London
13 September 1994

Photo - left to right - Mr Kazi Sonam Togpyal, Mr Robert Ford, Mrs Ronguy Collectt (daughter of Sir Charles Bell), Dr Bruno Beger, His Holiness, Mr Henreich Harrer, Mrs Joan Mary Jehu , Mr Archibald Jack and Prof. Fosco Maraini.

On the occasion of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's visit to London in September 1994, His Holiness invited for lunch a group of us who had the privilege to live, visit and work in Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion of the country in 1950, to exchange our experiences and reminiscences of that time.

As some of the few remaining foreigners who witnessed independent Tibet, we are unanimous in our conviction that Tibet was a fully sovereign country. The independence of Tibet was evident by our observation of the following facts:

1. The Government of Tibet had absolute control over its internal and external affairs;

2. There was no Chinese involvement in any form in the affairs of Tibet;

3. His Holiness the Dalai Lama was the supreme temporal and spiritual leader of the country to whom the Tibetan people showed unswerving loyalty;

4. Tibet issued its own currency and stamps;

5. Tibet was economically self-sufficient;

7. Tibet raised and maintained its own small army;

6. Tibet had its own distinct language, writing, culture and traditions.

8. Tibet remained neutral during the Second World War;

We are deeply concerned by the continuing occupation of Tibet by the Chinese which has resulted in:

1. the continuing gross violation of human rights;

2. the death of one sixth of the population of Tibet (1.2 million);

3. a massive transfer of Chinese population into Tibet with the consequence that Tibetans are now a minority in their own land;

4. environmental degradation including massive deforestation;

5. continuing attacks on Tibet's cultural and religious heritage, including the denial of religious freedom;

5. a birth control policy which includes forced sterilisation and abortions;

6. the militarisation and deployment of nuclear weapons in Tibet threatening the security and peace in Asia.

We call upon the international community to recognize the continuing injustice and suffering of the Tibetan people and to urge their governments to take appropriate actions to save Tibet's unique cultural heritage before it is too late and to restore Tibet's former independence.

Mrs Joan Mary Jehu- Visited Tibet in September 1932. Accompanied her father Colonel Weir, the Political Officer in Sikkim on an official mission to Tibet.

Mr Robert Ford - Radio Officer with the British Mission in Lhasa in 1945 and from 1948 to 1950 Radio Officer to the Tibetan Government.

Mr Henreich Harrer - Seven Years in Tibet from 1943 to 1950

Mr Archibald Jack - 1938 visited the British Army garrison at Gyantse.

Dr Bruno Beger - Anthropologist, ethnologist, geographer and physician of the 1939 German Schäfer expedition to Tibet.

Prf. Fosco Maraini - Visited Tibet in 1937 with Professor Giuseppe Tucci if Rome University. Travel from Gangtok to Gyantse. Again visited Tibet in 1948 with Professor Giuseppe Tucci.

Kazi Sonam Togpyal - Official interpreter and translator to the Indian Mission in Lhasa. Arrived in Tibet in 1949 and stay for 7 years there after. Visited Tibet again in 1957-58 as a member of a Indian delegation to explore for the possible visit of Indian Prime Minister Nehru.

(Mr Hugh Richardson was not able to attend the gathering due to poor health.)

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