Friday, April 18, 2008

Press Statement

Press Statement regarding the Torch Relay in Bangkok

Solidarity with the Tibetans – “One World, One Peace”

(Bangkok, 19 April 2008) We, representing student organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and human rights organizations, as listed below, have gathered today in conjunction to the Olympic torch relay in Bangkok. We express our solidarity with the Tibetans who have fought for their rights but have faced violent crackdown, mass killings, torture and arbitrary detentions last month.

Our network condemns the actions of the Chinese government, which include killing, arbitrary detention, committing torture, and other human rights violations against the Tibetan people. According to the information received by the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), a human rights organization based in Dharamsala, India, it is reported that after the crackdown on the peaceful demonstrators in Tibet, there were more than 140 people killed, and almost 2,300 detained.

The network does not support the boycott of the Olympic games, but we see that the Chinese government as the host to the Olympics, which is considered an event for humanity, should live up to the Olympic principle of “peace, freedom, solidarity, and respect of human dignity”, as stated in the Olympic Charter. Since we are peace-loving people and as a part of the world citizen, we feel that the Chinese government should respect the principle of the Olympics.

The network has these following demands:

(1) Similar to the demands of the global No Torch in Tibet campaign, we call on the Chinese and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to cancel the torch relay through Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. We are concern with the possible mass human rights violations that will occur after the Chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) stated that the demonstrators will be dealt with “severely”.
(2)
The Chinese government must respect the principle of human rights and the international human rights law. As the Chinese government has used the Olympics to portray improvements in their human rights record, it should not taint these Olympic Games with bloody hands. Additionally, China is a member to the UN Human Rights Council and must be the model for human rights.
(3)
We support the call by regional human rights organizations calling for the UN Human Rights Council to dispatch independent UN investigators to Tibet to conduct a fact finding mission on the human rights violations and reflect accurately the number of people killed, murdered and arrested as well as to give recommendations to the Chinese government.
(4)
The Chinese government must open a round of dialogue with the Tibetan government in exile, especially with the Dalai Lama to discuss an end to human rights violations and the reforms in the Chinese policies to make Tibetans marginalized culturally, politically, and socially.
(5)
The Chinese government must stop human rights violation with its own workers. We also call to the IOC to stop supporting the brand-named sweat shops that exploit labor for salary less than the recognized standard.
(6)
Lastly we call on the Chinese government to improve its human rights record domestically and internationally. We call on China to stop supporting authoritarian regimes such as the Sudan and Burmese military regime.

We believe in peace and freedom for the people.

In solidarity:
Free Tibet Network
Thai Labour Campaign
Student Federation of Thailand
People’s Reforms Group

Chulalongkorn University Social Critics Group
Thammasat University Democratic Socialist Tendency Group
Workers Democracy Group
Campaign Committee for Human Rights
Working Group on Justice for Peace
Youth Network for Peace in Southern Thailand
Young People for Democracy – Thailand
People Coalition Party
Students for a Free Tibet
International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB)

For more information:
Numnual Yapparat
081 583 3713 ,
Anuthee Dechtawaporn – 081 171 3370
Pokpong Lawansiri – 086 603 8844