Business Ethics and Human Rights. The Industrial Involvement in the Embeddedness of the Tibetan Community in Rikon, Switzerland: A Case Study

Federal Statistical Office, Section Demography and Migration, 09.02.2017: available: https://​www.​bfs.​admin.​ch/​bfs/​en/​home/​statistics/​population.​html

Hardship cases are asylum seekers, dismissed asylum seekers and temporarily admitted individuals who constitute a case of serious personal hardship can receive a residence permit from the canton in which they are living.

We believe that in Legnau BE second and third generation speaks Bern-German while in Rikon Zurich-German and in Graubünden, Bundner-German and most likely Swiss-Romansh like other inhabitants in the Romansh speaking areas, with possible further cultural implications. Nonetheless aspects of intangible cultural heritage are still dominant such as folklore, oral history and language preservation within Tibetan origin inhabitants like in most immigrant communities with similar characteristics. A further analysis on the aspects exceeds the frame of this article.

Bundesamt für Statistik Sektion Demografie und Migration, 10.02.2017, available: https://​www.​bfs.​admin.​ch/​bfs/​de/​home/​statistiken/​bevoelkerung/​migration-integration/​nach-migrationsstatut​s.​html

“The Tibet Bureau in Geneva for Central and Eastern Europe is the official representative of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile (Tibetan Central Administration) established and based in the Indian city of Dharamsala. The Tibet Bureau was opened in 1964 to provide a better understanding of the situation in Tibet and to draw the public’s attention to the nonviolent struggle of the Tibetan people.” (Own translation from German). The Tibet Office in Geneva, 10.02.2017, available: http://​tibetoffice.​ch/​web/​green_​book/​index.​htm

At this point, I would like to extend my gratitude to Dr. Wolfgang F. Aufwärter-Kuhn for his kindness and patience during our 3 hours meeting in his office, on February 7, for answering openly, directly and transparently my questions on the issue and, to Mr. Daniel Obrist, CFO of Kuhn-Rikon for providing related data. Special thanks to Prof. Maria Elo for accepting my contribution and Dr. Sumon Vangchuay for her kind discussion and help.

“A history beyond popular myths” (own translation): p. 10.

In this article we don’t take any political position in the Tibet-China Issue.

In this article we use the official title of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama as H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama.

The diplomatic documents of Switzerland, 15.02.2017, available: http://​db.​dodis.​ch/​document/​33528

We consider that such prohibition at Confederate level violates the Federal Constitution and further fundamental rights (art.16 and art.22): Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation of 18.4.1999 (Status of 2016), 15.02.2017, available: https://​www.​admin.​ch/​opc/​en/​classified-compilation/​19995395/​201601010000/​101.​pdf

The University of Bern is the only Swiss University to offer Tibetan and Mongolian studies as a course under the name “Central Asian Studies” in the Institute of the Science of Religions. Its projects include funding of over CHF 1 Million and relations to Russian and Mongolian Universities. University of Bern, 10.2.2017, available: http://​www.​unibe.​ch/​news/​uniaktuell/​the_​online_​magazine_​of_​the_​university_​of_​bern/​uniaktuell_​from_​2015/​sections/​university/​an_​eminent_​visitor_​from_​mongolia/​index_​eng.​html

New developments in Giroud and Lechtman (2015), IBA, pp. 1–5.

The political representation in Switzerland has started to change with the election of Ernst Nobs, in 1943 that was the first Social Democrat in the Federal Council. From 1959, the four largest political parties permanently divided the seven government seats among themselves in a fixed constellation known as the “magic formula”: two seats for the Social Democratic Party (SP), two for the Liberal Democratic Party of Switzerland (FDP), two for the Conservative Christian Social People’s Party (today’s Christian Democratic Party (CVP)), and one for the Party of Farmers, Traders and Independents (BGB, now the Swiss People’s Party (SVP)). This constellation remained unchanged until 2003. But aside from internal political shifts this concordance government secured the permanent backing of about 80% of the members of Parliament. Extremist parties like the “over-foreignization party” on the right and the Communist party on the left, were at best able to exert influence through direct-democratic action. Further, the Alliance of Independents, a protest movement to represent the interests of consumers, sometimes garnering as much as 9% of the vote. By the 1980s, as the environmental movement gained momentum and the Schweizerhalle chemical accident, the Greens had established themselves as the largest party outside the government. Switzerland during the Cold War (1945–1989), 11.02.2017 available: https://​www.​eda.​admin.​ch/​content/​dam/​PRS-Web/​en/​dokumente/​die-ch-im-kalten-krieg_​EN.​pdf

Switzerland was a co-founder of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1960, became a full member of the Council of Europe in 1963, and in 1975 joined and became an active member of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE, now the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe—OSCE). The country stayed out of NATO and the UN, although the UN’s European headquarters were (and still are) in Geneva. Foreign policy, 11.02.1017, available: https://​www.​eda.​admin.​ch/​content/​dam/​PRS-Web/​en/​dokumente/​die-ch-im-kalten-krieg_​EN.​pdf

1944 the Swiss Donation was founded (today: Swissaid), an association of several relief organisations supported by the Swiss Confederation. 1950 Switzerland supports the «Expanded Program of Technical Assistance» (EPTA) of the UNO and delegates first missions of development experts (Swiss engineers) to countries in Asia and Latin America. 1960 the Swiss Federal Council establish the service for technical assistance («Dienst für techische Hilfe»), 1961 this service has been renamed as “service for technical cooperation” («Dienst für technische Zusammenarbeit DftZ») and in 1968 Switzerland establish the first Cooperation Office in India. Portrait: SDC in brief, 11.02.2017, available: https://​www.​eda.​admin.​ch/​deza/​en/​home/​sdc/​portrait/​history.​html

I.e. The Swiss Red Cross was established in 1866 three years after ICRC.

The Swiss Federal Council underlined its willingness to uphold the humanitarian tradition of Switzerland, signing in 1955 the Geneva Convention, which regulates refugee status under international law since 1951.

This theme of “David and Goliath” prevailed in the WWII and post-war mentality. Nonetheless, Switzerland as exile hosted different people that were excluded from other countries because of their political or sexual orientation (i.e. Russian revolutionaries, homosexuals, transvestites, European anarchist and unionists. This has come to an end on the period of the cold war (Furrer and Gautsch 2017, p. 203).

Tamil refugees have similar characteristics to the Tibetan one. Switzerland has about 50,000 Tamils, the majority of whom are from Sri Lanka who have gone as refugees. Temples, cultural festivals, international conferences, seminars and meetings draw a large number of the Tamil Diaspora from other European countries to the various Swiss cities, so much so that it has become the nerve centre of Tamil cultural activism. Tamil language classes, dance and music classes run by voluntary bodies are fast increasing. First Generations of Sri Lankan-Tamils majority work in Restaurant and overtook through their hard work the role as chef cook, Restaurant management, serving Customers. The recognition earned as honest, hard working people throughout the country. Second generation has completed well educated skilled force to Swiss economy, working in finance, bank, Insurance and management. Large community established in Zurich with a place known as little Jaffna, but also in the Cantons Basel, Bern and Geneva. Most of the Tamils do reside in German part of Switzerland.

Switzerland accommodated approx. 60.000 refugees during the WWII. They were mainly Jew, Roma, Sinti and Jenisch populations threaten by the Nazi Germany.

In 1970 the far-right wing politician James Schwarzenbach forced an anti-Immigration Initiative that still play a major role in the discussion on shaping Swiss Immigration politics. However the initiative “against the alienation and over-population of Switzerland” was rejected by all Cantons and the 65.8% of the peoples’ vote with a participation of 70.33% of the voters. Eidgenössische Volksinitiative ‘gegen die Ueberfremdung und Ueberbevölkerung der Schweiz, 14.02.2017, available: https://​www.​admin.​ch/​ch/​d/​pore/​vi/​vis107.​html. The text of the initiative postulated the limitation of the naturalisation to 4.000 foreigners per year and the limitation of the foreigners living in the country up to 500.000. Hospital and border-crossing workers were excluded from this quota. Eidgenössische Volksinitiative ’gegen die Ueberfremdung und Ueberbevölkerung der Schweiz, 14.02.2017, available: https://​www.​admin.​ch/​ch/​d/​pore/​vi/​vis107.​html

NZZ, 15.02.2017, available: https://​www.​nzz.​ch/​article83V8I-1.​387015

Nepali Times, 13.02.2017, available: http://​nepalitimes.​com/​news.​php?​id=​18273#.​WJhIazGuqNA

“At its peak, there were 3000 carpet weaving centres employing 1.2 million people. Only 600 firms remain, providing jobs to less than 100,000 people. The rise and fall of Nepal’s carpet industry is the same old story of everyone getting into the act, the production glut leading to lowered prices just as Chinese carpets became cheaper. There were other problems: the child labour and environmental controversies, government indifference and interference, inflation and labour issues”. Nepal Times, 13.2.2017, available: http://​nepalitimes.​com/​news.​php?​id=​18273#.​WJhIazGuqNA

Nepal Times, 13.2.2017, available: http://​nepalitimes.​com/​news.​php?​id=​18273#.​WJhIazGuqNA

Bundesbeschluss vom 24. März 1960 über die Errichtung neuer diplomatischer Vertretungen 172.211.227, 24.01.1960 (Linegger-Staufer, 377).

Memo 18997, 25.8.1961 in. Diplomatic documents of Switzerland, 15.02.2017, http://​db.​dodis.​ch/​tag/​1281?​f=​1&​t=​0#anc_​f

In 1963, the citizens of Bever GR rejected a refugee contingent because they wanted to “preserve the characteristics of the village and its population” and feared “not to be able to solve school problems”. At the time, only male citizens had the right to vote.

The Pestalozzi Children’s village in Trogen was founded in 1946 for war-affected orphan Children. In order to host and offer education to Tibetan orphans.

In this case and for these reasons the role of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama regarding the industrialist Aeschimann still remain contested (Maier in the NZZ).

In a historical periodisation the Swiss industrialisation begins in the nineteenth century in St. Gallen, Winterthur and the Canton Zurich, which was the pioneer Canton in the industrial development. This periodisation does not take in account proto-industrial forms of production. Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, Industrialisierung.

Corporate governance and sustainability is an ongoing discussion in the research that focuses ethical issues like organic governance, stakeholder relations, management transparency etc.

In Switzerland Small and Medium Enterprises are divided into three types: Micro: fewer than 10 employees, Small: 10–49 employees and Medium: 50–249 employees. According to a 2016 study conducted by the Institute for Entrepreneurship & SME is based on a survey of 609 SMEs in all parts of Switzerland, 52.5% were micro enterprises (average number of employees: 3.6 people); 34% were small enterprises (average: 22.3); 13.5% were medium enterprises (average: 106.1).HEG-fr, 20.02.2017: available: http://​www.​heg-fr.​ch/​FR/​HEG-FR/​Communication-et-evenements/​evenements/​Documents/​Swiss_​International_​Entrepreneurship​_​Survey_​2016_​EN.​pdf

Cases to compare in: Alex Capus (2006), btb, München.

United Nations, 12.02.2017, available: http://​www.​un.​org/​sustainabledevel​opment/​sustainable-development-goals/​

In 1961, Kuhn–Rikon transformed the “Zehntenscheune” building in Rikon into a worker’s canteen for 40–50 workers of the industry and preserved all characteristics of the building, instead of building a new one Heinrich Strickler (1963), ETZH, e-periodica.

This project was realized without opposition and conflicts of the local people in Rikon, a fact that also shows the social acceptance of the Tibetan community as part of the society. In case of an earlier project (1960) for a Tibet monastic centre in Rothenthurm/Canton Schwyz the Christian Catholic Church community opposed with massive protests against the “Pagan Institution” and the project was cancelled.

The total estimated cost was of CHF 739,000.

The library is a scientific, specialist library open to the public. With more than 12,000 titles, it is one of the largest specialist Tibetan libraries in the world, and is a member of the public libraries of the University of Zurich. The collections of the library are available through a direct catalogue of the Zurich University libraries research portal.

The Swiss Civil Code 210, of 10 December 1907 and following amendments is the main source of family law in Switzerland. The code’s definition of family is based on a matrimonial union and their legal offspring. In line with the socially dominant view of the family in the early twentieth century, the code made dissolving a marriage almost impossible, and mandated large differences in the status of the husband and the wife. As the gap between social reality and the law expanded over the years, the Code has been adapted. A comprehensive reform of family law was undertaken in 1956. The reform was broken up into several parts. The new law of affiliation went into effect in two stages in 1973 and 1978, and an amendment to the Civil Code dealing only with the effects of marriage was passed by parliament in 1984 and went into effect on 1 January 1988. The overhaul of family law was followed by a review of the provisions related to marriage and divorce. This resulted in the passage of the so-called “new divorce law”, which went into effect on January 1st 2000. New rules regarding registered partnerships were adopted on 18 June 2004 and went into effect on 1 January 2007. Perfar, 09.02.2017, available: http://​www.​perfar.​eu/​policy/​family-children/​switzerland; https://​www.​admin.​ch/​opc/​en/​classified-compilation/​19070042/​201701010000/​210.​pdf

Tibetan Community in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Tibetswiss, 09.02.2017, available http://​www.​tibetswiss.​ch/​the-tibet-office.​html

Tibetswiss, 20.02.2017, available: http://​www.​tibetswiss.​ch/​application-for-green-book.​html

“Die Gebrüder Kihn (statt Kuhn), schweizerische antichinesische Elemente, sind so weit gegangen, dass das besagte Tibet-Institut den tibetischen Banditen als Zentrum für ihre Tätigkeit in ganz Europa dienen soll. Auch die Schweizer Regierung wurde scharf gerügt, da sie die tibetischen Banditen in ihrem zügellosen Wirken in der Schweiz ermutigt und unterstützt” (The Kihn Brothers (instead of Kuhn), Swiss anti- Chinese elements, have gone too far: this Tibet Institute should serve the Tibetan bandits as a centre for their activities all over Europe. The Federal Government was sharply reprimanded, as it encouraged and supported the Tibetan bandits in their intemperate activities in Switzerland).

The diplomatic documents of Switzerland, 16.02.2017, available: http://​db.​dodis.​ch/​document/​33528

The diplomatic documents of Switzerland, 16.02.2017, available: http://​db.​dodis.​ch/​document/​33528

The Swiss Government did not give permission to H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama to participate at the ceremony. He visited the Institute for the first time in 1973.

“Das gerade die Schweiz berufen sein sollte, Tibet in seiner alten Gestalt wieder herzustellen, ist eine diskutable Frage, den ganz sachlich betrachtet war das theokratisch feudale System des Dalai Lama auch nicht eine irdisches Paradies” The diplomatic documents of Switzerland, 16.02.2017, available: http://​db.​dodis.​ch/​document/​33528

The diplomatic documents of Switzerland 16.02.2017, available: http://​db.​dodis.​ch/​document/​33528

SECO, 12.02.2017, available: https://​www.​seco.​admin.​ch/​seco/​en/​home/​Aussenwirtschaft​spolitik_​Wirtschaftliche_​Zusammenarbeit/​Wirtschaftsbezie​hungen/​Freihandelsabkom​men/​Partner_​weltweit/​china.​html

Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation 12.02.2017, available https://​www.​admin.​ch/​opc/​en/​classified-compilation/​19995395/​index.​html

Vice 16.02.2017, available: https://​www.​vice.​com/​alps/​article/​eine-junge-tibet-aktivistin-erzahlt-wie-sie-den-protest-in-bern-erlebt-hat1-ch

United Nations, Human Rights, Office of the High Commissioner, 08.03.2017, available http://​www.​ohchr.​org/​EN/​ProfessionalInte​rest/​Pages/​StatusOfNational​Institutions.​aspx

In the concluding observations on Switzerland (2014), the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed concerns over the Swiss public understanding of racial discrimination despite its existing measures to promote the integration of foreigners and ethnic and religious communities. As has been observed in numerous occasions by the UN treaty bodies, the understanding of discrimination in Switzerland is not yet in line with the international understanding of racial discrimination. International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, 08.03.2017, available: UN Doc. CERD/C/CHE/CO/7-9, para 18.

In the Concluding observations on Switzerland (2014), the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed concerns over the Swiss public understanding of racial discrimination despite its existing measures to promote the integration of foreigners and ethnic and religious communities. International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, 13.03.2017, available UN Doc. CERD/C/CHE/CO/7-9, para 18.