Protesting Bombardier: Tibet demonstrators cause a ruckus inside and outside AGM
Bombardier was once again reminded of the destructive impact their involvement in the China-Tibet railway will have on the Tibetan people and Tibet’s natural environment. We had a strong presence both inside and outside the company’s annual general meeting yesterday, including the support of Tibetans from Toronto who drove through the night to join fellow protesters in Montreal. Our voices and presence made Tibet the focus of the day and we were covered by local and national media.
Bombardier CEO, Laurent Beaudoin, repeatedly tried to defend his company’s involvement in the railway project, claiming that Bombardier was only “providing the rail cars� and not building the railway itself. As head of one of the largest rail manufactures in the world, you’d think he would know trains can’t run unless they’re equipped with rail cars. It’s the operation of the train, not the tra
cks that we’re concerned about! We made this point very clear to shareholders and senior management, especially during the question and answer period…much to the discontent of Mr. Beaudoin who by this point was visibily frustrated that we’d hijacked the meeting.
The company’s blatant disregard for human rights and corporate social responsibility was further demonstrated when a proposed resolution calling on Bombardier to adopt a human rights policy was rejected. It was no surprise when senior management encouraged shareholders to vote against the proposal, which if passed would hold the company accountable when the Chinese government uses the railway to further militarize the region and transfer more non-Tibetan settlers into Tibet, diluting Tibet’s distinct culture and religion. At this point, two members of SFT, Jessica Spanton and Kelsang Doma, unfurled a Tibetan flag and yelled “Shame on Bombardier, Tibetans will hold you accountable for your actions”.
With the railway scheduled to open on July 1st, we will continue to speak out against Bombardier’s complicity in China’s occupati
on of Tibet. Bombardier has been made perfectly aware of the implications this railway has for the Tibetan people and must immediately implement safeguards to ensure it is not used by the Chinese government as a tool of repression and cultural genocide. Until such a commitment is made, Bombardier is painting itself as a company that disregards human rights and lacks any sense of accountability or corporate social responsibility. As long as Bombardier’s rail cars are used to link China to Tibet, SFT and other Tibet support groups will be there to shed light on the company’s true colours.
Photos copyright Natalie Bianco
SFTers Make Great Tibet Website!
Two of SFT’s friends, Tenzin Samchok and Warren Woods, have created a fantastic website about Tibet for a web design competition they have entered themselves in. Tenzin and Warren are 6th graders at P.S. 315, the East Village Community School – which is right around the corner from SFT HQ.
Warren and Samchok came to the SFT office to ask me and Tendor some questions about SFT and what we do. You can read their interview here. Their website also presents information about the Dalai Lama, Tibetan culture, Losar, wildlife, yaks, and of course the politics of China’s occupation of Tibet.
Samchok and Warren even have a poll asking if Tibet should be free and independent of Chinese occupation! Thus far, 80% of their voters say yes — let’s drive that number up higher!
They did a great job and I highly recommend you take some time to explore their highly-detailed site. I think SFT may have found a couple future web designers for ourselves…
Win a Trip to India in SFT’s People Power Prize Draw
I’m here working with SFT India in the heart of Dharamsala, or “Little Tibet” in India, and wishing you all could be with me in this beautiful and bustling little town. The hills are green, there’s fresh snow high on the mountains and there’s a calmness here that’s indescribable.
There’s a lot to see and do in this small hill town. Whether visiting the Tibet Museum, circumambulating the Dalai Lama’s residence on a scenic and forested path, checking out the Buddhist paintings on the walls of the main temple at Nechung Monastery or taking a day-hike to the gorgeous picnic spot at Triund with views of the entire Kangra Valley – there’s never a dull moment.
Of course the food here is delicious and these days there’s a wonderful mixture of Tibetan and international restaurants. You can even eat sushi on Fridays and have your money support an organization of ex-political prisoners from Tibet – Gu-Chu-Sum.
Buy your Prize Draw tickets now for a chance to visit this gorgeous and unique place and have some Tibetan adventures in India.
Good luck and best wishes,
Lhadon Tethong
Executive Director
Meetings, scheming and fun in India…
I can’t believe I’ve been in India for over 3 weeks now! Time is flying by but we’ve accomplished a lot. I came for the International Tibet Support Network
(ITSN) meetings on the Olympics campaign and am now working with SFT India staff, board and volunteers on a 5-year plan. The ITSN meeting went really well and we’ve got a good plan to kick China’s butt around the Olympics. The 4-day meetings were attended by Tibetans and supporters from India, Sweden, Germany, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Britain, Canada and the U.S. I have been going to these meetings for the past 2 years and can safely say that this was the best organized and most productive. Those thugs running China and ruling Tibet have a lot to worry about in the coming years – watch out!
We’ve had 4 core group SFT India meetings and just last night finished the process of setting long and short-term objectives and prioritizing key projects. Lucky for us, the wonderful Dr. Tara Doyle (from Emory University Tibetan Studies Program) has allowed us to meet in her gorgeous old British-style summer
bungalow. It’s secluded on a hillside above McLeod Ganj and the perfect place for our meetings. We’ve been working late into the night, drinking lots of tea and eating delicious food cooked by the amazing chef Youngdrong. I must also mention that Tara makes a mean pot of chai which has been much appreciated through our long meetings and especially last night during a raging thunder storm. I’m off now to meet with Tenzin Tsundue and SFT India’s National Coordinator, Tenzin Choeying to make more plans for good trouble and then off to brief the Emory students on the Olympic plan. Looking forward to attending the Voice of Tibet 10th Anniversary concert tonight at TIPA featuring JJI Exile Brothers and Tsering Gyurme! Will write more later. xo Lhadon (SFT Executive Director)
Immigrant Rights
Two years ago, i was in Lhasa on May 1st – May Day – The Workers Day. It is a widely celebrated holiday in Tibet, with lots of Chinese Communist Party propaganda touting their “appreciation” for the common worker. Everyone goes to the Norbulingka, the Summer Palace of the Dalai Lama, to enjoy music, picnics (dried yak jerky!), friends, and a games. I met a group of young students, eager to practice English. They handed me a guitar, which no one knew how to play, and asked if I knew any Backstreet Boys songs. I had to break it to them that no one likes the Backstreet Boys anymore, and then I made them suffer through one of my original tunes.
Today, my May Day experience was quite different. Immigrant workers were called to not go to work, but instead to join marches and rallies being held across the country. They did this in protest of recent political moves made by our government, and to call for general immigration reform. I know that many of you Tibetans out there who have come to America know first hand the difficulties of our immigration system, and I hope you understand that today was for you, too.
I joined the rally at Union Square in New York, and shot this short video…
It’s true – my grandfather was an illegal immigrant. He came to the United States around 1915 to find a new life. He gained access through a forged passport. He worked hard, married, and over the next sixty years built an amazing heritage and lineage. His offspring have fought in wars, paid taxes, educated the young, worked for their communities, and created amazing works of all sorts.
Today, immigrants across the United States marched to remind our government, that they are an integral part of our society, culture, and economy – whether they are documented or not, legal or illegal. They are here to contribute, strive, and to be a part of the continuing narrative of our country’s heritage.
- Freddie Matthews
on Heavenly Tibet? or Hell on Earth? - Peter S.Mulshine
on Heavenly Tibet? or Hell on Earth? - Lora McCoy
on SFT Canada’s Tsering Confronts HDI/Continental Minerals’ Executives
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||
