SECTION VI:CONTACT WITH THE TAR TIBETANS

Women delegates protesting at the Beijing conference Women delegates gagged to symolize China's silencing of Tibetan women's voices at the Beijing conference

SECTION VI: CONTACT WITH THE TAR TIBETANS

 
[The Tibetan delegates who were with the Chinese delegation are 
referred to here as the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) delegates
to simplify terminology and to distinguish them from both the
Tibetan delegates from exile and from the many Chinese delegates,
not to imply anything about these delegates as individuals nor 
as an endorsement in any way of China's designation of the TAR.]  

Contact with the Tibetan delegates who were part of the Chinese 
delegation, here referred to as the TAR delegates, emerged as a 
sensitive and significant issue over the course of the TWD 
preparations for the Beijing Conference.  One TAR delegate attended 
the Cairo Population and Development meeting in September 1994.
The TWD's contact with several more TAR delegates at the New York 
CSW Conference in March 1995 prompted discussions about contact 
between Tibetan exiles and TAR delegates. At the North American
strategy meeting of the TWD in July 1995, the issue was discussed
at length.Sources warned that a group of 500 Tibetan women from 
the TAR, hand-picked by the Chinese government, were undergoing
intensive training for the conference and that their tactics could
include antagonistic provocation of Tibetan exiles.Sources 
indicated that these women were given small gifts such as handbags
and pocket money for attending the UN FWCW.

A.TWD Policy Towards the TAR Delegates

In thinking these allegations through, TWD delegates felt 
that as countrywomen of Tibet, the only appropriate stance would be 
to embrace the delegates from the TAR, while always making the 
distinction that the TAR delegates were unable to speak about the
reality of Tibet due to fear of reprisal from the Chinese government.
The TWD decided to welcome open and friendly conversation, unless 
members sensed that contact was turning towards confrontation, at 
which point TWD delegates would politely disentangle themselves and 
walk away from the conversation. The TWD agreed it was of utmost 
importance not to lose their calm, as the Chinese media would take
advantage of such a situation.The TWD also agreed not to take
any photographs with the TAR delegates, as these too could be 
used as propaganda. The TAR delegates were carefully watched 
by the Chinese government and TWD delegates remained aware of
the potential danger faced by them.

B. About the TAR Delegates

The 62 TAR delegates included several lay men, one monk and 
one nun, as well as many lay women. Almost all of the delegates were
from Lhasa (the capital of Tibet and seat of the current TAR 
administration under Chinese rule).  Their ages ranged from early 
20's to mid 40's. Among the younger delegates were a few women 
who were not Tibetan, but Chinese who may have grown up in the TAR.
One of these woman did not speak Tibetan and served as a 
Chinese-English translator during the TWD workshop on Women and
Development in Tibet.  Members of the TAR delegation came from 
professional backgrounds,holding jobs as researchers, professors
and doctors. One of the TAR delegates holds a position in the
Communist Party and another is the wife of an official in Lhasa.

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