这份题为“Tibetan Scholars’ Appeal to Halt the Destruction of Old Lhasa”的公开信，于今日（2013年5月15日）凌晨3点56分发布在http://www.petitions24.com/tibetan_scholars_appeal_to_halt_the_destruction_of_old_lhasa，仅八小时，就有35位国际藏学家联署签名，并且还在签名中。目前，这份呼吁书已被译成中文（译者：更桑东智），藏文译文正在翻译中。
藏学家呼吁立即停止对拉萨老城的破坏
致：
中华人民共和国国家主席 习近平 先生
联合国教科文组织总干事 伊琳娜•博科娃 女士
我们，下列签署人，都是来自藏学研究不同领域的独立或隶属于机构的专家学者。出于对拉萨老城区传统建筑遗产及其周边环境遭到加速毁坏的深切关注，在此恭敬地向您递交这份公开信。此种毁坏绝非只是一个单纯的美学问题：
• 此种毁坏已经并且正在摧毁一些不可替代的建筑物，其中有些已经存在了数百年。此种毁坏正在制造一个人为的旅游村，从而使得拉萨老城区不可或缺的藏式风貌和生活方式成为过去。
• 此种毁坏正在剥夺藏人和藏学学者同西藏过往历史之间活生生的联系；
• 这种破坏正在对各阶层的藏人文化和宗教活动的各个方面造成伤害；
• 此种毁坏，再加上（对藏人实施的）前往拉萨旅行和朝圣的实际限制，已经开始改变拉萨一千多年来在藏人生活中所扮演的角色；
• 此种毁坏从一开始就导致了大量藏人从他们自己的家园被强制搬迁，并且正在有效地削弱这个最重要的西藏文化场所之一的藏式风貌；
• 吉曲（拉萨河）的干涸，无节制采矿和工业作业给这个地区河水造成的污染，以及在建的工程项目导致的拉萨地下水枯竭。这些都正在给这个地区招来生态危害。
现代化与保护之间无须相互排斥。有很多把文化作为关注重心的方法来实现古老城市街区的现代化，同时保护传统建筑。但是，对于正在拉萨老城区发生的一切，首先和最重要的问题在于这些行为根本上是出于商业而非文化目的。
这不仅仅是西藏的问题，也不仅仅是中国的问题。这是一个国际性的问题。
自从支持联合国教科文组织（UNESCO）对布达拉宫（包括大昭寺和罗布林卡地区）成为世界遗产地的认定工作，中国便已认可其本质上所包含的国际性质。中国曾于2004年在苏州主办“第28届联合国教科文组织世界遗产委员会大会”。那次大会做出了若干项有关拉萨的决定。那些决定详细提到了保护拉萨老城区的必要性，并且要求老城区的帕廓（Barkor）地区应包含在对大昭寺的保护定义之内：
一个协调拉萨老城区各种活动的管理和开发机构将会有益于解决遗产保护工作所面临的挑战并发挥其潜质，这个机构应当承担起拉萨老城区和世界遗产区域的管理责任……
……历史性传统建筑的保护与复原：除特殊情况之外，应停止拆除历史性传统建筑，尤其在雪村（Shöl）地区。任何有必要复建的建筑物应当符合这个地区的历史特征……
……建议管理当局评估和重新规定当前世界遗产保护区域的界线和适用于布达拉宫、大昭寺（包括帕廓历史区域）和罗布林卡等地的管理规范，同时要考虑到周边景观和环境的遗产价值……
……应鼓励遗产管理当局开展培训活动并为拉萨世界遗产区域的旅游业可持续发展规划提供指导……
鉴于目前的严峻局势：
• 我们请求中国和UNESCO尽快分别向拉萨派遣独立调查组；
• 我们要求调查组就当前局势，以及当地官员和商业利益是否违背了中国因加入UNESCO而应当承担的责任等问题，提交详细报告；
• 最为重要的是，我们要求UNESCO提供一份明确的计划，列出必须立即采取的措施，从而保护拉萨老城，停止当前的毁坏，避免拉萨变成一座21世纪初的旅游城市而失去了它的独特性和固有的传统文化；
• 有关拉萨老城区当前状况的更详细资料可参见（西藏作家茨仁唯色博客中的）下列文章：
Tibetan Scholars’ Appeal to Halt the Destruction of Old Lhasa
To:
President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China
Mme. Irina Bukova, Director-General of UNESCO
We, the undersigned, independent and institutionally-affiliated specialists in various fields of Tibetan Studies, respectfully submit this petition to you out of grave concern over the rapidly-progressing destruction of much of the traditional architectural heritage of the Old City of Lhasa and its environs. This destruction is not simply a question of aesthetics:
· It has been and is destroying irreplaceable structures that in some cases have stood for centuries, creating what appears to be a contrived tourist village and making the organic Tibetan presence and way of life in the Old City a thing of the past.
· It is depriving Tibetans and scholars of Tibet alike of a living connection to the Tibetan past.
· It is causing injury to aspects of the cultural and religious practices of Tibetans from various walks of life.
· Combined with the regulations that effectively restrict travel and pilgrimage to Lhasa, it has begun to alter the role that Lhasa has played in Tibetan life for more than a millennium.
· It is bringing in its wake the forced displacement of large numbers of Tibetans from their own homes, effectively diminishing the Tibetan presence in one of the most important Tibetan cultural sites.
· It is wreaking ecological harm as the Kyichu (Lhasa) River dries up, as unrestrained mining and industrial operations in the region pollute it, and as ongoing construction depletes groundwater in Lhasa.
Modernization and preservation need not be mutually exclusive. There are culturally sensitive ways to modernize ancient city quarters and preserve traditional buildings. But what is happening in the Old City of Lhasa appears first and foremost to have been undertaken with commercial rather than cultural goals in mind.
This is not just a Tibetan problem; it is not just a Chinese problem. It is an international problem.
China has recognized the essential underlying international nature of the matter in its support for UNESCO’s work in designating the Potala Palace (including the Jokhang and Norbulingka areas) a world heritage site. At the 28thsession of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, held in Suzhou, China, in 2004 several decisions concerning Lhasa were adopted. Those decisions made specific mention of the need to protect the Old City of Lhasa and asked that the Old City Barkor area be included within the protective definition pertaining to the Jokhang:
The conservation challenges and potentials in Lhasa would benefit from a management and development agency to coordinate activities in Old Lhasa, which could be responsible for the management of Old Lhasa and the World Heritage properties…
…Conservation and rehabilitation of historic traditional buildings: Except in exceptional circumstances, demolition should be stopped, particularly in the Shöl area. Any necessary replacement buildings should be in keeping with the historic character of the area…
…It is recommended that the management authorities evaluate and redefine the current World Heritage protective boundaries and management guidelines pertaining to the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple (including the Barkor Historic Area) and Nobulingka, taking into consideration the heritage values of the surrounding landscape and environment…
… [T]he heritage management authorities are encouraged to develop training activities and provide guidance on sustainable tourism planning at the World Heritage properties in Lhasa…
Given the dire circumstances:
· We request that independent investigative teams from both China and from UNESCO be dispatched to Lhasa as soon as possible.
· We ask that the teams report in detail on the situation; on whether local officials and business interests have violated the responsibilities incumbent upon China through its participation in UNESCO.
· Most importantly we ask that UNESCO provide a clear-cut plan outlining what needs to be done immediately to preserve the Old City of Lhasa, to halt the current destruction, and to prevent Lhasa from being turned into an early 21st-century tourist town, shorn of its uniqueness and its innate traditional culture.
· Finally, we ask all who sign this petition to forward it, along with their concerns, to the UNESCO delegates in their own countries, requesting that they make the issue of preserving the Old City of Lhasa a priority for the organization.
· Further details about the situation in the Old City of Lhasa can be found at:
and
附：May 15, 2013, 03:56– May 15, 2013, 11:21的签名者
1 Elliot Sperling Bloomington Indiana University May 15, 2013, 03:56
2 BUFFETRILLE katia Paris Ecole pratique des Hautes Etudes, Paris May 15, 2013, 05:11
3 David Templeman Melbourne Monash University May 15, 2013, 05:44
4 Mary Prude Fort Atkinson May 15, 2013, 05:58
5 Cedarbough Saeji Lopez Island Independent Scholar May 15, 2013, 06:10
6 Isabella Ofner Melbourne The University of Melbourne May 15, 2013, 06:16
7 Georgeanna Hall Daegu May 15, 2013, 06:28
8 The signatory decided not to show his/her name on the Internet.
9 Cameron Warner Aarhus Aarhus University May 15, 2013, 06:32
10 Hieyoon Kim LOS ANGELES May 15, 2013, 06:39
11 The signatory decided not to show his/her name on the Internet.
12 francoise pommaret paris CNRS May 15, 2013, 07:03
13 Tommy Tran Rowland Heights UCLA May 15, 2013, 07:03
14 Heather Stoddard Oxford INALCO, Paris; Oriental Institute Oxford. May 15, 2013, 07:08
15 Anne-Marie Bondeau Paris École pratique des Hautes Études May 15, 2013, 07:16
16 matthew Akester Dharmshala LTWA May 15, 2013, 07:27
17 The signatory decided not to show his/her name on the Internet.
18 Heather Stoddard Paris INALCO, Paris; Oriental Institute, Oxford. May 15, 2013, 07:51
19 Jean-Luc ACHARD Courdimanche-sur-Essonne CNRS, CRCAO May 15, 2013, 07:56
20 Mireille Helffer Paris CNRS May 15, 2013, 07:59
21 Samten Karmay Paris CNRS, Paris May 15, 2013, 08:17
22 The signatory decided not to show his/her name on the Internet.
23 Per Kværne Oslo University of Oslo, retired May 15, 2013, 08:40
24 vincent metten brussels May 15, 2013, 09:01
25 Karen Smith Sarasota May 15, 2013, 09:05
26 Amy Heller Nyon CNRS/ SOAS May 15, 2013, 09:14
27 ugyen choephell bristol Tibet a living tradition May 15, 2013, 10:07
28 The signatory decided not to show his/her name on the Internet.
29 Guilaine MALA Oxford Oxford University May 15, 2013, 10:45
30 Site Sunyata MARIGNANE May 15, 2013, 10:45
31 Valeria Donati S. C. Tenerife May 15, 2013, 11:02
32 Helmut Tauscher Vienna Vienna University May 15, 2013, 11:05
33 Bryan Phillips Charlottesville May 15, 2013, 11:15
34 tenzin tsundue Bombay Friends of Tibet May 15, 2013, 11:21
35 Janet Gyatso Cambridge Harvard University May 15, 2013, 12:11
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