Joint Member Statement, 19 December 2013
( Also accessible in English in: http://tibetnetwork.org/
Decisions by Spain's independent judiciary to charge and issue arrest warrants against former Chinese leaders anger China
Contacts: Alan Cantos, Tibet Support Committee, email: alan.cantos@ainco.es; Wangchuk Shakapba, International Tibet Network Steering Committee and Tibet Justice Centre + 1 212-481-3569; o Alison Reynolds, International Tibet Network Secretariat, + 44 7711 843884
A la International Tibet Network [1] is seriously concerned by the news that the Spanish government of Mariano Rajoy plans to restrict the independence of the Spanish judiciary in a clear political attempt to archive a pioneering case from Tibet. Citing sources from the Ministry of Justice, The country reported the 15 December that changes in the Organic Law of the Judiciary could be presented by January [2]. There have been several significant developments in the Tibet case in recent weeks that have angered China.: he 9 October 2013 The National Court charged the former Chinese president and former secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Hu Jintao, for genocide and other serious crimes in Tibet, and the 18 November 2013 Judges issued arrest warrants against five Chinese leaders, among whom are another former president and secretary of the Party, Jiang Zemin [3].
“We condemn the Spanish government for any attempt to take precedence of Spain's universal duty to prevent and punish the most egregious human rights abuses in Tibet., being offenses against all humanity”, said Alan Cantos of the Tibet Support Committee based in Madrid and who filed the complaint. [4]. “It is unacceptable that China tries to exert heavy-handed political pressure against an impartial criminal investigation that falls under Spanish judicial sovereignty., and we ask the Spanish government to remain firm.”
Hu Jintao's accusation refers to both the period when he was Party Secretary for the Tibet Autonomous Region (1988 – 1992), when he presided over martial law in 1989, as well as his responsibility for Tibetan politics as Party Secretary and President of China (2002/3 – 2012/13), “since he was the highest ranking person in both the Party and the government”. Hu Jintao lost immunity when he left the Chinese presidency in March 2013. The last two years of his presidency were marked by a wave of self-immolations in Tibet that have continued into the first year of the new Chinese leadership., despite increasingly harsh repression. At least 125 Tibetans have already committed self-immolation in the occupied territory of Tibet including Tsultrim Gyatso, a Tsoe monk in eastern Tibet, who died early today.
China has reacted with fury to the Tibet case. Zhu Weiqun, a Communist Party official, he said 17 October in Brussels: “This is ridiculous.”. Anyone who thinks like that humiliates themselves, and if the courts of any country accept the accusation, they also humiliate themselves. Filing a complaint against China only demonstrates the weakness of some countries today. I wouldn't be surprised if this malicious lawsuit had been hatched by the Dalai gang.. If a country accepted the complaint, he would only look terribly embarrassed. I would like to use a Chinese saying: 'Come, if you are brave enough.” [5]
Wangchuk Shakabpa, member of the Steering Committee of the International Tibet Network and member of the Council of the Tibet Justice Center, said, “We urge the Spanish people and the government to remain strong and defend the democratic principle of judicial independence against political interference, and that they support the barriers of human rights recognized throughout the world and that these Tibet complaints investigate. These cases must be based on the strength of the evidence and a commitment to justice., and not in the political power of the author of the crime. The fact that the Spanish government is considering giving in to political pressure from Beijing is an affront to Spanish judicial sovereignty, victims and universal principles of human rights.”
Experts have already begun to express their indignation against Spain. The procedural lawyer and professor of international criminal law, Manuel Ollé said: “The government wants to become a plaintiff, prosecutor and judge, “And that is how democracy ends.”. Ollé was referring to the news that the proposed legal reforms would allow the Spanish government to invoke reasons of “general interest” to prevent judges from investigating crimes of genocide committed abroad. When he interviewed Ollé for his radio program La Ventana (Chain Being), presenter Carlos Francino said: “(this) It adds to the general hypocrisy of all the human rights speeches they gave just a few days ago during Nelson Mandela's funeral.” [6]
Grades
1. The International Tibet Network is a global coalition of 190 pro-Tibet campaign groups www.tibetnetwork.org
2. http://politica.elpais.com/
https://docs.google.com/
3. See RFA, 11 October, http://www.rfa.org/english/
4. The Spanish National Court is processing two criminal complaints filed by the CAT in 2005 and 2008. The second of them is currently suspended and under appeal in the Constitutional Court due to a controversial reform of the law of the 2009 to retroactively limit the application of universal jurisdiction, by invoking the need for there to be a 'national connection’ and Spanish victims.
5. See http://eng.tibet.cn/2012sy/
6. For this interview in Spanish see: http://www.cadenaser.com/
Signed by the member groups of the Tibet International Network:
Western Europe
Help for Tibetan Refugees
Association Dorje
Drôme Ardèche-Tibet Association
Tibetan Meetings Association – C.S.P.T. Midi-Pyrenees
Italy-Tibet Association
Austrian Committee for Tibet
Self-determination-Tibet 09/31
Briancon05 Tibet Emergency
Caisse d'Aide aux Prisonniers Tibetains
Tibet House – Spain
Tibet Support Committee (CAT)
Tibetan People Support Committee (The Lilacs)
Corse – Tibet
Eco-Tibet France
EcoTibet Ireland
France Tibet
Free Tibet
Louis Lecoin Non-Violent Group, France
Tibet Support Group, Portugal
International Society of Human Rights, Munich Chapter (ISHR)
Jamtse Thundel Association
The Gate of Tibet, Geneva
Friends of Tibet – Belgium
Les Amis du Tibet Luxembourg
Snow Lions Mont Blanc, France
Run Association Belgium
Himalayan House
House of Tibet – Tibet Info
Nice Tibet
Nos Amis de l'Himalaya
Objective Tibet
Tibetan Passport
Phagma Drolma-Arya Tara
International Women's Network for Tibet
Save Tibet, Austria
Society for Threatened Peoples International
Solidarite Tibet
Students for a Free Tibet – France
Students for a Free Tibet – UK
Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association (GSTF)
Tibet 59 / 62
Tibet Democracy
Tibet Initiative Germany
Tibet's children in exile V.
Tibet Freedom Solidarity
Tibet Libertes, France
Tibet Society, U.K.
Tibet Support Group – Ireland
Tibet Support Group – Netherlands
Tibet Support Liechtenstein
Tibetan Association of Germany
Tibetan Community Austria
Tibetan Community in Britain
Tibetan Community in Ireland
Tibetan Youth Association in Europe
Tibetan Youth UK
TSG Free Tibet And You
Tsowa-Maintaining Life, France
Friends of Tibet
Tibetan Community of Italy
Tibetan-Flemish Circle of Friends vzw
Northern Europe
Association of Free Tibet
Friends of Tibet in Finland
Swedish Tibet Committee
SFT Denmark
The Norwegian Tibet Committee
Tibet Support Committee Denmark
Tibetan Community in Denmark
Tibetan Community Sweden
Central & Eastern Europe
Fair Society o.s.
Friends of Tibet Slovakia
Friends of Tibet Society St. Petersburg, Russia
International Youth Human Rights Group – Human Rights in Tibet
Lithuanian Tibet Culture Foundation
Polish Movement for a Free Tibet
Save Tibet Foundation
Society for Croatia-Tibet Friendship
Students for a Free Tibet, Poland
The Foundation for Civil Society, Russia
Tibet in Czech (Tibet in Czech)
Tibet Support Association – Hungary
Tibet Support Group – Krasnodar Region, Russia
Tibet Support Group – Romania
Tibet Support Group – Sochi Region, Russia
Tibetan Community in Poland
Tibetan Programme of The Other Space Foundation
TSG – Slovenia
Union Latvia Tibetai (Latvia for Tibet )
Zida Cels, Latvia
Tibetan Association of Slovakia
North America
Association Cognizance Tibet, North Carolina
Bay Area Friends of Tibet
Boston Tibet Network
Canada Tibet Committee
Colorado Friends of Tibet
Committee of 100 for Tibet
CTC – Calgary
Dhokam Chushi Gangdruk
International Tibet Independence Movement
Los Angeles Friends of Tibet
Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association
San Diego Friends of Tibet
Santa Barbara Friends of Tibet
Sierra Friends of Tibet
Snow Lion Foundation
Students for a Free Tibet
Students for a Free Tibet – Canada
The Tibetan Alliance of Chicago
The World Tibet Day Foundation
Tibet Committee of Fairbanks
Tibet Justice Center
Tibetan Association of Ithaca
Tibetan Association of Northern California
Tibetan Association of Philadelphia
Tibetan Association of Santa Fe
Tibetan Association of Southern California
Tibetan Cultural Association – Quebec
TIBET Michigan
Tibet Oral History Project
Toronto Tibet Youth Congress
United Nations for a Free Tibet (UNFFT)
U.S. Tibet Committee
Western Colorado Friends of Tibet
Wisconsin Tibetan Association
Central and South America
Friends of Tibet, El Salvador
Peruvian Tibetan Cultural Association
Tibetan Cultural Association – Costa Rican
Casa Tibet Mexico
Tibetan Culture Center – Brazil
Tibet Chile Support Group
Tibetan Pro-Culture Group, Chile
The French Club – Paraguay
Thinking about Tibet – Mexico
Tibet Group-Panama
Tibet Free Homeland, Uruguay
Pro Tibet Foundation – Argentina
Friends of Tibet in Costa Rica
World League for Freedom and Democracy
Asia
Bharat Tibbat Sahyog Manch, India
Core Group for Tibetan Cause, India
Foundation for Universal Responsibility of H. H. The Dalai Lama
Gannasamannay
Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet
Himalayan Committee for Action on Tibet
India Tibet Friendship Society
Japan Association of Monks for Tibet (Super Sangha)
Lung-Ta Project
Mahatma Gandhi Tibet Freedom Movement
National Campaign for Tibetan Support, India
National Democratic Party of Tibet
Raise Tibetan Flag Campaign
Roof of the World Foundation, Indonesia
SFT Japan
SFT India
Students for a Free Tibet – Bangladesh
Taiwan Friends of Tibet
Taiwan Tibet Exchange Foundation
The Youth Liberation Front of Tibet, Mongolia and Turkestan
Tibet Lives, India
Tibet Philippines Support Network
Tibet Solidarity Forum, Bangladesh
Tibet Support Group Kiku, Japan
Tibet Support Network Japan
Tibetan Student Association, Madras (TAM)
Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre
Tibetan Rights and Freedom Committee (TRFRC)
Tibetan Women's Association (Central)
Tibetan Youth Congress
Japan Committee of 100 for TIbet
Ns3 Rigpa Community Builder’s Foundation
International India – Tibbet Sahyog Samiti
Australasia
A.C.T. Tibet Support Group
Australia Tibet Council
Friends of Tibet New Zealand
Students for a Free Tibet New Zealand
