Tibetan Parlimentary & Policy Research Centre

In the last few decades, there has been increasing support for the Tibetan people in many democratic countries, and consequently growing support and sympathy for the Tibetan issue in the parliaments and governments. Riding on this ground swell of support, the All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet organized the First World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet in New Delhi from March 18-20, 1994.

 

New Delhi Convention: The First World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet attracted 67 parliamentarians from 25 countries. It issued a statement on March 20, which has come to be known as the New Delhi Statement on Tibetan Freedom, reaffirming the independence of Tibet before its invasion and subsequent occupation by China, called "for the information of all-party parliamentarian groups on Tibet in the parliaments which did not have such groups, as well as an international network of parliamentarians to coordinate activities on the Tibetan issue."

Vilnius Convention: The Second World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet, held from March 26 to 28, 1995, attracted 88 parliamentarians from 21 countries. The convention reaffirmed its support to the New Delhi Statement on Tibetan Freedom and resolved to "initiate investigations, hearings and inquiries on the legitimacy of China's claim that Tibet is a part of China, in every parliament represented at the convention, and to persuade members of other parliaments to do the same, as a prelude to according recognition to the Tibetan Government-in-Exile."

Accomplishments The two conventions on Tibet in New Delhi and Vilnius have contributed enormously to increasing the network of friends of Tibet in the international community and, thus, have had a powerful impact in the effectiveness of the Tibetans' lobbying efforts both at the United Nations and in the international community at large. On account of frequent discussions in various parliaments on the Tibet issue, government officials of concerned countries are left better informed about the situation in Tibet and so, are more sympathetic when receiving Tibetan officials.

The conventions have had powerful positive effects on two important events: the 4th World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995 and the imposition of the Chinese Panchen Lama on the Tibetan people. The friends of Tibet have in a way encouraged Tibetan women to actively and eloquently state the case of the status of Tibetan women in occupied Tibet at the Beijing Women's Conference. Their activities, their courage in carrying the struggle of the Tibetan people in the lion's den, so to speak, have received well-deserved and wide coverage in the international media.

The other positive impact of the two conventions was on the issue of the Panchen Lama. In late November 1995, when China imposed its Panchen Lama on Tibetan people, parliaments, across the world, quickly condemned the move as a blatant interference in the religious freedom in Tibetan people. The parliaments have urged China to release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the real Panchen Lama, from custody and to respect the religious sentiments of the Tibetan people.

Listed below are some of the important specific accomplishments of the Tibetans following the two parliamentary conventions on Tibet.

Expansion of Parliamentary Groups for Tibet: On May 30, 1994, a Polish Parliamentary Forum for Tibet was formed with 18 members belonging to both chambers of parliament. The forum was officially registered in the Polish Parliament. The stated aim of the Forum is to spread the word about the Tibetan tragedy in Poland and to promote constructive dialogue between Dharamsala and Beijing.

Parliamentary support groups for Tibet were set up in Latvia and Estonia in September, 1994. And an eight-member group in Latvia was announced on September 8, 1994 while a 20-member group was officially formed in Estonia on September 27, 1994.