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h e w o r l d b a n k 07 July 2000 The World Bank today dropped all consideration of funding the Tibet Resettlement component of the China Western Poverty Reduction Project. China was forced to withdraw the project when the Board was unwilling to allow Bank Management to push the project through without a proper vote after conducting further studies. China has said they will move forward with the project on their own, but will have a very hard time of it without international funding and approval. Congratulations everyone! Do not doubt for one second that the World Bank would have happily funded this project if it wasn't for YOUR hard work. Whether China actually carries out the project on their own now or not, we have still today achieved some very important victories. This is perhaps the first time that the governments of the world have really stood up to the Chinese government and refused to support them. It will mean the world to the Tibetans-- especially those inside Tibet-- to know that the nations of the world today stood up to China and Bank Management and refused to participate in China's eradication of Tibet. And it sets the important precedent that international institutions such as the World Bank can and must be held accountable to meeting their policies and standards, including that which states that locally affected peoples must have a say in the way that their land is 'developped'. As Ven. Samdhong Rinpoche, Chairman of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, said, 'This is not a victory for a person, or for a group of people, or for a country. But this victory is a victory for the justice. Victory for the truth, victory for the non-violence, victory for the preservation of environment, and a victory for the good of humanity. Therefore, there is a reason to be feel happy or satisfied.' Now we must also be vigilant and monitor what, if anything, the Chinese government will do in Tulan. And we have a very tangible next step in the BP Amoco/Petrochina campaign, as that pipeline passes right through Tulan. Thank you again for helping to make this victory possible! Free Tibet! [
photo | nancy jo johnson ]
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