UK SFT ISSUE 2
NEWS
Spring 2011
ED EXTEND ONLINE ! EDITION
www.sftuk.org
Cracks in the system
How the Chinese state is being challenged by Tibetans, Chinese dissidents and other ethnic groups Students for a Free Tibet UK, Unit 9, 139 Fonthill Road, Finsbury Park, London N4 3HF
SFT UK news
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SFT UK hope you’re having a great 2011!
I write to you as the new National Co-ordinator of Students for a Free Tibet UK. It’s a great honour to hold this position. Since I first joined SFT Action Camp I have been motivated by fellow Tibetan leaders, activists and the community spirit of unity and freedom which brings us together.
Contents
News 3-5
-Student protests -Jasime revolution -More news
Get active! 6-7 -Lobby & march -Renaissance -More stories
3 Features 8-1
-Environmental crisis in Tibet -China dissidents -One Struggle
We accomplished many things in 2010; things we couldn’t have done without you, our supporters. We organised the second mass lobby for Tibet and our annual grassroots conference at Essex, developed our environmental campaign and popularised the cases of prisoners. We’ve also been developing as an organisation and hope that by the end of 2011 we will be better positioned than ever to take real, decisive and effective action to bring freedom to Tibet.
It’s been an inspiring year as a real renaissance in Tibetan culture takes place. The songs of Tashi Dhondup, the writings of Shogdung, the bravery of the student protesters and the gutsy attitude of rap group Yudrug have touched the hearts of Tibetans in exile. If they can risk themselves to defend their culture, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t all do the same. SFT UK has been celebrating them in our Renaissance series of events and we’ve been inspired to network with other causes by Chinese dissidents like Liu Xiaobo. As dictators fall in the Middle East, change is in the air! Together, we can weaken the Chinese state’s abusive grip.
14-15 Campaigns There’s so much more to do, and this year we’re
-New generation -Panchen Lama -More campaigns
21 Regulars 16-
bursting with renewed commitment to advance the cause. We started 2011 by protesting during Chinese Vice President Li Keqiang’s visit to London and we’ll carry on representing Tibet out on the streets, in our campaigns and by training students and young Tibetans on how to take non-violent action for Tibet.
-Digital media: -Prisoner profile -Postcards from SFT UK is run by a volunteer board; we have no office and use our own Tibet -23
22 Grassroots
-2010 conference -Start a group -Notice board
Photos: Cover (snow lion) Ngawang Jorden flickr.com/tibetanartist, right: student protests, Li Keqiang visit
The SFT UK board
resources. So when you support us, you know your funding is being used directly to further our work for Tibet. And it’s not all about funding; we’re always interested in hearing from you if you have skills, contacts or ideas. Get in touch, come to one of our Renaissance events or the SFT Europe Action Camp which we’re organising in Germany or Switzerland in June. Bhoe Gyalo- Free Tibet!
Pema Yoko, National Co-ordinator
Left to right: Jigdal, Pema, Tom, Padma, Lisa, Liam, Sum-Lung, Claire, Gabriel
Tibetan students rise up!
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We’ve become used to student protests in the UK as young people seek equal education rights, and despite the deadly consequences, students in Tibet are also taking to the streets to demand that they receive the education they deserve.
Student protests in 2008 and 2009 were eclipsed in October 2010, when thousands of Tibetan students in Rebkong, Chabcha and even Beijing protested against government plans to ban teaching in any language but Mandarin, despite knowing that the state has a record of dealing aggressively with protests and has shown that it has no gripes with arresting, torturing or killing those as young as pre-teens. This was shown again in February, when it was reported that 15-year-old Dorpel was tortured for a peaceful protest in November.
The recent protests began in October, when the Chinese government announced it was to replace the Tibetan language as the medium of instruction in Qinghai province. Thousands of Tibetan students from six schools took to the streets in Rebkong, holding placards demanding ‘equality among nationalities, equality for languages’. The protesters were surrounded by 20 or 30 police vehicles but no arrests were made. A few days later, some 2,000 Tibetan students protested in Tsolho. They were locked inside the school and denied food for the rest of the day. Similar protests took place in Mangra, Trika, Xining, Golog and a university in Beijing. Protests continued into November and 1,000 monks and nuns also protested for language rights, bringing the total to around 10,000 protesters. The Principals of two schools and two teachers were sacked and around twenty students detained. "Chinese law says that ethnic minorities have the right to study their mother tongue; that's why the students are angry" said Beijing professor Xiong Kunxin.
The state intends to push Tibetans into speaking Mandarin rather than Tibetan to break down Tibetan’s sense of national and cultural identity. Tibetans can only learn in their own language until aged 13, when they are forced to switch to Chinese and compete for university places with native Chinese speakers, who are ferried into Tibet as part of China’s ‘Western Development Plan’ to populate Tibet with Han Chinese. This means Tibetans struggle to secure university places, making it hard to obtain well paid jobs.
But Tibetans have allies in their battle to preserve their language. In July, Chinese protesters in Guangzhou rallied against government plans to ban Cantonese from airwaves and classrooms, and dialects like Shanghainese have also come under fire. Hong Kong activist Choi Suk-Fong said "It's really a worry for us, because we've seen the cultures of other ethnic minorities, including the Tibetans, slowly fade and become assimilated." Only half of China’s population speak Mandarin, and these protests underline a fact which the state must accept if it is to progress as a developed nation; that China is a multi-cultural country and these groups share common causes. The Tibetan students are an inspiration to students in the UK; it’s up to us to show that we support them.
Schooling in Tibet
Imagine having to sit exams in a language you don’t fully understand, your future depending on it.
This is why many Tibetan parents send their children into exile to learn.
Sometimes these parents never get to see their children again.
Photos: Various Tibetan student protests in late 2010, some Tibetan kids learn outside the system
Season of revolution
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The Chinese politburo must be having uneasy nights as the ‘Jasmine Revolution’ sweeps through the Middle East. Popular uprisings have already toppled regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, and at the time of writing, Libya, Bahrain, Lebanon, Oman and Sudan were swamped with protests. Dictators are toppling like dominos, and Hu Jintao’s name may be on that list as ‘Jasmine Rallies’ have begun in Chinese cities.
The Chinese state has responded by imposing an internet blackout on content which it feels may encourage protest; banning searches for words like ‘Egypt’ and being careful to avoid reporting that the successes of the Jasmine revolts were brought about by something which has always petrified Chinese leaders; ordinary people protesting. But despite the blackout, the web has been used to organise ‘strolling protests’ in cities like Shanghai and Beijing, prompting the regime to draft more police onto the streets and arrest known dissenters. Journalists were told to stay away, and some who didn’t were assaulted by police. But trying to scare people into keeping quiet hasn’t worked. The website organising the protests said “this movement spread to over 100 cities, exceeding our initial expectations of 27 cities. We send salutations to all Chinese citizens supporting and participating in this noble movement!”
Again, the Chinese regime is dealing with public opinion the only way it knows how; by denying it. That may work while the economy is booming but as Chinese citizens get used to affluence, they’re getting used to the currency of the twenty first century; information access. Not only that, but they’re using it to communicate, congregate and challenge the powers that be to respect their rights. Will Hu Jintao embrace a bright future where freedoms are accepted, or is his future jasmine?
Suu Kyi released
On 13th November, SFT UK joined with human rights activists around the world in welcoming the release of Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Despite spending 15 of the past 21 years in detention, She has continually advanced the Burmese struggle for freedom and human rights, and her commitment to peace in the face of many violent attacks and assasination attempts on her and her supporters inspires us all. SFT UK would like to reiterate our full support and our demand for the release of Burma’s remaining 2000+ political prisoners.
In the wake of the junta’s sham election on 7th November, with an increase in military attacks on ethnic minorities and ever-deteriorating access to food and medicine, it is more important than ever for us in the Tibet movement to show solidarity.
The Dalai Lama said “I welcome the release of fellow Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi... I pray and hope that the government (of China) will release fellow laureate Liu Xiaobo and other prisoners of conscience.”
Cultural figures freed Two prominent Tibetan political prisoners have been released. Writer Shogdung, who had been critical of the way money meant for earthquake victims was spent, was bailed and may still be sentenced while singer Tashi Dhondup was freed before the end of his 15 month term.
SFT UK have been celebrating both men’s work at our Renaissance events. We were happy to see Shogdung free the day after the poetry event, where people were signing a petition for him.
Meanwhile, Norzin Wangmo, who is serving five years for talking about Tibet on the phone and web, has reportedly had her sentence reduced by 8 months.
India rejects ‘One China’
At a meeting between Chinese and Indian leaders, India refused China’s request to support its 'One China' policy, which recognises Tibet and Taiwan as parts of China, bucking the trend set by other nations who have kowtowed to the demands. India’s stance continues to be greatly respected by the Tibetan community.
Photos fom top: Police tackle Jasmine protesters in China, more protests in China, Tunisia and Egypt, Tashi, Shogdung, Norzin and Suu Kyi
Watching Woeser
In October, Tibetan writer, poet and blogger, Woeser was awarded the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF)’s Courage in Journalism Award. As the Chinese government refuses to grant Beijing-based Woeser a passport, she was unable to travel to the US to receive it. Instead she wrote an acceptance speech saying "right now, inhumane and unfair treatments of talented and innocent people in Tibet are taking place. Many have been arrested, imprisoned or subject to other unimaginable persecution. That's why I will keep going as a personal news outlet - it's the weapon of the powerless… It comes from our plight today, which is the source of my strength to fight back and the reason for never giving up."
In November, Woeser was put under intense surveillance during a trip to Lhasa and was offline for several days after receiving a call from a local official. She and her husband, Chinese dissident Wang Lixiong, were put under house when she returned to Beijing during the time of their friend Liu Xiaobo’s Nobel Peace Prize award.
Chinese bloggers have been in the news recently, and are increasingly showing that by being outspoken and organised, they can subvert state control and reach more people. Han Han, a popular novelist and race car driver, announced recently that he had been forced to shut down his print magazine ‘Party’ after just one issue due to the state’s unease over his critical attitude towards China’s social problems. But like Woeser, his huge popularity makes him difficult to silence; it’s quite possible that arresting high profile figures will only make their causes stronger. It’s a conundrum which the Chinese regime doesn’t seem to have an answer to; sometimes they detain popular figures to silence them, sometimes they fear detention will make them more popular and let them speak their minds. Either way, they speak their minds at great risk.
In it for the money
Woeser fearlessly continues to write and blog from Beijing. Read her articles translated into English at www.highpeakspureearth.com
Evidence has emerged proving that ‘supporters’ who wave flags in and cheer Chinese leaders during visits overseas are paid by Chinese Embassies to be there. In January, the ‘supporters’ told us they had been instructed ‘not to enter into dialogue’ with us in during the visit of Chinese Vice President Li Keqiang in London.
China is desperate not to ‘lose face’ by having their leaders faced with protests, but having to pay people is even more embarrassing. Though they’re paid, there are still always more of us!
High profile, high risk
Some writers, artists and cultural figures are deemed too dangerous and are being arrested, demonstrating how paranoid the Chinese regime has become about ideas which question the state. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s home in Beijing was stormed in November and the artist put under house arrest. Weiwei is one of China’s most famous artists. His sunflower seeds installation has been the main attraction at London’s Tate Modern in 2010 and he designed the Birds Nest Olympic stadium, but has a love-hate relationship with the government due to his outspoken views on human rights, and once needed brain surgery after beatings by police. He said “They put you under house arrest, or make you disappear... Every dirty job has to be done by the police. Then you become a police state.” The artist has since been refused permission to travel out of China.
The Chinese state is also fearful of the influence of Tibetan intellectuals. In November, three Tibetan writers; Jangtse Donkho, Bhudha and Kalsang Jinpa were sentenced to between 3 and 4 years for writing about the 2008 Tibetan uprising. Meanwhile, businessmen Sonam Bagdro and Tashi Topgyal were handed sentences of 15 and 5 years respectively for political activities. As a developed nation, China must come to respect free expression.
Photos from top: Woeser, Chinese ‘supporters’ lining up to be paid in Washington in 2011, Jangtse Donkho, Bhudha and Sonam Bagdro, plus Ai Weiwei at his sunflower seeds exhibit at the Tate Modern
Show your support!
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Back in 2009 a coalition of UK-based Tibet support groups marked the 50th anniversary of the March 10th 1959 Tibetan Uprising by taking the struggle to the heart of UK politics. Activists from up and down the country came together in the Houses of Parliament to simultaneously lobby their MPs, demanding that they stand up for Tibetan rights and freedoms. It was an incredible day- with supporters flooding through Parliament’s historic halls to meet with their elected representatives- many of whom had been unaware of the true situation inside Tibet. The Mass Lobby was so successful that it has become an annual event, and 2011 has been no different; thanks to everyone who took part!
March 10th is when we remember the day that some 86,000 Tibetan men, women and children were killed as they took a stand against the invading Chinese forces. The lobby and march through London at the weekend are always a great time to stand up for Tibet, but if you missed March 10th, you can still lobby your MP; it may seem daunting to meet them, but it can have a lasting effect and as your MP, they have a responsibility to listen to you. As Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi once said, “use your liberty to promote ours”. Imperfect as our democracy may be, our MPs are the ones meeting Chinese representatives face to face; if we can build trust with them and make them supporters, think how they can stand up for Tibetans’ rights.
ACT NOW !
If you’re intimidated about contacting your MP, don’t worry; SFT UK can provide you with advice, packs and sample letters. Contact liam@sftuk.org
Human Rights Day in London Human Rights Day, 10th December, was marked by a show of solidarity between the many groups resisting the Chinese state’s abusive rule. This was particularly significant as on the day itself, Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his work for human rights and democracy in China and occupied nations. Liu was unable to receive his award in person as he is serving an 11 year prison sentence in China for ‘inciting subversion of state power’.
In the UK, members of Chinese, Uyghur and Tibetan Solidarity (CUTS-UK) took letters to Downing Street and the Chinese Embassy calling for Liu’s release. A giant replica of the Nobel medal was delivered, complete with the message ‘free all prisoners of conscience’ in Chinese, Uyghur, Tibetan and English. SFT UK was a founding member of CUTS-UK.
On the day itself, a protest by members of the Burmese and North Korean communities was followed by a CUTS-UK vigil and a social event designed to get the communities together to share their cultures. Outstanding performances by Chinese, Uyghur and Tibetan poets, singers and musicians ensured an enjoyable night, and we ended up with Chinese singers singing in Tibetan with the Tibetans singing along and the Chinese and Uyghur singers singing a Mongolian song together! But the underlying message was never forgotten: performances like these are banned by the Chinese government and such artists are regularly imprisoned as the state tries to divide and conquor ethnic groups. It’s important that we unite to support all oppressed peoples. Photos: (Top story) Tibetans and supporters at previous Uprising Day marches and the mass lobby in London (Photos 1 & 3 by Phil Kirk) (Bottom story) Solidarity at the Human Rights Day vigil and and Uyghurs performing at the cultural event.
Renaissance in the UK
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There’s a cultural renaissance going on in Tibet as writers, artists, Jamyang Kyi musicians and film makers express themselves in new and daring By Mandie McKeown ways. In recent years, Tibetans have been rounded up for having Jamyang Kyi was detained in 2008, ring tones of the Tibetan national anthem on their phones, jailed for releasing music about freedom and tortured for recording interviews accused of sending texts to friends about the killing of Tibetans. Since with other Tibetans. Yet they carry on doing it. her release she has posted web accounts of her torture during SFT UK have been celebrating these Tibetans’ creativity with the incarceration. Her writings express Reniassance series- an ongoing program of events. It started at the feelings of what many Tibetans ‘Poetry in Resistance’, where moving works by prominent writers like fear happens to friends who have Woeser and Jamyang Kyi were read by local Tibetan poets Lama ‘disappeared’. Having been Jabb, Dhargyal and others. At ‘Revolutionay Beats’, Tibetan singers imprisoned for a short time myself took to the mic with energetic performances, and when Nepalese by the Chinese regime, her words star Raju Lama arrived to volunteer a set, the roof really came off. are incredible to me; they shed so much light on the The Tibetan movement is known for its protests and campaigning, strength and passion of but at SFT UK we’re trying to do things a bit differently too. We’ve the Tibetan people. been encouraged by the releases of Shogdung and Tashi Dhondup.
Tibetans in Tibet are demanding rights in brave new ways; so are we.
Put Tibet back on the map Tattoos for Tibet
The online project seeks to reclaim a digital Tibetan map one pixel at a time, and has already raised an amazing £2,285 through supporters like you. You help us fund hard-hitting campaigns and flagship leadership training which teaches young Tibetans and supporters to be effective spokespeople for Tibet. If you haven’t yet unveiled a tile, join in at: www.puttibetbackonthemap.org
-1 tile for £5 can pay for 30 Urgent Action faxes to be sent to world leaders. - 2 tiles for £10 can help us research and write action packs for the environmental campaign.
Help SFT UK put Tibet back on the map!
On 7th October, 40 tattoo artists from across the world donated their takings from one tattoo to SFT UK to commemorate Tibetans’ non-violent resistance to Chinese rule.
Art plays a vital role in Tibetan Buddhist culture, and has long been a profound tool for social and political change. This initiative was launched by long-term Tibet supporter Graham Martin and his assistant Beth Cust. The project showcased work from a diverse pool of tattooists who wanted to use their skills to raise awareness about Tibet and help fund one of the most effective grassroots organisations working for Tibetan freedom. We believe in taking action and making things happen, so we’re interested to hear from anybody who wants to use their skills and contacts to spread the word about Tibet like Graham and Beth have done. A big thanks to all involved! We raised £800 and will auction the flash artwork at Art For Tibet in the summer.
Photos: Flash art by Daniel Rossiter, tattoo for Tibet by Aureole, Lust for Life, Brisbane. Search for ‘Tattoos for Tibet’ on Facebook to see more of the art & tattoos!
Thanks to Tashi Mannox, Squid Ink, Black Tattoo (Spain), Caire - Thou Art, Soren Lind, Zara - Heaven N Hell, Jon Too Good, Hazel at Design4Life, Nic Cassidy at Thirdeye Demagraphics and many more.
As the Tibetan people's determination to regain their homeland grows stronger every day, we are witnessing a cultural and political resurgence. To reflect this growing sense of Tibetan pride we have teamed up with the International Tibet Support Network to create ‘Put Tibet Back on the Map’.
Tibet’s environmental crisis Tibet’s environment is one of the most complex and vital ecosystems on Earth, and one of the most fragile. Known as the ‘Third Pole’, Tibet is the starting point of many of Asia’s major rivers. So it isn’t just Tibetans who are affected; billions in countries like India and Bangladesh downstream depend on these rivers for their livelihoods.
But what has all that got to do with campaigning for Tibet? Everybody knows about climate change and everybody knows how difficult it is to secure decisive action. But did you know that the Chinese government makes the effects of climate change worse in Tibet? By undertaking massive mining, logging and damming projects, China is looting Tibet’s natural resources, not for Tibetans’ benefit, but to fuel China’s gargantuan industrial economy. Plans for new mines set out in March are thought to be worth an additional $125 billion to China; and the more projects they undertake, the more damage is being done to the delicate Tibetan plateau.
In the last few months, China has defended its decision to build a ‘mega dam’ on the Brahmaputra, sparking concern in India, where much of the population need the river’s waters flowing fully to survive. Elsewhere, thousands of Tibetans have been evicted to make way for the Lhundrub dam, leaving their homes, land and the chance to keep using their environmentally sustainable agrilcultural skills behind. The practice of forced relocation of nomads continues, with 6,000 moved in November alone, and this leaves tens of thousands to slip into poverty as they have no chance to use these skills, while the land itself is torn apart. SFT will continue defending the rights of nomads and campaigning against the projects which are destroying the Tibetan plateau. We have just launched a campaign against China Gold’s mining projects in Tibet, and are working with environmentalists and scholars to raise awareness about the importance of the Third Pole. China’s economy is certainly booming, but who bears the true cost?
mining projects
Recent plans mean that by 2020, Tibet’s natural resources will account for 30% of China’s income; up from 3%. This is a huge slice of China’s wealth, and underlines the true reasons for the invasion of Tibet over sixty years ago. Tibet is China’s ‘western treasure house’; it’s what fuels the Chinese economy, and only by having a strong economy can the Chinese regime retain control over its people, who will keep quiet while they’re affluent.
The government ploughs investment into Tibet, creating thousands of new jobs, but the statistics are misleading; the vast majority of these jobs go to migrant Han Chinese workers brought in to expolit Tibet’s resources. At the same time, unsustainable mining techniques are being used which are damaging the plateau beyond repair. Mass deforestation and pollution also concern Tibetans, who protest in large numbers. Both Tibetans and the plateau itself are suffering to fuel China’s economy.
Photos from top left: Nomad on the plateau (by Jim McGill), soldiers break up a mining protest in Tibet, woman in nomadic dress (by Falsalama), construction work on railways used to move Tibet’s resources, yaks are a huge part of nomadic life (by Jim McGill), large scale military presence to prevent Tibetans protesting against a mine, large scale mining destroying the Tibetan landscape.
glacial melt
The Tibetan plateau houses the third largest store of ice on the planet, behind the North and South Poles. The effects of climate change are being felt severely here, and rather than lessening the effects, Chinese policies are making them worse. The rapid pace of industrialisation contributes to the warming of the plateau, which is heating up at twice the speed of anywhere else in the world and is causing the ice sheet to retract as seen in the picture to the left. Recently the Dalai Lama said “melting glaciers, deforestation and increasingly polluted water from mining projects are problems that cannot wait.”
water supplies
Tibetans are unhappy about pollution of waterways, and in the past few years, large scale protests at mining plants and factories have led to stand offs and have been violently broken up by troops. Tibetans know how vital their natural environment is. And it’s not just important to Tibetans; Chinese damming projects represent a huge risk to over a billion people downstream; not only does the creation of a huge dam flood upstream areas, but it also denies access to water for people living on the rivers which begin in Tibet, like the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Yellow. Without this water, people in India, Bangladesh and China itself face an uncertain future.
endangered species
Animals such as the iconic chiru, the Tibetan antelope, are being pushed closer towards extinction because of Chinese policies. Chiru numbers have fallen from one million to 75,000 since the Chinese invasion due to an increase in poaching, and the Gormo-Lhasa railway has broken up grazing areas and brought more poachers to Tibet. The pika, one of the world’s most vital ‘keystone’ species, keeps plateau soil healthy by burrowing and is a food source for larger animals, but China persues an active policy of poisoning them in huge numbers. Studies show that in areas where they are eradicated, other animals disappear as a result and the ecosystem declines.
nomadic resettlement
The nomadic way of life is central to the Tibetan identity. and is one of the best forms of environmentally sustainable living on the planet. Nomads migrate across the plateau in tents, grazing animals in open land and preserving the plateau, in contrast to the unsustainable lives most of us live, which are gradually destroying the planet. Rather than embrace and learn from the nomads, China’s response is to force them off the land in their hundreds of thousands, placing them in tenement housing where they can be kept under control, and where their agricultural skills are lost forever as they struggle to adapt and fall into poverty so the land can be industrialised.
! ACT NOW
There are two ways you can help; encourage people to find out more about Tibet’s environmental crisis and take part in our campaign against mining company China Gold. Come to ‘Pure Earths’, SFT UK’s first academic discussion, on 22nd April and get people to sign our ‘stop mining in Tibet’ campaign card. Contact info@sftuk.org for more details.
PHOTO: Jim McGill
How the Chinese state is being challenged from within By Shao Jiang
After 1949, public communication and independent societies have been either closely controlled or effectively destroyed by the Chinese regime’s totalitarian system. But despite the violence, youth resistance has survived in China. In this article I will give you some examples of this resistance.
Political publications were rare in China in the years after the Communist takeover, but in 1956, the Hungarian revolution against their Communist regime began a domino effect in totaliarian states worldwide. Suddenly freedom movements realised that change was possible. It was no different in China, where in 1957, students sidestepped the state-controlled traditional media to express their discontent through big character posters on walls and in magazines. The government cracked down on these students, labelling them ‘rightists’ and sending millions of people to labour camps. Thousands are known to have died in those camps. This trend of crackdowns on freedom movements has continued throughout the Chinese Communist Party’s rule, and affects various ethnic and social groups such as Chinese, Uyghurs, Mongolians and Tibetans.
Then came the Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1968, when young people again stood up to express their desire for free speech and political representation. For example, Yu Kuoke wrote ‘On Class Origins’, which was read by around a million people before he was killed by the CCP and his followers detained and tortured. Then again in 1978, the Democracy Wall movement published posters and magazines criticising the CCP and demanding human rights, and in the 1980s, students and teachers were having regular meetings which enlightened students about their rights and trained them to run their networks more effectively. Momentum was building for change in China, but then came the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989.
I was there during the Tiananmen protests, and helped organise the largest student demonstration China has ever seen. And I was there to witness the CCP’s brutal response; the killing of thousands of people, including close friends. I was arrested and spent time in jail before finally moving into exile. After Tiananmen, the CCP recovered its monopoly on power and has enforced far stricter controls on students and other dissident groups. But this doesn’t mean the desire for freedom has gone away. These groups have been pushed underground but continue to operate inside China today. It isn’t just students; workers, teachers, opposition parties, writers, artists, religious and ethnic groups are increasingly using new media and other tools to co-ordinate, to organise and to share ideas.
Photos (right): Democracy Wall, Cultural Revolution propaganda, around 100,000 protested in 1989 and theTiananmen massacre.
It’s always difficult to break down barriers, but the Chinese, Tibetan, Uyghur, Mongolian and so many other causes have a lot in common. How about getting rights groups together in your uni or local area? If you want to reach out to Chinese communities, you can get ChinaTibet friendship postcards in Chinese from us. Email info@sftuk.org
! ACT NOW
The Chinese democracy movement were conscious of the Tibet issue during the Democracy Wall period, and Chinese and Tibetan communities in exile began dialogue in 1985. It is by no means a new thing for the groups to be working together, and in fact when we break down the propaganda view which Chinese people are taught from a young age, we find we have a lot in common, and we all deserve our freedom from the oppressive regime. There is a tendancy to avoid contact with Chinese groups on the other side too as some see this as a racial issue, which it is not. Han Chinese and Tibetans are both victims of this regime, which seeks to split us as it fears that if we unite, we will overcome the Chinese state. So unite is exactly what we must do.
The determination of the Tibetan people over so many years has inspired many Chinese people to fight for freedom. After the Tibetan uprising of 2008, many prominent Chinese lawyers stood up to provide legal assistance to prisoners like Phurbu Rinpoche, Dhondup Wangchen and Jigme Gyatso. And Charter 08, a groundbreaking document signed by Chinese rights activists including Liu Xiaobo, demands human rights and democracy for all people living under Chinese rule; Tibetans, Uyghurs, Falun Gong and so on. Though Liu Xiaobo is now serving eleven years in prison, his strength and determination is inspiring a new generation of Chinese students, professionals, artists and activists to grow this cause, and I hope the work of Chinese dissidents inspires Tibetans too. It is true that as the CCP and the country becomes more affluent, they have less need to demand change, but at the same time, increased access to technology creates a demand for information and other rights like free speech, equal rights, national self-determination, political representation and cultural identity. And no economic boom lasts forever. Rights movements are challenging the regime in China, and the Chinese state cannot deny these rights to it’s own people, or to Tibetans, forever.
Read Shao Jiang’s blog in English: http://blogs.amnesty.org.uk/blogs.asp?bid=51 or on Twitter, follow ‘shaojiang’
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The myth of China’s power is persuasive while the economy grows, but what else does China have? 1. Freedom of speech? 2. Freedom of belief? 3. Equal education and employment rights? 4. Information access? 5. Freedom from fear and intimidation? 6. Political representation?
China practices none of these. While they become affluent, most people will remain quiet, but when people can no longer put food on the table, they act. China does not support it’s poor, relying on propaganda and intimidation to rule. When our government fails, we express disappointment by voting them out, yet the system remains. How will the Chinese people express their disappointment when the boom they are experiencing becomes a crash? This year, the Tunisian and Egyptian regimes fell, showing you can never see the demise of a totalitarian state coming. The pressure for rights in China is growing. Are the seeds of the CCP’s demise already sewn?
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Many causes, one struggle
In China a woman is forcibly sterilised. In East Turkestan a protestor is shot dead by a firing squad. In Burma a monk lies starving in a rat-infested jail cell. In Zimbabwe a democractic politician is beaten into a coma by police. These situations are connected. It isn’t just Tibet; the Chinese state allows such abuses to occur across the world, so SFT UK is uniting with these causes. Tibetans can’t push back the CCP on their own, but by working together, our One Struggle is amplified.
China
There is an increasing groundswell of free-thinking sentiment in China, and as the rift between rich and poor grows, this will only expand. The better off are starting to demand the information access and creative outlets any developed nation would embrace while the poor are being laid off due to struggling Western economices no longer providing the same level of import demands. The Chinese people are silenced, arrested and oppressed for criticising their government, and have not forgotten Tiananmen Square. Nobel winner Liu Xiaobo said “I have no hatred. None of the police who imprisoned me are my enemies. Hatred... can poison a nation’s spirit and block a nation’s progress to freedom and democracy.”
East Turkestan
Like in Tibet, recent mass protests against Chinese rule by the Uyghurs led to brutal crackdowns.The state continues to sideline Uyghurs in their own country while labelling them terrorists- a charge which the Chinese regime has only started using post-9/11, hoping to create sympathy from the international community for rounding up innocent Uyghurs in their tens of thousands. In fact, the Chinese state inflames tensions between Uyghurs and Hans, putting both sides at risk, but Uyghur protests tend to be peaceful. Uyghur spokesperson Rebiya Kadeer said “We will expose the facade of China’s authoritarian rule. We will reach out to Chinese speakers (and) support all oppressed peoples struggling for freedom.”
Inner Mongolia
Tibetans and Mongolians share many cultural ties, and like Tibetans, the people of occupied Inner Mongolia suffer discrimination, arrest and torture for seeking equality and expressing their national identity. The Chinese state often uses the dubious response ‘Tibet has always been part of China’ to justify its occupation, but it’s no wonder they don’t say the same about Mongolia, which ruled China for long periods. Whatever the justification, Mongolians are worried about China’s destruction of the environment and nuclear tests on their land. Writer Govruud Huuchinhuu, who is currently missing after initially being put under house arrest, said “I asked if they had a warrant to arrest me; they said they didn’t. No one (told) me why.”
Falun Gong
The Chinese state inflicts terrifying torture on members of spiritual group Falun Gong, including sexual abuse and organ harvesting. The state fears the popularity of Falun Gong, which had more members than the Chinese Communist Party in the 1990’s, so they focus a campaign of terror against them. Over 3,000 of 87,000 torture victims are thought to have died from the abuse they suffered, and organs are taken from these victims. Prisoner Gao Rongron said “Every Falun Gong (prisoner) is persecuted and treated inhumanely. We were not allowed to talk or meet our families. They cruelly injured and tortured us without remorse.” Gao was one of many who later died of the beatings she endured.
Burma
North Korea
The Burmese junta, propped up by China, practices genocide against ethnic minorities, including organising terror campaigns in which soldiers arrive in villages, rape and murder the inhabitants and burn their homes to the ground. Having ignored the results of an election which democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi won by a landslide, the junta has banned her party from standing in recent sham elections. The junta is so detatched from the will of the people that they have even built their own private capital city. Suu Kyi said “The struggle for human rights is a struggle for life and dignity... There has to be a united determination to persevere in this struggle.”
Despite recent tensions in the area, China remains Kim Jong-Il’s only real ally, supporting this horrendous regime and helping him keep power. North Korea is a bizzare regime; stuck in a 1970s cold war timewarp, it is ruled more by a cult than a political party, where even shopping can be illegal and paranoia about democratic South Korea often leads to military reactions. China has shown rumblings of discontent as Kim flexes his nuclear muscles, but refuses to disown him. Political prisoner Soon Ok-Lee spoke of the horrors of jail: “Women prisoners’ babies are killed on delivery... the doctor shouted ‘kill it quickly’ (and) the nurses squeezed the babies’ necks to kill them. I still see the mothers weeping in my nightmares.”
Sudan
Zimbabwe
Omar Al-Bashir’s oppressive, China-backed regime may be crumbling as South Sudan gains its independence after a long and bloody struggle against his dictatorial rule. But Al-Bashir continues to oppress the Sudanese people. Around 300,000 civilians have been killed in Darfur and 3 million displaced. A further 200,000 are thought to be kept as slaves. Al-Bashir has an army which includes 17,000 children who are used as soldiers, human minesweepers and sex slaves for senior officers. China provides Al-Bashir’s wepeons, leaving Sudanese blood on the Chinese polituburo’s hands. Nagi Musa of student protest group Girifna said “Bashir is responsible for killing all around Sudan... we know they can put us in jail at any time..we know if we don’t say anything, it will keep happening.”
Zimbabwe may seem a long way from China, but Robert Mugabe is another brutal dictator to whom the Chinese state offers arms and political support. Mugabe employs large numbers of child soldiers, who are systematically raped as a means of desensitisation before being taught torture techniques. Mugabe’s militia terrorised voters in the build-up to the 2008 election, during which time China sent him a huge ship of guns which South Africa refused to allow passage into Zimbabwe. Democratic opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, himself the victim of horrendous assaults, said “there are people in this country who have been killed, raped and assaulted... the government must take responsibility for these armed bandits.”
Taiwan
Taiwan is a functioning democracy which has made enormous progress in human rights, free press and religious freedom since its de-facto seperation from China. But it’s still a struggle to maintain this democracy as the Chinese government constantly threatens the Taiwanese. They refuse to recognise Taiwan, have 2,000 missiles pointed at them and state that they can use ‘non-peaceful means’ if Taiwan formally declares independence. Activist Su Beng said “everyone must forcefully declare that Taiwan is not part of China... we must stop China from taking over Taiwan.” Defending Taiwan’s independence and noting the success of areas like Hong Kong, where people have more rights, is vital to opposing China’s totalitarian system.
SFT UK is networking with these other causes to strengthen our campaigns against Chinese government oppression. You can read more about these causes at www.sftuk.org/onestruggle
New generation By Dechen Pemba
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On the first day of the Tibetan New Year 2010, a band called Yudrug uploaded a hip-hop music video entitled ‘New Generation’ onto their blog. The video quickly circulated amongst Tibetans, especially younger Tibetans, via blogs and social networking spaces. The English translation appeared in a post on High Peaks Pure Earth and and has become popular with Tibetans across the globe.
A fierce declaration of Tibetan pride, the song is uniquely Tibetan in spite of its foreign rhythm. The lyrics and beat draw inspiration from contemporary hip-hop culture, which originated as a protest tool for disenfranchised youth, especially African-American youth in the US, to reflect on the social, economic and political realities of their lives. Yudrug draw on much of this in their lyrics, and essentially they are doing the same thing; using music to demand freedom and equality in a state which villifies and victimises them.
Yudrug's spirit and message are in keeping with a general trend in Tibetan cultural output seen after the protests and crackdown in Tibet in 2008; a defiant pride expressed in poetry, music, film and writings. Recently, singers Sherten and Lhakyi (pictured beneath Yudrug) also posted songs about Tibetan unity and meeting the Dalai Lama respectively, while undettered by 5 months in jail for distributing a video calling for freedom, Kalsang Tsultrim has continued speaking up and was re-arrested in February. Poet ‘Son of Snow’ writes “We have been waiting for too long / We have been voyaging too far / Tibetans, carrying dignity on their backs / Bearing pain, are gradually rising.” In a banned book, Shogdung said peaceful civil disobedience needs to be practiced by Tibetans to gain greater rights and freedoms. SFT UK is committed to supporting Tibetans in Tibet to this end, and to making dissenting voices heard. As Yudrug say, "Our story hasn’t ended here / It's just the beginning..."
Freedom through music
Dechen Pemba was deported from Beijing for helping film director Dhondup Wangchen get the film ‘Leaving Fear Behind’ out of Tibet. She is the editor of www.highpeakspureearth.com, where you can see Yudrug’s video and read more.
By Freddy Lim
I got involved with the Free Tibet movement in 2000, and have always been encouraged by the way it seeks to reach new audiences in different ways. It isn’t just about lectures and lobbying; we can all use our skills to promote freedom, not only for Tibet but for all of us.
As a Taiwanese musician, there are two things which make the Tibetan cause important to me. First, Taiwan’s independence is a direct challenge to China’s Communist regime. We need to fight to retain that independence just as Tibetans continue their non-violent struggle against occupation. Second, I couldn’t do what I do if I didn’t have freedom. In Taiwan, I can express myself, write music and perform. I can meet people from different backgrounds; we can share similar aspirations and celebrate our differences. This isn’t possible in Tibet, and it wouldn’t be possible in Taiwan if we weren’t independent.
I’ve organised large Tibet concerts in Taiwan and met some amazing people like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Uyghur leader Rebiya Kadeer and Su Beng, one of the heroes of Taiwanese independence. These people inspire me and whether you are Tibetan, Taiwanese, Uyghur, Mongolian, Chinese; their message of resistance is the same. The Chinese government knows this message doesn’t just belong in political circles; it’s expressed in music, film and art. That’s why they arrest Tibetan singers like Tashi Dhondup and detain Chinese artists like Ai Weiwei; they fear the freedom which they represent. We have many fans in China, but we're banned. I take that as a sign we’re hitting the Chinese government where it hurts. If I can use my music to make young people in Taiwan and across the world realise how important their freedom is, then that’s as important as the music itself. Regimes rise and fall, but however powerful China is, people’s desire for freedom will always be stronger, and that’s something that unifies us all. Photos: Freddy Lim and Doris Yeh of Chthonic promoting the Tibetan cause. Since writing this article, Freddy has become an official representative of Amnesty International Taiwan and has toured the UK with Chthonic.
Never forgotten
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The Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, was abducted, along with his family, by the Chinese authorities when he was just six years old. The second most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism, the Panchen Lama was taken in an attempt by the state to control Tibetan Buddhism, one of the cornerstones of the Tibetan people’s religious, cultural and national identity. Over fifteen years later, the man who was once the world’s youngest political prisoner is still missing, and China refuse to give evidence of his well being.
Gedhun has been ‘replaced’ by the Gyaltsen Norbu, the ‘state-sponsored’ Panchen Lama, and the son of two Communist Party officials. His role is to bring monks and nuns, who often stand up to reject Chinese rule, into line by being the new face of Tibetan Buddhism. This tactic has failed; Tibetans refer to Gyaltsen Norbu as ‘Panchen Zuma’; ‘fake Panchen’, and monks and nuns continue to protest.
ACT NOW!
:The Panchen Lama’s 22nd birthday is on 25th April, when SFT UK will be holding a solidarity vigil at the Chinese Embassy, London. Please come along and show that this innocent boy will never be forgotten, and help demand his release.
Religious repression
There have been a series of trials over the past few months which highlight the depth of religious repression in Tibet today. Most of the monks sentenced have been imprisoned awaiting trial since 2008 for refusing to take part in ‘patriotic re-education’. This involves state work teams arriving at places of worship in large numbers, demanding monks and nuns learn propagandist texts and publicly denounce the Dalai Lama. It is designed to break monks’ ties with their spritual leader and weed those who refuse out of the monastic system.
- Tenzin Gephel and Ngawang: 12 year sentences for resisting patriotic re-education - Karma Palsang and Nipham Gelek: 9 1/2 years for resisting patriotic re-education - Jampel Wangchuk, Konchok Nyima and Ngawang Choenyi: Life, 20 and 15 years, thought to be in retaliation for junior monks at their monastery staging protests in 2008. - Jigme Gyatso of Kanlho: 5 years after confessing to having anti-government pamphlets to save 30 other monks from further torture.
Most of these monks will have already become accustomed to the terrifying conditions in Chinese jails; conditions which can have deadly consequences. In October, a monk named Jamyang Tenzin was released due to poor health caused by the torture he suffered in prison. He had been detained in 2007, also for resisting patriotic re-education. He is suffering from kidney problems after beatings and has also suffered lasting mental damage, no longer interacting with other people.
Nuns named Taga, Sochoe and Achoe have now all been released due to injuries sustained through torture, while there are fears for the health of another Jigme Gyatso; a monk serving a 17 year sentence. Monks Kalsang Gyatso, Soepa Gyatso and Lungtok Gyatso from Lutsang monastery were all released after being injured through torture in December. The practice of releasing injured prisoners helps the authorities feign innocence over killing prisoners as they are left to die of their injuries outside prison rather than under state care.
Drapchi nun escapes Tibet
Some monks and nuns have escaped suffering further brutal treatment. Palden Choedron, one of the ‘singing nuns’ who recorded songs about freedom while in Drapchi prison, escaped Tibet in September. She had been re-arrested during a previous attempt to move into exile and sentenced to 3 years after serving her original 8 year sentence. Three monks wanted by the authorities for raising the banned Tibetan flag in Kardze also escaped Tibet in October after a gruelling 23 day walk to Kathmandu.
A web of intrigue
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The internet is an integral part of both our professional and social lives. It allows us information access, easy contact with people around the globe and the ability to create and share our own content… and it’s for these reasons that the web is a huge and growing threat to the Chinese regime’s grip on power.
China has 450 million internet users and growing. In China, people blog in the same way we watch TV; millions do it every day. They could be talking about anything; expressing whatever views they want, so the Chinese state ploughs huge sums of money and resources into controlling the internet. But as always with strict enforcement, people are finding more new ways to subvert state control. Try doing a search for ‘Tibet’ or ‘human rights’ in China or Tibet and you’re not going to find anything about the abuses happening there. Try using Youtube, Facebook or similar services and you’ll find they’re often unavailable because something the government didn’t like was posted. Dare to criticise the regime or post information about democracy and you might end up going offline for a long time, like Tibetan health worker Wangdu; serving a life sentence for sending email to friends outside Tibet. China’s ‘Great Firewall’ is designed to stop its own people from learning the true face of the regime, and new policies, like a recent law forcing internet cafe users to register so what they access can be monitored, add to the intimidation.
But China doesn’t hold all the cards when it comes to the net. Chinese users access blocked sites like CNN, BBC or the SFT site by using proxy servers. They post videos like a recent net cartoon of new year rabbits, depicting police violence. They use internet ‘memes’ (like Caonima, the ‘ ‘grass mud horse’); a bit like code words and images used to talk about things they shouldn’t without being caught by the state. And when the government launched censorship program ‘Green Dam Youth Escort’, thousands of Chinese bloggers threatened to quit the net, forcing the regime to back down. The same is true of Tibetan netizens. The Dalai Lama said “the Chinese government’s international credibility on human rights will continue to decline as Tibetans gain further access to media tools.”
Companies can force the state’s hand too. Early last year, Google refused to continue complying with Chinese government rules on restricting internet content. Suddenly, Chinese web users could see links to sites about the Tiananmen Square massacre, Falun Gong and human rights abuses in Tibet. Google later relented, but the move shows how fragile China’s propaganda-based is.
But state control doesn’t stop there. The Chinese government is being exposed for running complex hacking networks which break into business, state and personal computers across the world. But all this expense, effort and scandal is ultimately useless. Even China can’t fully control the net; the more it tries, the more it’s increasingly affluent, web-saavy people see the state for what it really is. The regime’s guns, tanks and economy often give them the upper hand, but cyber strength is measured in the currency of information access; that’s a war where we have the upper hand.
BANNED! Sites we use every day are censored in China and Tibet
*Facebook Blocked in China, though some Chinese users manage to access it. *Youtube Blocked since 2009, after video of troops assaulting Tibetans was posted. *Twitter Banned outright since July 2010. Twitter fell out of favour when Uyghurs shared photos of crackdowns during unrest in July 2009. *Google Searching for ‘Tiananmen’ outside China (top right) yeilds very different results from searching inside China and Tibet (below). *Email and mobiles Both are available but closely monitored. Talking about topics like human rights can lead to arrest and torture.
From top: Rabbit cartton, Tibetan kids growing up with technology, web representations of ‘Youth Escort’ and Caonima
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Liu Xiaobo
Jailed for his tireless work for human rights in China
Democracy has a new hero and the list of Nobel Peace Prize laureates has a new name. That name is Liu Xiaobo; the fearless Chinese dissident who has dedicated his life to demanding freedom for everybody oppressed by the Chinese state, including Tibetans, at tremendous personal risk.
He is currently serving an eleven year sentence for ‘subverting state power’, but that didn’t stop him being awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010, meaning he joins such notable names as Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Aung San Suu Kyi and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. International recognition of Liu’s importance to democracy worldwide shows the ideals which China’s peers expect of any developed nation. Liu Xiaobo has campaigned peacefully for decades, yet China feels threatened by this man, knowing that the more his words are heard, the more Chinese people will adopt his principles and demand freedom too. And that’s exactly why we should all support him and join the international call for him to be released.
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ACT NOW!
You can write to the Chinese Embassy to show your support for Liu or any of the other Chinese political prisoners jailed for calling for human rights and freedoms, such as Hu Jia and Gao Zhisheng.
By showing that you support Chinese political prisoners as well as Tibetans, you are alsohelping undermine the state’s attempts to brand Tibet supporters ‘anti-Chinese’.
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming, The Chinese Embassy, 49-51 Portland Place , London W1B 1JL
US President Barack Obama said “By granting the prize to Mr. Liu, the Nobel Committee has chosen someone who has been an eloquent and courageous spokesman for the advance of universal values through peaceful and non-violent means, including his support for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.” And the Dalai Lama added “I have been personally moved as well as encouraged by the efforts of hundreds of Chinese intellectuals and concerned citizens, including Mr. Liu Xiaobo in signing the Charter 08, which calls for democracy and freedom in China. I believe in the years ahead, future generations of Chinese will be able to enjoy the fruits of the efforts that the current Chinese citizens are making towards responsible governance.”
In January, Obama met his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, and there was a telling exchange during a joint press conference. Obama refered to “the universal rights of every human being” and a defensive Hu responded “China and the US should both respect each other’s choice of development paths and core interests.” But Hu is wrong here; human rights are indeed universal; this is not something which developed nations can opt out of. Either China respects human rights or it can’t claim to be a developed nation. China is rich but respect is not bought, it’s earned, and if China wants respect, Hu Jintao has a lot to learn. He does not need to look as far as the US to realise this; there’s already a man languishing in a Chinese jail who has earned genuine respect the world over, and from whom Hu could learn a lot. That man is Liu Xiaobo.
Clockwise from top: Liu Xiaobo, his empty Nobel chair, Gao Zhisheng, Hu Jia, protests supporting Liu and Liu’s wife Liu Xia
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Tibetans in school
Tibetans are sidelined in education, where they are forced to learn in Chinese from age 13, competing against native Chinese speakers. This damages their prospects of employment.
S POST CARD T FROM TIBE
PHOTOS: (Main and 1st inset) Falsalama
S D R A C T S PO The Tibetan Buddhist religion is integral to Tibet’s national identity, and as such is a threat to the Chinese regime, which tries T E B I T to control it by forcing monks and nuns to reject the Dalai Lama. M O FR
Tibet’s spitual identity
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Tibet’s enduring resistance
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Despite harsh crackdowns, beatings, arrests, torture and massacres, the Tibetan people’s non-violent resistance to Chinese rule continues, and was never more clear than during spring 2008.
PHOTOS: (main) Vincent Van den Berg, (inset) Jim McGill, Betterworld2010
S D R A C T S The colourful nomadic culture of Tibet is not only unique to the PO cultural and national identity of Tibet but is also vital in protecting T E B I T the environment of the Tibetan plateau. M O FR
Tibet’s nomadic culture
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SFT UK conference
I think everyone at SFT UK has an annual highlight that they look forward to, whether it’s Losar, Uprising Day or the Dalai Lama’s birthday, but as its organiser in 2010, I must say the SFT UK Conference is what I always look forward to. It’s a chance to meet some of the most passionate, committed young activists in the Tibetan movement, to be inspired by amazing guest speakers and learn new skills. I’m glad to say that 2010 was no exception.
Held at the University of Essex, we were joined by students from as far away as Plymouth, Birmingham and Hull. They were there to receive training in a mix of activist skills to boost their campaigning power, and to that end we laid on a range of workshops from background on Tibet to campaigns and fundraising workshops, a video-linkup chat with the cousin of jailed film maker Dhondup Wangchen, an ambitious talk bringing in speakers from various freedom movements such as Burmese, Chinese and Uyghur and of course the most fun part of the weekendnon-violent direct action workshops in chilly Wivenhoe Park. Everyone got nicely warmed up creating effective blockades, dealing with ‘police’ (AKA the SFT UK Board) and learning how to make a difference through peaceful but active means. Hot cups of tea afterwards were well received.
We were also extremely honoured to host the Dalai Lama’s Representative for Northern Europe, Thupten Samdup, who kindly shared with us his hopes for the future of the Tibetan freedom movement, calling for a bold new strategy. “I believe the time has come to re-package Tibet. We’re talking about the human rights violations in Tibet, the environmental degradation, the religious intolerance (but) that’s not registering… We should take ownership of something we should be proud of; that the Tibetan struggle has remained non-violent for 51 years”.
A big thanks to Fenya, Sonam, Yusra and SFT Essex as the whole thing wouldn’t have happened without them, and to the staff and congregation of Wivenhoe Methodist Church, who kindly let us stay in their church overnight at very short notice. Our appreciation to the speakers and participants, and put the conference in your diary for autumn 2011- don’t miss out!
Start a chapter!
There’s never been a better time to start a local chapter! SFT UK’s student network is the backbone of the organisation, and that means you can be the front line of the non-violent campaign for a free Tibet! If you’re no longer at uni, or if you’re still in school you can also start a group. We’re reaching out to Sixth forms, colleges and community groups who want to get active, so if you want to start a group, meet and campaign with likeminded people or just have SFT UK board members come to your school, uni or community centre to talk about Tibet, get in touch and we’ll supply you with info, advice, resource packs and even exciting activism training! : ! This June sees the opportunity of an activist’s ACT NOWlifetime; SFT Europe training camp in Germany or Switzerland. Learn more and book a spot: pema@sftuk.org
{hotos: Conference attendees enjoying the packed weekend and (right) SFT UK chapters are at the core of our history!
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Become SFT UK’s guardian for a political prisoner
The more people who sign up, the more prisoners we can support
You can now donate to SFT UK in a whole new, interactive way.
‘Guardians of a free Tibet’ aims to encourage supporters to become an SFT UK ‘guardian’ for a political prisoner of their choice. Pick a prisoner and sign up to donate £3 or more per month and you will be funding our campaign to free that prisoner. You’ll get a pack from us with which you can help carry the campaign forward, and can also post a message on the new Guardians of a free Tibet website for all to see, and we’ll keep you up to speed on the case of the prisoner you support. SFT UK’s resources are limited but we want to be able to popularise the cases of as many prisoners as possible. We know from previous cases that sentences can be lessened and prisoners released if their cases are known.
Become an SFT UK guardian for a political prisoner of your choice at www.sftuk.org/guardians