China objects to third Tibet group’s participation in Earth Summit

China has written to the United Nations objecting to the accreditation of the Dharamsala-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), scheduled to take place in Johannesburg in August-September.

TCHRD is the third Tibet organization (after International Campaign for Tibet and the Tibet Justice Center) that China has objected to in the run up to the Summit.

TCHRD was applying for accreditation to WSSD at Prepcom IV in Bali beginning on May 27, 2002.

In a communication to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan (A/CONF.199/PC/19) dated May 14, Wang Yingfan, the Chinese Ambassador to UN, voiced China’s objection to the accreditation stating that “TCHRD is same in nature as “International Campaign for Tibet” and “Tibet Justice Center.”

Ambassador Wang said in the communication, “TCHRD is based in Dharamsala, the ‘headquarters’ of the so-called ‘Tibetan government-in-exile’ which has for a long time devoted itself to splitting Tibet from China. TCHRD is closely associated with the ‘Tibetan government-in-exile’ as proved by TCHRD’s clear statement that Dalai Lama is its ‘patron’. Members of TCHRD are mainly separatists who support the ‘independence of Tibet.'”

“What TCHRD has done is part and parcel of those activities to split Tibet from China,” he continued. “The separatist objective and activities of TCHRD constitute not only an infringement upon the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China but also a serious violation of the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.”

The communication said that TCHRD’s work was irrelevant to the cause of sustainable development and that its real purpose is to slander the Chinese Government through distortions and fabrications, promote separatist and acts against China and defraud the international community of its support. “Participation of TCHRD in the Summit would only be detrimental to the Summit,” it said.

Ambassador Wang said, “China therefore firmly objects to the accreditation of TCHRD to the WSSD and its preparatory process. China is confident that all countries will uphold justice and will understand and support China’s position in this regard.”

TCHRD’s accreditation will be taken up under Item 1 of the provisional agenda in the Prepcom in Bali.