CHINA OUT OF TIBET !!

IN CHINA

	On the relay route of the Olympic Torch through Paris, members of the French Assembly gathered behind a banner reading “Respect Human Rights in China” and displayed Tibetan flags (which are forbidden in Tibet).

Leading Chinese intellectuals and writers bravely defied the fervent ultra-nationalism of the Chinese Communist Party by releasing a petition in the wake of the Tibetan emergency. Entitled “Twelve Suggestions for Dealing with the Tibetan Situation,” it urges the government to stop its violent repressions in Tibet and end its anti-Tibet propaganda among the Chinese people.

“The one-sided propaganda of the official Chinese media is having the effect of stirring up inter-ethnic animosity and aggravating an already tense situation. This is extremely detrimental to the long-term goal of safeguarding national unity.”

The authors noted that while past protests in Tibet have been limited to Lhasa, the current emergency has spread across Tibet.

“This deterioration indicates that there are serious mistakes in the work that has been done with regard to Tibet. [China’s leaders] must reflect upon this matter, examine their failures, and fundamentally change the failed national policies.”

The letter urges dialogue between Chinese leaders and the Dalai Lama so as to “eliminate animosity and bring about national reconciliation.” It pleads for calm and reflection in China.

IN FRANCE

Protesters at the Eiffel Tower lined the Olympic Torch route with waving Tibetan flags and calls for justice. Members of the French Assembly stood in their sashes of office behind a sign reading “Respect Human Rights in China.” The positive public response to the protests astonished event planners and some parts of the planned program were cancelled in response.

IN DHARAMSALA

The U.S. Speaker of the House (and long-time ally to Tibet) led a ten-member delegation of Members of Congress to Dharamsala, where they met with refugees and discussed the situation in Tibet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Tears were shed, friendships were strengthened, hearts and minds were changed — and we hope for more support in the U.S. Congress as a result. The first step, an important House Resolution, is discussed below.

IN WASHINGTON, DC

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with the members of a bipartisan congressional delegation that met with His Holiness in Dharam-sala, introduced House Resolution 1077 on April 3, which calls on China to cease the crackdown, release protestors, provide

Speaker for Justice: Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“I bring you greetings from your sisters and brothers in ... the free South Africa, the democratic South Africa. I want to remind you that it was people like you who demonstrated on our behalf, it was people like you who boycotted South African goods on our behalf. It was people like you who held demonstrations and vigils. It was people like you who were ready even to be imprisoned on our behalf. And today apartheid — which at the time looked invincible — is destroyed. On behalf of all of our people, I want to say a very big thank you to the people who helped us to become free. I thank you for continuing that tremendous tradition to stand for freedom.”

Speaker for Justice: Richard Gere

“The torch is going through China and around the world, co-opting the idea of harmony, to push a political position which includes the abuse of not only China itself but also Tibetans. This is a fraud. There is no genuine harmony without hope, without truth, without the ability to speak openly, without the freedoms of religion, expression, and culture.”

IN SAN FRANCISCO

The Chinese government planned a route for the Olympic Torch that touched North America only once — in San Francisco, on April 9th. The International Campaign for Tibet, in collaboration with nearly a dozen other groups, held a candlelight vigil and rally the evening before, attended by thousands — including journalists from most major news outlets. Speakers included actor/activist Richard Gere (chair of ICT’s Board of Directors) and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. At the rally, two American Olympians — their gold medals shining in the chilly evening light — entered the crowd to light candles for the participants. As the flames slowly spread from person to person throughout the crowd, a true spirit of Olympic brotherhood and solidarity went along.

Majora Carter, a torch bearer in the relay through San Francisco, spoke at the rally and did her best to express her support for Tibet without warning anyone of her bold plan; the following day as she prepared for her turn carrying the torch, she tucked a Tibetan flag inside her sleeve. As she was running the route, surrounded by Chinese handlers, she pulled the flag out and waved it for about five seconds alongside the Olympic torch until the Chinese noticed and forced her to surrender the torch.

Overwhelmed by the intense public protests, police and Olympic officials canceled many of the planned torch ceremonies and changed the torch’s route without notice. As demonstrators waited along the announced route in vain, the runners carried the torch down a different street some two miles away. After four miles, the torch was carried onto a bus to the airport for the next leg of its journey to South America.