China Aid Association
Attorney Zhu Jiuhu Speaks in Defense of Dalai Lama in Chengdu Courtroom
By chinafreepress.org (translation)
Nov 7, 2008 – 11:39:24 AM
Attorney Zhu Jiuhu Speaks in Defense of Dalai Lama in Chengdu Courtroom
by Zhang Qingyang
(SICHUAN-November 7, 2008) On Wednesday November 5, during the defense statement in the trial of Sichuan Province Chengdu City writer Chen Daojun for the crime of “splitting the Motherland,” Beijing-based attorney Zhu Jiuhu maintained not only that Chen Daojun had committed no crime, but that the Dalai Lama did not advocate independence in the pursuit of splitting the Motherland. It is understood that this is the first time the Dalai Lama’s Tibet policy has been defended by a lawyer in a Mainland court.
During his defense statement, Zhu Jiuhu said: “On March 28, the Dalai Lama said in a written statement addressed to China’s leadership and the international Han community that he does not advocate independence or sovereignty for Tibet, but only meaningful regional autonomy.”
During his plea attorney Zhu cited the following details of the Dalai Lama’s statement: “Here I would like to pledge to our Han compatriots that I have no intention of sowing discord between the Han and Tibetan peoples. On the contrary, I am strongly committed to promoting long-term mutual benefit between our two peoples.”
“The Tibetan Plateau is the source of all of Asia’s major waterways, so protecting its ecosystem is critical. We are also concerned about protecting the core of Tibetan Buddhist culture, and how to preserve the Tibetan language and the special characteristics of our people, etc. For this reason, on behalf of all Tibetans we sincerely seek genuine, meaningful regional autonomy. Tibetans and indeed all ethnic minorities have this right, as clearly detailed in the PRC constitution.” From this candid statement to the world’s people by the Dalai Lama, Chen Daojun concluded that the Dalai Lama was sincere and based his faith in and expressed support of the Tibetans’ actions based on this.
Attorney Zhu also cited the constitution and former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping’s own words to demonstrate that not only do the Dalai Lama’s words not violate the constitution or advocate the splitting of the Motherland, but that it is the Chinese government that has not honored the 17 point agreement (Sino-Tibetan agreement, signed under duress on May 23, 1951). Attorney Zhu stated that in 1980 Deng Xiaoping said: “All ethnic minority regions should be permitted real regional national autonomy.” This illustrates that the original 1951 agreement was not honored. It also highlights that the Dalai Lama’s March 2008 appeal for meaningful, genuine regional national autonomy is simply consistent with Deng’s policy statement, the 17 point agreement and the Chinese constitution.
Attorney Zhu also attacked the Chinese government’s demonization of the Dalai Lama following the March 2008 incident. Zhu said: “After the March incident, Chinese television and other media incessantly condemned the event as a premeditated conspiracy by the ‘Dalai clique’ to achieve independence. But Western leaders including Germany’s prime minister openly stated that in all his extensive activities in the West, the Dalai Lama has never advocated independence but simply called for autonomy.” The question this raises is that, if the Dalai Lama did actively and in advance conspire to incite violence to promote independence, why would the Chinese government continue to negotiate with his representatives?
Attorney Zhu Jiuhu is well known for his human rights defense work. He was born in 1966 in Gansu Province’s Jingyuan County. He graduated from Beijing Normal University’s philosophy department in 1989, and in 2000 earned a PhD in law. In 1998 Zhu was licensed as a lawyer. After finishing his graduate studies he began working with Mo Shaoping’s Law Firm and became Mo’s right-hand man. In 2002 Zhu succeeded in litigating the licensing of Hunan Province’s Shaoyang teachers, and in 2003 gained fame in the rural entrepreneur Sun Dawu’s case. In 2005 he assisted Gao Zhisheng in trying the north Shaanxi oil field case, and was illegally imprisoned for five months for his efforts.
Chinese dissident writer Zhao Dagong praised Zhu’s willingness to openly advocate the Dalai Lama’s positions in a courtroom as an act of extreme courage.http://news.boxun.com/news/gb/china/2008/11/200811071107.shtml