1310 Fillmore Street, Suite 401
San Francisco, CA 94115
United States
[Read in Portuguese] [Read in Tibetan] 11 July 2014
Dear President Dilma Rousseff, Brazil; President Vladimir Putin; Prime Minister Narendra Modi;
President Jacob Zuma
We are writing to you from a global coalition of Tibet Groups ahead of the BRICS Summit in Brazil on 15 July 2014, to appeal to you to take this important opportunity to formally discuss Tibet with Xi Jinping.
The current situation in Tibet is critical. Since 2009 at least 131 Tibetans in Tibet have set fire to their bodies in acts of protest against China’s brutal Tibet policies. Over 100 of these protesters have died.
China’s unacceptable policies inflict widespread, systematic repression across Tibet, affecting Tibetans’ everyday lives. Egregious policies in Tibet include Beijing’s interference in religious practice, the use of the Tibetan language in education, the removal of millions of Tibet’s nomads from their ancestral grasslands, the implementation of Patriotic re-education campaigns, and the widespread vilification of the Dalai Lama.
Since Xi Jinping became President of China just over one year ago, he has shown no sign of changing course in Tibet. Instead he has continued down the same path as previous generations, implementing a harsh military crackdown, which – far from achieving the stability he seeks – serves to exacerbate Tibetan grievances and heighten tensions, creating widespread resistance right across Tibet. As was apparent during China’s Universal Periodic Review in October 2013, China refuses to accept any grounds for international concern about Tibet.
At this critical time, a diplomatic solution must be sought by the international community to ensure the serious political situation in Tibet is addressed, and solutions are found to address legitimate Tibetan grievances.
We therefore urge you to join together and make Tibet a formal part of your talks with Xi Jinping, and we call on you directly to:
• Make a public statement during the Summit in support of the people of Tibet, calling on the Chinese President to resolve the Tibet issue swiftly and peacefully.
• Urge Xi Jinping to resume dialogue with representatives of the exiled Tibetan leadership, to advance discussions towards a lasting solution to the issue of Tibet.
Yours sincerely,
Alison Reynolds
, Executive Director, International Tibet Network
On behalf the following member groups from Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa:
Brazil:
Centro De Cultura Tibetana
Rangzen: Movimento Free Tibete
Russia:
Save Tibet Foundation
India:
Tibetan Women’s Association
Gu Chu Sum
Students for a Free Tibet
Bharrat Tibbat Sayog Manch
South Africa:
Tibet Society, Durban
