Focus Campaigns

Tibet petition has been submitted! An answer is still pending…

On the 10. In September 2018 Tibetan organizations and the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) submitted the Tibetan petition in the Federal Parliament to the Parliament and the Federal Council. About 11 300 People are calling on the Federal Council and Parliament to better protect the rights of Tibetans in Switzerland and to welcome the Dalai Lama on a visit to Switzerland.

To submit the petition, the national councils spoke in clear terms at the Federal Parliament Rosemary Quadranti (Co-President of the Parliamentary Group Tibet (BDP / ZH) and Lisa Mazzone (GP / GE and President of the GfbV) and Jampa Samdho (Member of the Tibetan Exile Parliament).

Also gave the framework program on the station square in Bern Thomas Büchli (President GSTF) and Lobsang Shitsetsang (Sales Representative of the Tibetan Community in Switzerland and Liechtenstein TGSL) again clearly the demands on the Federal Council and Parliament known.

The Bern section of the TGSL pampered passersby with Tibetan pastries and tea. A short cultural section with Tibetan music and dance showed a little insight into Tibetan tradition.

Statement by Thomas Büchli on the handing over of the petition to the 10. September 2018, Bahnhofplatz Bern

Thomas Büchli (Photo: Franziska Rothenbühler)

If the magazine «Observer»Picks up a topic as a cover story, this has definitely arrived in the middle of Switzerland. 
For us Tibetan organizations in Switzerland, however, the findings of the observer on the influence of China in the West are not real news. For years, decades and decades, we have been talking, writing and appealing for being on the lookout for a China dictatorially driven out of an aggressive Communist Party headquarters in Beijing.
Alone - we all know the saying of the Prophet in his own country ... The Tibetans probably have the most experience in Switzerland with Chinese advances and their real intentions.

In Tibet, the Chinese started their occupation with money - at that time with silver coins - and then turned them against Tibet - today we know the result: According to the Chinese interpretation, there is no Tibet and there has never been one!
If our government and its business tourism group want to do business with China, then please let them learn from the experiences of the Tibetans here: take them seriously in their concerns expressed in the petition presented today. By protecting your rights to freedom of expression, with the right to be Tibetan and not Chinese, we are also protecting our Swiss values ​​against the increasingly aggressive superpower China! The 11 signatories of the petition are a strong signal to our government and our parliament!

Statement by Rosmarie Quadranti on handing over the petition to the 10. September 2018, Bundeshaus Bern

Rosmarie Quadranti (Photo: Franziska Rothenbühler)

As Co-President of the Parliamentary Group, I am pleased to say a few words when handing over the petition.
I myself had agreed to the free trade agreement with China. I confided to the Federal Council that, as far as we are concerned, human rights and human rights will be involved in the talks.
However, with growing concern, I must take note of the fact that the Federal Council more and more often only considers purely economic interests. The latest example is the easing of arms exports to civil war countries.
Therefore, the petition should be a clear sign to the Federal Council, not only to look at economic interests, but just a holistic approach to reappropriately. The economy is important to our country, of course, but it is only one side of the coin.
The petition calls on the Federal Council not to lose sight of developments regarding the human rights situation in Tibet for Tibetans. The petition also demands that Tibetans be safe in Switzerland, from being monitored by China.
The trade relations with China are one side and on the other hand the Federal Council has to be aware that the trading partner China has to be contacted again and again in the negotiations about what we do not like. These are conversations in the quiet little room, which can be successful if the Swiss negotiating partners have enough backbone.
Therefore, even as a proponent of free trade agreements, I urge the Federal Council to stop serving one-sidedly to the economy. What this triggers, he would have actually noticed in the proposed softening of the arms material export. For this reason, together with the Tibetans living here in Switzerland, I call upon the Federal Council and also my parliamentary colleagues to take the concerns seriously and to ensure that Tibetans in Switzerland can continue to feel well and safe and Clear signals are coming from Switzerland that it is improving itself in order to improve the human rights situation of Tibetans in Tibet and, above all, to protect their language and culture.

Documents to download

Information about the campaign

Five years after the signing of Switzerland's Free Trade Agreement with China, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) and Tibetan organizations are concerned about the growing influence of the Chinese government: this has a negative impact on respect for the fundamental rights of Tibetans in Switzerland out. A report was published and a petition was launched. With two attempts, Maya Graf (Greens / BL) and Barbara Gysi (SP / SG) called on the Federal Council to fully analyze the human rights implications of the free trade agreement with China and to evaluate the human rights dialogue with China on respect for human and minority rights ,

The GSTF was heavily involved in the campaign preparation. Their members were called to sign the petition. It also stimulated a public debate about the situation of Tibetans and increased awareness of China's increased influence.

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  1. Mariann Köpfli

    The Tibetans in Switzerland absolutely must be protected and it is not possible that they have to give up their identity as Tibetans, because Switzerland cultivates trade relations with China!

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