China has once again objected to the accreditation of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) to a world conference. TCHRD has applied for accreditation to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) to be held in Johannesburg in August-September, 2002. The application will be considered by the preparatory committee for the WSSD which is meeting in Bali, Indonesia, from May 27-June 7, 2002.
In a letter dated 14 May 2002 entitled “No accreditation of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy” addressed to the UN Secretary General, the Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN, has alleged that members of the TCHRD are mainly “separatists” who support the independence of Tibet. However in fact, TCHRD is an organisation solely concerned with the human rights situation in Tibet, and hence does not take any political stand on the issue of Tibet.