h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Copy the Text below, and email to the two ministers at the given email addresses, and do your bit for freedom.
_______________________________________________________

Dear Minister Karel De Gucht (Minister for Foreign Affairs) : [email protected]

Dear Didier Donfut (State Secretary for European Affairs) : [email protected]

We have learnt that His Holiness the Dalai Lama will not be attending the TSG Conference this Friday (11th May) due to the Belgian government's unwillingness to have him present at the Conference. This follows strong pressure from China on Belgium not to allow His Holiness to attend the Conference and in connection with the upcoming Belgian trade delegation (16th - 26th June 2007) to China led by the Belgian Crown Prince Philippe.

The Tibetan Government in Exile has put a press statement on the Dalai Lama not being able to participate in the TSG Conference. Attached below and on this website: http://www.tibet.net/en/prelease/2007/090507.html

In the name of the basic democratic values and human rights, I wish to express my amazement and rejection of such flagrant submissiveness to the Government of China´s attempt to violate with total impunity another basic human and democratic right and try to hide or manipulate its responsibilities in the Tibet issue.

For the government of Belgium to blatantly bow to China in this way and deny the Dalai Lama, an internationally renowned religious leader and a former Nobel laureate, freedom of speech is nothing short of an outrage. If this is the way all so-called democracies will start to behave when bullied by China, the future for human rights around the world, let alone in Tibet, looks very bleak indeed. And to think that China was awarded the 2008 Olympic Games. Has no-one the courage to stand up to this oppressive regime?

Although the decision by the Belgian government to block His Holiness' participation will no doubt cast a cloud over the forthcoming Conference, everybody that had planned to attend the Conference will be in Brussels with a stronger voice. Through the participation in the Conference, we will together be able to demonstrate our continued determination to continue the struggle and to collectively denounce this shameful decision by the Belgian Government.

In the name of the dignity of our democratic and European values and that of the Belgium Government that you represent we ask you to reconsider this decision and give a credible solution to what will only be a source of scandal and mistrust to your independence.

Yours sincerely.

Chai, done and done and copied to my long suffering MP (Limp Biscuit - the Lib Dem's cheeky boy).

Thanks Math, Keep spreading the word.

Hi Chai,

I've now posted it to a number of druid and pagan lists. They tend to be less apathetic than H2G2-ers...

Blessings,
Matholwch .

Short version sent off today:

Dear Minister [etc]

I am informed that the Dalai Lama will not be attending the Tibet
Support Group Conference today (Friday 11th May) following strong
pressure exerted by China on the Belgian government not to allow him
to attend.

How can this decision possibly reflect well on anybody involved --
other than the Dalai Lama and his supporters, of course? It looks like
an outrageous instance of kowtowing to a government that we should be
questioning critically, and it clearly appears to be done for the sake
of smoothing a Belgian trade delegation's welcome to China.

Yours faithfully [etc]

Well sir, somehow I was forwarded this into one of my links on something on my page... not quite sure how, but am quite honored to have it be linked there, nonetheless. Yep, ever since China 'absorbed' (euphemism) Tibet there have been lots of hairy goings on, haven't there? They don't talk about it very much/often too much lately over where I live. Busy fussing about other things instead, but... it's real... what had happened there. I know it was. People who say it wasn't... I mean, Tibet did used to be it's own Nation... up until around, the '70s was it?

Oh d@*n, not much I can do about that one as an American. We're up to our eyeballs in our own messes right now.
...

Here is the Belgian Foreign Minister's Response:

>Dear Sir/Madam,
>
>Thank you for your e-mail.
>
>In response, I would like to inform you of the following:
>
>The Dalai Lama is a religious leader who is highly respected in Belgium.
>He is always welcome here and has paid several visits to our country
>already, the latest occasion being in 2006.
>
>The Chinese Embassy was informed of his visit on 5 April and immediately
>issued a negative response.
>
>Nonetheless, on 14 April a visa was issued by the Belgian Embassy in New
>Delhi, entitling the Dalai Lama to enter Belgium. That visa is still
>valid.
>
>It was entirely the Dalai Lama's decision to call off the visit. His
>approach has always entailed avoiding any negative impact on the
>external bilateral relations of friendly countries.
>
>We respect his decision, and reiterate that he remains welcome to visit
>Belgium.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Karel De Gucht