PARLIAMENTARY LOBBY GROUP

FOR TIBET

The Parliamentary Lobby Group for Tibet was established in March 1994 during my visit to Parliament in Wellington at which I addressed a few members of Parliament who were gathered to hear me put the case of Tibet before them. After my speech and questions and answers I was asked to leave the room so that the members could discuss this amongst themselves. Then I was called in. I was delighted to learn that they had decided for form the Parliament Lobby Group for Tibet and Mr Ian Revell was elected as the Chairman. I was to keep in touch with him on the subject of Tibet and he would let the others know about the latest information on Tibet.

Friends of Tibet (NZ) sponsored Mr Ian Revell to attend the Second Parliamentarian Convention on Tibet in Lithuania in 1994 and again the Third Parliamentarian Convention on Tibet in Washington DC in April 1997.

During the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to New Zealand in September 1996, the PLG for Tibet hosted an afternoon tea for His Holiness, where His Holiness thanked the members present for the work they do for the plight of the Tibetan people, and also gave them up-to-date information on the situation of Tibet. He also asked them to do what ever they could to bring the Chinese government to the negotiation table with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his Representatives to find a peaceful solution to the future status of Tibet.

The Parliament Lobby Group for Tibet received a petition to the New Zealand Government from Thuten Kesang and 19,000 New Zealanders on 10th March 1999 on the 40th Anniversary of Tibetan uprising against the Chinese Occupation of their country. The petition asks the New Zealand Government to facilitate the negotiation between the Chinese Government and His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his Representatives, without any preconditions, for the future status of Tibet. The petition was duly presented to Parliament by Mr Ian Revell the Chairman of PLG for Tibet. Parliament accepted the petition and referred it to the Select Committee of Foreign Affair and Defence for consideration. Mr Ian Revell and myself appeared before the Select Committee of Foreign Affairs and Defence chaired by Hon Derek Quigley in relation to the petition. Just before the election in 1999 the Committee recommended to Parliament to give this a favourable decision.

From 1994 to 1999 we had 41 members of parliament who were part of the PLG for Tibet. Due to the change of Government and the fact that number of MPs lost their seats, including Mr Ian Revell, the chairman of the PLG for Tibet, we had to rejuvenate the PLG for Tibet

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Between 29th February and 1st March 2000 I wrote to all 120 MPs inviting them to join the PLG for Tibet and I am happy to say that many of the old ones rejoined, and new ones became members of it. Hon. Dr. Nick Smith, MP for Tasman called a meeting in Parliament on 30th May 2000. I flew down to Wellington to once again address the members. The Friends of Tibet (NZ) Wellington Branch also attended the meeting. At the meeting Hon Dr. Nick Smith, MP was elected as the Chairman and Mr. Tim Barnett was elected as a Deputy Chairman. It was agreed at the meeting that there would be one representative from each party through whom the information on Tibet will be distributed.

I have appealed to them to follow up the Petition to Parliament, and help to release His Holiness the Pachen Lama who was recognised by His Holiness. Currently he is somewhere in China under house arrest. He is only 11 years old this year, and has been held by China since 17th May 1995. He is known to be the youngest political prisoner in the World. I also asked the MPs to support Tibet is an Occupied Country, when the subject comes up for discussion. I also asked them to speak to any visiting Chinese diplomat about the situation in Tibet and ask them to convey the message to the Chinese Government.

Thuten Kesang,
National Chairman.

For further information on PLG for Tibet contact :
Hon Dr. Nick Smith, MP for Nelson
Parliament Building
Wellington
New Zealand

E-mail: nick.smith@national.org.nz