An open letter to China's President designate Xi Jinping

Dear Mr Xi Jinping,

You will take over as the most powerful man in China in March 2013. The world celebrates the 64th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations on December 10, to which China is also a signatory. It is also the day Tibetans celebrate the 23rd anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

While the world celebrates this important occasion as a testament of their support to human rights and freedom, Tibetans inside Tibet are burning in revolt against your oppressive state apparatus.

Tibet is in a crisis situation. Peaceful protests are erupting in all parts of Tibet. Students, artists, intellectuals, monks, nuns and masses are rising against your regime. One of the most drastic forms of protest erupting across Tibet is self-immolation. So far, 95 Tibetans have self-immolated in Tibet and of these, 80 have lost their lives.

The universal demand of the self-immolating Tibetans are return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and restoration of full freedom for the Tibetan people. Unless you address these aspirations of the Tibetan people, they will continue to revolt.

The policies adopted by your predecessors have not only failed abysmally but have also led to systematic alienation, discrimination and marginalization of the Tibetan people. It is evident that resolving the Tibet issue will be mutually beneficial for all concerned.

The change in leadership in China has given renewed hope that better sense and wisdom will prevail. China will be respected as a true global power only when it adopts policies that respect the basic rights and freedoms of all people in its territory. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has mentioned in a recent interview that, “China today has no option but to go for political reforms”. It is best if this transition can happen peacefully.

During the recently concluded International Tibet Support Group Meeting in Dharamsala (the seat of the Central Tibetan Administration ), the participants have unanimously challenged you to make resolving the crisis in Tibet a priority of your leadership.

We the Tibetans in exile are the spokesperson of the voiceless Tibetans inside Tibet. We will not rest until we achieve all the aspirations of our brothers and sisters.

Some of the immediate actions we demand are:

- Stop “Patriotic education” campaign

- Stop interfering in the religious activities of Tibetans

- End ongoing arbitrary arrest and detentions of Tibetans

- End forced eviction of Tibetan nomads from their ancestral land

- Lift restrictions on visits by media and international observers to Tibet

- Resume dialogue with the exile Tibetan leadership

Youdon Aukatsang

Tibetan Member of Parliament

10 December 2012