Speaker Karma Chophel in Tokyo

Tibet House, Tokyo[Tuesday, August 05, 2008]

August 4 - Mr. Karma Chopel Taglungtsang, Speaker of Tibetan Parliament in Exile at Dharamsala arrived Tokyo yesterday. He was here at the invitation of Taiwan Foundation for Democracy to attend and to give keynote speech at 2008 International Conference on Global Support for Democratization in China and Asia (GSDCA) at Kudankain Hall in Tokyo today. The two days conference (Aug 4th and 5th) was organized by several international bodies committed to promotion of democratic values in China and Asia.

Mr. Makino Seishu, a former Japanese Parliamentarian, convener of the conference and Dr. Klaus Rose, former Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Germany, Chairman of the conference welcomed the delegates and participants at the opening of the conference this morning. They said that it is the third conference of Global Support of Democratization in China and Asia, first conference was held in Berlin in 2006 and second conference in Brussels in 2007 and briefed the participants on the contribution that the two conferences made in promoting democratic principle and values in China and Asia. Some three hundred participants comprising Parliamentarians, scholars and human right and democracy movement bodies from Taiwan, Australia, Canada, Japan, Hongkong, Uyghur and Inner Mongolia attended the conference.

A message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama was read before the delegates and the participants. His Holiness has said that although no system of government is perfect, democracy is closest to humanity`s essential nature, and for freedom as the essence of democracy in fact, is the very source of creativity and progress for both individual and society. His Holiness has urged that those of us who enjoy freedom and democracy must continue to fight and inspire the morale of the oppressed people throughout the world. He noted at the end that no one else, no outsider, can bring democracy to China except the Chinese people, therefore, the need to keep their moral up.

Mr Karma Chophel gave the keynote speech; he thanked the organizers for this timely and important conference, and welcomed the delegates and the participants. He said like many scholars and experts, he also firmly believes that democratization of China is a matter of time, it will come sooner or later, but we all need to work together to increase the momentum of this movement. He elaborated through eight points how democratic ideals could get strong foothold in China, he said that democratization of China is for the good of China itself and for the rest of Asia. It will help promote peace and harmony in Asia and around the world. Speaker Karma`s speech was very well received with great ovation by the participants.

Among the speakers in the first session were, Mr. Tamazawa Tokuichiro and Yukio Edano, Japanese Member of Parliament, Mr. Goran Lidblad, Mr. Mark Bishop, Mr. H C Lee, Mr. Rob Anders and Mr. Michael Danby; Parliamentarians from Sweden, Australia, Taiwan and Canada. They all spoke on how to promote democratization and human rights in China and Asia after the 2008 Beijing Olympic.

In the second session, Mr. Dawa Tsering, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Taiwan spoke on the situation in Tibet and the nature of Tibetan struggle. Mr. Khereed from Inner Mongolia and Mr. Ilham from Uyghur spoke on the situation in their respective countries and repression their people are facing. Mr Jianli Yang of Initiative for China, and Ms Kanae Doi of Tokyo Human Right Watch spoke on the effect of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on Human Rights in Mainland China. It was concluded that instead of bringing improvement in Human right issue and press freedom as promised by China, situation has gone the opposite way. China has used the Olympic as an excuse to further consolidate the Party`s grip on the people`s freedom in China and in other areas of Tibet, Uyghur and Inner Mongolia. In this the participants said that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was a total failure.

Question and answers session was done, which was very actively participated by all those present. Medias from Japan, Taiwan and Hongkong greatly covered the event.

Speaker Karma Chophel will attend the second and final day of the conference tomorrow where he will give a concluding remark. He will leave for Delhi on 6th Aug.

Report prepared by Tibet House, Shinjuku, JAPAN