Ahead of the G7 foreign ministers’ upcoming meeting in Münster, Germany, the International Campaign for Tibet has called on the group to raise Tibet in its summit communiqué.
In a letter to the foreign ministers, ICT said: “We believe that the policies of the Chinese Communist Party affect not only the very lives of Tibetans, but also regional and international security, which necessitates an approach reflective of this understanding, in particular by the G7 countries.”
The situation in Tibet and elsewhere should therefore be viewed as relevant to regional and international security, ICT added. This is of concern not only for human rights but also for the implications of China’s aggressive policies toward bordering countries such as India, Nepal and Bhutan. As the Tibetan Plateau is the source of Asia’s major rivers and supplies more than 1 billion people downstream with fresh water, ICT is concerned that the aggressive resource-related policies of the Chinese Communist Party will lead to regional conflict.
ICT welcomed the communiqué by the G7 foreign ministers from May 2022, which stated: “We remain deeply concerned by the human rights situation in China, particularly in Xinjiang and Tibet. In line with China’s obligations under international and national law, we urge China to fully respect human rights.”
The upcoming meeting in Münster will take place on 3 and 4 November and is hosted by Germany.
Letter to G7 foreign ministers
Below is the text of ICT’s letter to the G7 foreign ministers:
To the
G7 Foreign Ministers of
Canada
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
the United Kingdom
the United States of America
and the High Representative of the European Union
Dear Foreign Ministers,
We are writing to you in light of the upcoming G7 Foreign Ministers meeting in Münster, Germany. The International Campaign for Tibet, a global non-governmental organization working towards the democratic freedoms and human rights of Tibetans, would like to offer recommendations with regard to the Sino-Tibetan conflict.
We believe that the policies of the Chinese Communist Party affect not only the very lives of Tibetans, but also regional and international security, which necessitates an approach reflective of this understanding, in particular by the G7 countries. Such should be visible in deliberations of the upcoming Foreign Ministers meeting in Münster, as in our view it were conducive to the protection of a rules based international order, to the rule of law and the protection of human rights.
On May 14, 2022, the G7 Foreign Ministers, in a Communiqué stated: “We remain deeply concerned by the human rights situation in China, particularly in Xinjiang and Tibet. In line with China’s obligations under international and national law, we urge China to fully respect human rights.”
We welcome this statement, as it gives due recognition to the worrisome human rights situation in Tibet. After ten years of Xi Jinping’s leadership, the country has been turned into a totalitarian police state, serving as a testing ground for repressive policies. The Chinese Communist Party attempts to sever Tibetans’ ties to their language, their children, their way of life, their Buddhist culture and to their spiritual leader His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The international community must not accept this willful, systematic, and harshly executed eradication of the Tibetan culture. It should recognize that the Chinese Communist Party policies towards Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hongkongers and Chinese, towards Mongolians, and others are interconnected. It should act, and consider tangible measures to address the situation in Tibet. It should be understood that inaction towards the Chinese Communist Party’s policies in Tibet has emboldened the Party to further pursue its aggressive policies.
We are particularly concerned about Beijing’s assertiveness with regard to the succession of the Dalai Lama. States should publicly call for respect for the religious rights of Tibetans to appoint their clergy, including the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, without state interference. This would undoubtedly raise the stakes for the Chinese Communist Party and ultimately contribute to conflict prevention on the Tibetan Plateau.
We would therefore like to recommend to once again include the human rights situation in Tibet into a G7 Foreign Ministers Communiqué, and to stress the need for unfettered access to Tibet for independent monitoring, and for independent media and civil society organizations.
In this light, the situation in Tibet and elsewhere should be viewed as relevant to regional and international security. This concerns not only the protection of human rights, but also the implications of aggressive policies pursued by the Chinese Communist Party with regard to bordering countries such as India, Nepal and Bhutan. More so, as the Tibetan Plateau is the source of Asia’s major rivers and supplies more than a billion people downstream with fresh water, we are concerned that aggressive resource related policies of the Chinese Communist Party will lead to regional conflict. On the contrary, if Tibetans were included in what should be a participatory and inclusive resource policy, this would with no doubt have a moderating and preventative effect on Chinese Communist Party policies. We would like to stress, in this context, that it is our conviction that the current assertive policies of the Chinese Communist Party are a direct result of the lack of self-determination of Tibetans. An unresolved Sino-Tibetan conflict represents a threat for regional and international security.
We would therefore like to recommend to include into a G7 Foreign Ministers Communiqué the relevance of protecting the rights of Tibetans, and others under Chinese Communist Party rule, to the security of the region and to conflict prevention and resolution, and to call for the Chinese government to address the legitimate grievances of Tibetans in particular.
Dear Foreign Ministers, Excellencies, we would be grateful if these aspects could find your attention and interest. We believe that our recommendations are in the best interest of human rights, justice and a rules based international order. We would therefore appreciate if they could be included in your policies towards the People’s Republic of China, at the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting and beyond.
We remain, respectfully,
Bhuchung Tsering
Interim President
International Campaign for Tibet