Free Tibet is outraged that British Foreign Minister David Miliband has changed the UK's position on Tibet, stating that Tibet is part of China. Free Tibet believes that the change in position, made without any parliamentary discussion, is a major factor in China's walking away from the Sino-Tibetan talks.

The Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, issued a Written Ministerial Statement on 29 October on Tibet in which he announced a change in the British government’s position on the status of Tibet. After 94 years, the British Government stated for the first time that “Tibet is a part of the People’s Republic of China”, despite its previously long held position that China only had a “special position” in Tibet.

Mr Miliband also stated that long term stability in Tibet can be achieved through greater autonomy for Tibet which can only materialise through the Sino-Tibetan dialogue. In its statement the British Government claimed the change of position would help the dialogue process. However, it has had the opposite effect as China announced on 10 November that it would “never” accept calls by the Dalai Lama for greater autonomy in Tibet. The comments were a strong indication that the Chinese side was closing the door on further talks.

The change of position has profound implications for the Tibetan people and was made without any form of parliamentary scrutiny. It also betrays the British public which has historically demonstrated overwhelming support for Tibet and concern for the worsening plight of the Tibetan people.

TAKE ACTION!

Write to your MP and urge him or her to call for scrutiny on the Foreign Secretary’s change of policy especially in light of the collapse of the talks which the British government has always supported as the means to a settlement on the future of Tibet.

Please feel free to use Free Tibet’s sample letter below.
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Dear

I am writing to you to express my outrage at the recent change in the government’s policy on Tibet and to urge you to press for Parliamentary scrutiny of the decision.

The Foreign Secretary announced in a Written Statement on 29 October a change in the British government’s position on the status of Tibet, stating, for the first time, that “Tibet is a part of the People’s Republic of China”. The British government has up until now, for 94 years, recognised Chinese “suzerainty” in Tibet but not full Chinese sovereignty, regarding Tibet having a ‘special position’. Britain’s position was based on treaties it signed with the Tibetan government, notably the Simla Accords of 1913.

Within the same Written Statement the Foreign Secretary has also stated that long term stability in Tibet can be achieved through greater autonomy for Tibet which can only materialise through the Sino-Tibetan dialogue. However Britain changing its historical position on Tibet, stating now that Tibet is “part” of China, effectively compromises the legal and political basis to the Tibetan argument for autonomy. Therefore there is little incentive for the Chinese government to stay in talks regarding autonomy for Tibet.

The British Government claimed the change of position would help the dialogue process but instead it had the opposite effect.

Days after the announcement of the British policy shift, the Chinese official involved in the Sino-Tibetan dialogue broadcasted on state television that China would “never” accept calls by the Dalai Lama for greater autonomy in Tibet, effectively closing the doors on the Sino-Tibetan talks and proving the complete insincerity of the dialogue process.

Therefore I urge you to demand an explanation of the Foreign Secretary’s change of policy; and to urge the Foreign Affairs Select Committee to apply appropriate scrutiny on the change in Britain’s position on the legal status of Tibet.

Specifically, the Foreign Secretary must
1. justify Tibet’s status changing despite Britain’s long standing position
2. clarify what gains the Government aimed to achieve with the shift in policy
3. explain how the British Government will hold the Chinese Government accountable for the worsening human rights violations in Tibet
4. explain the UK’s strategy for securing a just and sustainable resolution to Tibetan governance in Tibet now that the talks have failed.

Yours sincerely,

How to write to your MP
Address:
Name of your MP
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

You can find your MP and send him or her e-mail via the website www.writetothem.com. To find out your MP's name phone the House of Commons Information Office on 020 7219 4272.