Urgent situation in Tibet!

A wave of protests in Tibet began in Lhasa on 10 March 2008. Since that time, more than 100 separate protests have taken place in approximately 50 locations across the Tibetan Plateau (the Tibet Autonomous Region and other parts of Tibet in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai). The vast majority of the protests have been non-violent in nature. As of June 2008, the military have re-asserted control of Tibet, but sporadic protests are still taking place. No foreign media have been allowed free access to Tibet since late March.

To address the crisis in Tibet, ITSN Member organizations are making the following demands:

i.) China must halt its crackdown, withdraw military and security forces, release those detained and allow peaceful protest. China must halt house-to-house searches; and authorities must refrain from any further arrests of Tibetan protesters. We call on our Governments to support these demands.
ii.) Governments must support the Dalai Lama's call for a UN team of investigators to go to Tibet as soon as possible.
iii.) China must allow foreign journalists back into all Tibetan areas (TAR and Tibetan areas of Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan) immediately.
iv.) The IOC must withdraw all Tibetan areas (TAR and Tibetan areas of Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan) from the planned Olympic torch relay route. Update: the torch ascended Mount Everest in May, but the Tibetan legs of the relay have been curtailed. As of 16 June 2008, the torch is likely to visit TAR - Lhasa - for one day only 21 June, postponed from 18 June.
v.) All political leaders and other prominent persons who have accepted an invitation to attend the Olympic Games should withdraw their acceptance.

Resources for advocacy and campaigning during the protests in Tibet:

Resources for Government and UN advocacy

• Sample letter to your UN representatives and to Foreign Ministers asking them to support our demands. Here is a link to find your country's permanent mission in Geneva.

• A Summary of Government and Official Responses to the urgent situation in Tibet. We will update this file as we are successful in securing more statements of concern from foreign governments, inter-governmental organizations, and international organizations.

• ITSN's Letter to Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, appealing for UN Investigators to be sent to Tibet. Please note, on 10 April China rejected a request from Ms Arbour to visit Tibet herself. China has said "it wouldn't be convenient at this time" and suggested she would be welcome at a later date that is "mutually convenient". Please write to the Department of International Organizations and Conferences at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is responsible for UN issues. Call on China to allow the U.N High Commissioner for Human Rights, (Louise Arbour until end of June 2008 - her successor has yet to be appointed), to visit Lhasa and Tibet immediately in order to investigate the current situation. Urge that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights be allowed unfettered access and is s/he able to interview Tibetans without recriminations.

  Wu Hailong, Director-General
  The Department of International Organizations and Conferences
  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC
  No. 2, Chaoyangmen Nandajie
  Chaoyang District
  CN-100701 Beijing
  People's Republic of China
  Tel: 86-10-65963100
  Email: gjs2@fmprc.gov.cn (Please note this email may not be current. If your email bounces please write letters.)

  Send copies to Chinese embassies in your country and write to your government, calling on them to pressure China to allow a UN delegation to visit Tibet immediately.

• Action alert: send an email to the International Olympic Committee, urging them to use Chinese officials, demanding that journalists be re-admitted to Tibet: www.actionnetwork.org/campaign/Tibet_access

Olympics-related resources

Please note that ITSN has the following websites, specifically for Olympics-related campaign activities. These include:

• www.teamtibet.org. The Olympic Campaign Working Group's website.
• www.tibetanfreedomtorch.org , where information about the Tibet movement's alternative torch relay can be found.

A website dedicated to athlete outreach will follow shortly. Other Olympics resources are as follows:

• Positions of government leaders on attending the Beijing Opening Ceremony (updated 7th August)
• Sample Letters to Politicians and Celebrities, asking them to stay away from the Beijing Olympic Games.
• Lists of athletes who have made supportive statements.
• Link for names and contact information of all Members of the International Olympic Committee.
• Suggestions for ways of contacting your National Olympic Committees including petition text and talking points.
• Link for contact details of all National Olympic Committees.
• ITSN's Letter to Jacques Rogge, demanding that the IOC withdraw Tibet from the Olympic Torch Route.
• Text of reply to ITSN from IOC concerning the torch in Tibet.
• Text of follow-up letter to Jacques Rogge from ITSN on the torch in Tibet (8th April).
• ITSN's Letter to Olympic Torch Sponsor Coca Cola, asking them to support the appeal that the IOC withdraw Tibet from the Olympic Torch Route. Letters were also sent to torch relay sponsors Lenovo and Samsung.
• Reply to ITSN from Coca Cola concerning the torch in TIbet.

Resources about protests in Tibet

• List of Tibetans killed in the protests. (Last updated 26 June. Information from Central Tibetan Administration.)

• Chronology of protests and related incidents in Tibet since 10 March 2008. (30 pages, PDF format. Information collated from Central Tibetan Administration reports, 14 March - 30 April.)

• Compendium of Photos of protests in Tibet.

• Letter of protest to government of Nepal about its handling of Tibetan protests in Kathmandu.

• Map showing the location of many of the protests as of 12 April. (Detailed map from 5 April)

• For information about the Location of all Tibetan Autonomous Counties and Prefectures in areas within and outside the Tibet Autonomous Region, a pdf file from the Tibet information Network's publication "Leaders in Tibet" is available here.

Global Day of Action, 31 March 2008
Tibet Groups around the world held events on 31 March 2008, to draw attention away from the arrival of the Olympic Torch, and focus back onto the people inside Tibet. Tibet Groups demanded that the Olympic Torch not be permitted to pass through Tibetan areas, and reminded the world of what the Tibetan people are suffering. On 27 March, a group of 30 monks took the incredibly brave step of protesting in front of a small group of foreign media, that China had taken to Lhasa on a strictly controlled visit. Click here to see the list of events that took place around the world. Materials from the Global Day of Action.

• Sample Press Release for 31 March

• Talking points for media work

• Silhouettes (223kb zip file)

This ZIP file contains 2 folders of silhouettes in pdf and word format (size A3, A4 and US Letter). These can be printed out and carried during marches/vigils. The word documents have space to enter the names of Tibetans listed by the Tibetan Government in exile as having been killed in the protests: see www.tibet.net

• Campaign Flyer to hand out, with action steps for contacting National Olympic Committees

• Materials from Avaaz for the petition (100kb zip file)

This ZIP file contains 3 files; 2 for printing out and sticking on boxes that symbolise the Avaaz petition, and artwork for a banner about the petition. These materials are also available from the Avaaz website

• A list of additional Tibetan Solidarity Protests that have been taking place around the world.