Stateless Peoples

Stateless Peoples' UN Chose Interim Secretary General

The UNPO, known as the Shadow UN, elected an acting secretary general last weekend in an ad hoe session, reported Sai Wansai form the Hague. 

The Unrepresented Nations and People's Organization, founded in 1991, under the auspices of the Dalai Lama of Tibet, held the Steering Committee Meeting (SCM) Saturday to elect Mr. Erkin Alptekin to replace Mrs. Helen Corbett, who resigned on 18 November. 

Mrs. Corbett is an aboriginal from Australia. She was elected by the 52-member General Assembly in Estonia, 14-20 July 1997. 

Mr. Alptekin, 62, is an Uighur from East Turkestan, China. His tenure is six months and after that the General Assembly would elect a new Secretary General. Sai Wansai, Shan States Ambassador, told S.H.A.N. many members "respected" the former Secretary General, Dr. Michael van Walt for his selfless contribution to the "Organization". 

Well known members in the UNPO are Acheh (Indonesia), Chechenya, Cordilerra (Philippines), East Timor, Karenni, Kosovo, Kurdistan, Mon, Nagaland, Shan States, Taiwan and Tibet, among others. 

Of the original members, Armenia, Belau, Estonia, Georgia and Latvia have gained full independence. 

The UNPO was created, according to its bulletin, to offer an international forum for nations and peoples around the world, who are not represented as such in the world's principal international organizations, such as the United Nations. 

For further information please contact: 

Shan Herald Agency for News. 
P.O. Box. 15, Nonghoi P.O., 50007, Chiangmai, Thailand 
e-mail: shan@cm.ksc.co.th 
(or) UNPO
e-mail: unpo@unpo.nl 
web: http://www.unpo.org