist Phil Void in the early 70s, the 'Dharma Bums' has performed all over the world for cause of a Free Tibet. The group was started as a loose collection of musicians seeking enlightenment. JJI Exile Brothers, a popular Tibetan music and solo Tibetan singer Jampa also performed during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet'. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)
Team Dharma Bums Performs during the 'Conference for an Indenpendence Tibet' at the Gandhi Peace Foundation on June 23, 2007. Founded by songwriter-activist Phil Void in the early 70s, the 'Dharma Bums' has performed all over the world for cause of a Free Tibet. The group was started as a loose collection of musicians seeking enlightenment. JJI Exile Brothers, a popular Tibetan music and solo Tibetan singer Jampa also performed during the 'Conference for an Independent Tibet'. (Photo: Friends of Tibet)

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'Conference for an Independent Tibet' (June 23-24, 2007, New Delhi)
CONFERENCE RESOLUTION:

The Conference called for recognizing Tibet as a colony and that the United Nations and other bodies of the International community be compelled to remove the last vestiges of colonialism, and grant demand of Independence for Tibet. It cited the Resolution number "49/89 Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples" of 7th February 1995 adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations as follows: "Having examined the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, 1/Recalling its resolution 1514(XV) of 14 December 1960, containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and all its subsequent resolutions concerning the implementation of the Declaration, most recently resolution 48/52 of 10 December 1993, as well as the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, Recognizing that the eradication of colonialism is one of the priorities of the Organization for the decade that began in 1990, Deeply conscious of the need to take, speedily, measures to eliminate the last vestiges of colonialism by the year 2000, as called for in its resolution 43/47 of 22 November 1988 ."

The above-cited resolution, ratified even by China, makes it the moral responsibility of the UN and the member nations of this body to call a special meeting of the General Assembly and impress upon China that in view of this Resolution, China must restore full independence to whole of Tibet i.e. all the three provinces and its people.

The Conference adopted a four-point resolution, which will guide its call for Independence of Tibet and its plan of action in the coming years:

RESOLUTION

"Realizing that Complete Independence (Poorna Swaraj) under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and with the help of India and other members of the freedom-loving world community is the only hope for Tibet, the Conference RESOLVES:-

1) To call upon the Government of India to recognize the Tibetan Government-in-Exile as the sole legitimate Government of Tibet and the Tibetan people and His Holiness the Dalai Lama as its sole political and spiritual leader.

2) To call upon the United Nations to fulfill its obligation in view of its 1993 UN Declaration that there should remain no colonized country in the world by the year 2000.

3) To call upon every member of the international community to recognize Tibet as one of the last remnants of colonial rule in need of decolonization.

4) To call upon all Tibet Support Groups around the world to put back Complete Independence as their main agenda in their campaigns and observe 22 November every year as "Anti-Colonialism Day" and to run signature campaigns reminding the United Nations to implement its resolutions on Colonialism."

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Friends of Tibet (India)

Friends of Tibet, PO Box 16674, Bombay 400050, India.

Friends of Tibet is a people's movement to keep alive the issue of Tibet through direct action. Our activities are aimed at ending China's occupation of Tibet and the suffering of the Tibetan people. Friends of Tibet supports the continued struggle of the Tibetan people for independence.