German MPs urge Chancellor Merkel to raise Tibet with Hu Jintao

Phayul (Tuesday, November 01, 2011)

By Tendar Tsering

DHARAMSHALA, November 1: With the G-20 summit scheduled to begin in the next few days, a group of German Parliamentarians urged Chancellor Angela Merkel to raise the Tibetan issue during the summit.

The three German Parliamentarians – Mrs. Sabine Weiss MP (CDU), Mr. Harald Leibrecht, MP (FDP) and Mrs. Sabine Bätzing-Lichtenthäler MP (SPD) in an open letter urged Chancellor Merkel to boldly raise the issue of Tibet with Chinese president Hu Jintao at the summit.

“The situation inside Tibet is currently escalating at a dramatic pace. Tibetans need more political support, especially from Europe,” The MPs said.

“We should not convey the impression that human rights are being traded for economic success and commercial relations.”

The open letter also urged the German government to advocate for an immediate end to China’s repressive policies in Tibet.

“We hope that you can use the G20 Summit to call on the Chinese government to respond to the Tibetan people’s legitimate demands with a meaningful dialogue instead of force,” the letter said.

The MPs acknowledged the German Chancellor for meeting the Tibetan spiritual leader in the Chancellery in 2007, and applauded her for setting an example to other German leaders in the future.

In recent months, ten Tibetans in Tibet have set themselves on fire, calling for freedom in Tibet and return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile.

Tibetans and Tibetan supporters all over the world are gearing for a global campaign during the G 20 summit calling upon world leaders to put pressure on China to consider the genuine grievances of the Tibetan people.