Tenzin Dekyi Office of Tibet)
New York, March 9 – Around 60 people attended a special meeting in Flushing, Queens, yesterday that marked the establishment of the Chinese Tibetan Friendship Society of New York. The launch, held at the China Democracy Party office in Flushing (which is home to a large Chinese community), was conducted in both Tibetan and Chinese with translators. The members of the Chinese Tibetan Friendship Society, four Chinese and four Tibetans, spoke to an audience of local Chinese and Tibetans about the urgent need for better communication and understanding between the Tibetan people and the Chinese people.
The Tibetans were Thupten Thokmey, President of this Society; Tsering Phuntsok, a Tibetan from Tibet; Phurbu Dorjee, Vice President of the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey and Cheden L. Adeytsang of Chushi Gangdruk with Tsering Mingyur as Secretary. The Chinese were Si Yan, a democracy leader; Chen Kexue, American Committee Director of China Freedom Democracy Party; Jun Wang, Chairman of China Democracy Party and Jordan Zhu with Hu Jia as Secretary.
Mr. Wei Jingsheng, China’s famous dissident and the author of document “The Fifth Modernization” on the Democracy Wall in Beijing, 1979, set the tone for this meeting of both Tibetans and Chinese when he said that they cannot continue to be taken in by the Chinese Government. They must form a better relationship with each other so that they won’t be misled by the Chinese Communist Government. Wei Jingsheng proclaimed his hope that this first meeting of the Chinese Tibetan Friendship Society would build the foundation for better understanding and reconciliation.
Mr. Thupten Thokmey expressed his hope that this launch will help to spread the truth about the Tibetan struggle. He said that better communication and better relations with the Chinese will yield better results for the Tibetan cause in the future. Mr. Thokmey pointed out, “His Holiness has said our disagreement is with the Chinese government and His Holiness has faith in the Chinese people.”
Mr. Jun Wang said His Holiness only wants a high level of autonomy, an autonomy that is provided for in the framework of the Chinese constitution. Mr. Jun Wang expressed complete support for the Tibetans’ fight for rights and freedoms. He said that although there have been eight rounds of talks and no changes in the Chinese government’s policy, the international community and many intellectuals inside China support His Holiness’s position. Mr. Wang suggested, “With united effort, we can change China’s policies in the future.”
Mr. Phurbu Dorjee started off by mentioning that this was a meeting of two old cultures and peoples, both with a long and ancient history. He expressed his hope that the goals of this Chinese Tibetan Friendship Society will be fulfilled. He emphasized Tibet’s historical independence and cited Tsepon Shakapa’s travel to America on his Tibetan passport as just one piece of evidence. Mr. Dorjee further said that since 1989, when the Chinese government sent tanks into the square and shot at students and citizens demanding democracy in the Tiananmen massacre, he has had very little hope concerning the government. This lack of hope was further compounded by China’s clampdown on Tibetans during the uprising last year.
However, he recognized the importance of a genuine understanding between Tibetans and Chinese, based on truth and reality instead of lies and propaganda, and hoped that the goals of this Chinese Tibetan Friendship Society will be fulfilled.
