On October 21 more than 130 Tibet Support Groups (TSGs) from around the world signed a letter to the European Commission and other political leaders calling for the appointment of an EU Special Coordinator for Tibet. The letter was signed and sent from the Fourth International Conference of Tibet Support Groups in Prague, Czech Republic.

The Conference, held 18 – 21 October 2003, was attended by 260 participants from 47 countries, including representatives from Africa, Asia and Latin America. The text of the letter, TSG signatories and recipients follows below:

Letter from the Fourth International Tibet Support Group Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, 18 – 21 October 2003

c/o Keizersgracht 302
1016 EX Amsterdam
The Netherlands

21 October 2003

RE: Appointment of European Union Special Representative for Tibet

Dear Members of the Council, Prospective Members of the Council, President Prodi, Commissioner Patten, Secretary General Solana, and President Cox,

We, the 265 participants from 46 countries representing the international Tibet support group movement gathered in Prague, respectfully call on the European Union (EU) to appoint at a senior level a Special Representative for Tibet without delay.

We make this call bearing in mind:

  • the two European Parliament (EP) resolutions calling for the appointment of an EU Special Representative for Tibet (15th January 1998 and 11th April 2002);
  • the allocation in the EU budget for such an appointment; and
  • the requests made by His Holiness the Dalai Lama for such an appointment in his address to the EP on 24th October 2001 and in his letters of 11th March 2002 to the Foreign Ministers of all 15 EU Member States.

The appointment of a EU Special Representative is in keeping with the EU’s approach to ensuring the effective implementation of EU policy and with its practice of promoting the resolution of conflicts in other regions, such as the Balkans, Caucasus and the Middle East. The value of creating such a position is well demonstrated by the US Special Coordinator for Tibet’s important contribution for that country’s policy formulation. The position has also played a central role in the development of multi-lateral strategies, the provision of humanitarian assistance, monitoring and promotion of human rights, and the development of diplomatic efforts.

The Tibetan struggle for freedom and human rights is a long-standing one, and its non-violent nature is exemplary in these times of increased violence and terrorism. Active multi-lateral engagement is necessary for the achievement of a lasting solution to this situation. The appointment of a EU Special Representative for Tibet would highlight the EU’s commitment to the peaceful resolution of conflicts. It would also demonstrate the European Council and Commission’s responsiveness to the strong and unwavering support for Tibet that exists among European citizens.

The situation of Tibet is now urgent. At the same time, the resumption of contacts between Envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Chinese Government after 10 years and the change of leadership in China present an important new opportunity for movement on the issue of Tibet. In September 2003, the European Commission highlighted promoting dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Beijing as a priority for the EU’s bilateral political dialogue with China. As such, the EU’s immediate appointment of a Special Representative for Tibet is an effective and practical way for the member states of the EU to further the process of dialogue and negotiations between the two parties.

We thank you in advance for paying serious consideration to this issue and look forward to receiving your positive response to this widely supported proposal.

Yours sincerely,

  • Amigos de la Culture Tibetana Argentina, Argentina
  • Australia Tibet Council, Australia
  • Australian Tibet Society, Australia
  • Tibetan Community of Australia NSW, Australia
  • Australia in Tibet Ltd., Australia
  • Austrian Committee for Tibet, Austria
  • Save Tibet, Austria
  • Tibet Solidarity Forum, Bangladesh
  • Les Amis du Tibet, Belgium
  • Canada Tibet Committee, Canada
  • Grupo de Apoyo a Tibet, Chile
  • Society for Croatia-Tibet Friendship, Croatia
  • TSG Split-Croatia, Croatia
  • Lungta TSG, Czech Republic
  • Olympic Watch, Czech Republic
  • Tibetan Community, Denmark
  • TSG Denmark, Denmark
  • Amigos del Tibet del El Salvador, El Salvador
  • Estonian Mahayana Institute, Estonia
  • Campaign for Tibet, Finland
  • Aide au Tibet, France
  • Association France-Tibet, France
  • Association France-Tibet 59/62, France
  • Association Drome Ardeche Tibet, France
  • Club Tibet de Strasbourg, France
  • Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain, France
  • Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain de l?Herault, France
  • Eco-Tibet France, France
  • Etudiants pour un Tibet Libre, France
  • Maison des Himalayas, France
  • Maison du Tibet, Tibet Info, France
  • Mos Amis de l?Himalaya, France
  • Passeport Tibetain, France
  • Reseau International des Femmes pour le Tibet, France
  • Tibetan Community in France and its Friends, France
  • Autodetermination-Tibet, France
  • La Trans Himalayenne pour le Tibet, France
  • Association of Tibetans in Germany, Germany
  • International Campaign for Tibet, Deutschland
  • Tibet Forum, Germany
  • Tibet Initiative Deutschland e.V., Germany
  • Tibet Initiative Deutschland e.V. Hamburg, Germany
  • Tibet Initiative Deutschland Munich, Germany
  • Tibetisches Zentrum e.V., Germany
  • Amigos del Tibet – Guatemala, Guatemala
  • Tibet Support Association, Hungary
  • Bharat-Tibet Sahyog Manch, India
  • Core Group for Tibetan Cause, India
  • Gu-Chu-Sum Movement for Tibet, India
  • Himalayan Committee for Action on Tibet, India
  • India-Tibet Coordination Office, India
  • India-Tibet Friendship Society, India
  • National Democratic Party for Tibet, India
  • Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, India
  • Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre, India
  • Tibetan Womens’ Association, India
  • Tibetan Youth Congress (Centrex), India
  • Tibet Support Group, Ireland
  • Israeli Friends of the Tibetan People, Israel
  • Association of Towns, Provinces and Regions for Tibet, Italy
  • Associazione Italia-Tibet, Italy
  • Casa del Tibet, Italy
  • CISL-Campagna di Solidarieta?com il Popole Tibetano, Italz
  • Tibetan Community in Italy, Italy
  • Tibetan Women?s Association, Italy
  • Tibet Support Network, Japan
  • Tibet Support Group, Kenya
  • Zida Cels, Latvia
  • Tibet-Unterstutzung, Liechtenstein
  • Tibetan Culture Foundation, Lithuanian
  • Les Amis du Tibet, Luxembourg
  • Casa Tibet, Mexico
  • Human Rights Organisation of Nepal, Nepal
  • International Campaign for Tibet Europe, The Netherlands
  • TSG Nederlands, The Netherlands
  • Friends of Tibet, New Zealand
  • Students for a Free Tibet Norway, Norway
  • The Norwegian Tibet Committee, Norway
  • Tibetan Community in Norway, Norway
  • Peruvian Tibetan Cultural Association, Peru
  • Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Poland
  • Polish Movement for Free Tibet, Poland
  • Polish-Tibetan Friendship Association, Poland
  • Students for a Free Tibet Poland, Poland
  • Tibet Support Group Romania, Romania
  • Friends of Tibet Society-Buriat, Russia
  • Friends of Tibet Society-St. Petersbourg, Russia
  • Kalmyk Society of Tibet Friends, Russia
  • Tibetan Community Moscow, Russia
  • TSG Krasnodar Region, Russia
  • TSG Moscow, Russia
  • TSG Tuva, Russia
  • Lungta Slovakia, Slovakia
  • Tibet Support Group Slovenia, Slovenia
  • South African Friends of Tibet, South Africa
  • Tibet Society of South Africa, South Africa
  • Comite de Apoyo al Tibet (CAT), Spain
  • Casa del Tibet, Spain
  • Friends of Tibet, Sri Lanka
  • Students for a Free Tibet-Sweden, Sweden
  • Swedish Tibet Committee, Sweden
  • Associazione Ticino-Tibet, Switzerland
  • Games of Beijing Games, Switzerland
  • Porte du Tibet, Switzerland
  • Swiss-Tibetan Friendship Association, Switzerland
  • Tibetan Community in Switzerland, Switzerland
  • Tibetan Women?s Association- Switzerland, Switzerland
  • Tibetan Youth Association in Europe, Switzerland
  • Tibet Democratie, Switzerland
  • Department of International Affairs, DPP, Taiwan
  • Act for Tibet, United Kingdom
  • Edinburgh University Tibet Society, United Kingdom
  • Free Tibet Campaign, United Kingdom
  • ITSN Steering Committee, United Kingdom
  • Scotland Tibet Association, United Kingdom
  • Students for a Free Tibet, United Kingdom
  • Tibet Society of the UK, United Kingdom
  • Tibetan Community in Britain, United Kingdom
  • Bay Area Friends of Tibet, USA
  • International Campaign for Tibet, USA
  • International Tibet Independence Movement, USA
  • ITSN Steering Committee, USA
  • Kundrel, USA
  • Los Angeles Friends of Tibet, USA
  • Rangzen Alliance, USA
  • San Diego Friends of Tibet, USA
  • Students for a Free Tibet – USA, USA
  • The Dalai Lama Foundation, USA
  • Tibet Justice Center, USA
  • TIBETmichigan, USA
  • Tibetan Studies Society, USA
  • U.S. Tibet Committee

Recipients:

  • Mr Silvio Berlusconi, President of the Council of Ministers
  • Mr Franco Frattini, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Italy
  • Mr Wolfgang Schussel, Federal Chancellor, Austria
  • Mr Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Austria
  • Mr Guy Verhofstadt, Prime Minister, Belgium
  • Mr Louis Michel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Belgium
  • Mr Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic
  • Mr Vladimir Spidla, Prime Minister, Czech Republic
  • Mr Cyril Svoboda, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Czech Republic
  • Mr Tasso Papadopoulos, President of the Republic, Cyprus
  • Mr George Iacovou, Mininster for Foreign Affairs, Cyprus
  • Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Prime Minister, Denmark
  • Mr Per Stig Moller, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Denmark
  • Mr Arnold Ruutel, President of the Republic, Estonia
  • Mr Jurhan Parts, Prime Minister, Estonia
  • Ms Kristiina Ojuland, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Estonia
  • Mrs Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic, Finland
  • Mr Matti Vanhanen, Prime Minister, Finland
  • Mr Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Finland
  • Mr Jacques Chirac, President of the Republic, France
  • Mr Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Prime Minister, France
  • Mr Dominique Galouzau de Villepin, Minister for Foreign Affairs, France
  • Mr Gerhard Schroeder, Federal Chancellor, Germany
  • Mr Joschka Fischer, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Chancellor, Germany
  • Mr Konstantinos Simitis, Prime Minister, Greece
  • Mr Giorgos Papandreou, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Greece
  • Mr Ferenc Madl, President of the Republic, Hungary
  • Mr Peter Medgyessy, Prime Minister, Hungary
  • Mr Laszio Kovacs, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hungary
  • Mr Bertie Ahern, Prime Minister, Ireland
  • Mr Brian Cowen, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ireland
  • Ms Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of the Republic, Latvia
  • Mr Einards Repse, Prime Minister, Latvia
  • Ms Sandra Kalniete, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Latvia
  • Mr Rolandas Pakas, President of the Republic, Lithuania
  • Mr Algirdas Brazauskas, Prime Minister, Lithuania
  • Mr Antanas Valionis, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lithuania
  • Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister, Luxembourg
  • Ms Lydie Polfer, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luxembourg
  • Mr Guidi De Marco, President of the Republic, Malta
  • Mr Edward Fenech Adami, Prime Minister, Malta
  • Mr Joe Borg, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Malta
  • Mr Jan P. Balkenende, Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs, The Netherlands
  • Mr Jaap G. de Hoop Scheffer, Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands
  • Mr Aleksander Kwasniewski, President of the Republic, Poland
  • Mr Leszek Miller, Prime Minister, Poland
  • Mr Vlodyimiery Cimoszewicz, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Poland
  • Mr Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, Prime Minister, Portugal
  • Ms Teresa Patricio Gouveia, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Portugal
  • Mr Janez Drnovsek, President of the Republic, Slovenia
  • Mr Anton Rop, Prime Minister, Slovenia
  • Mr Dimitrij Rupel, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Slovenia
  • Mr Rudolf Schuster, President of the Republic, Slovakia
  • Mr Mikulas Dzurinda, Prime Minister, Slovakia
  • Mr Eduard Kukan, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Slovakia
  • Mrs Ana Palacio, Foreign Minister, Spain
  • Mr Jose Maria Aznar, Prime Minister, Spain
  • Mr Goran Persson, Prime Minister, Sweden
  • Mr Laila Freivalds, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sweden
  • Mr Tony Blair, Prime Minister, United Kingdom
  • Mr Jack Straw, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, United Kingdom
  • Prof. Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, European Commission
  • Mr Christopher Patten, Commissioner for External Affairs, European Commission
  • Mr Javier Solana, Secretary General, European Council
  • Mr Pat Cox, President of the European Parliament, European Parliament