10,000 People Petition Against Death Sentences in Tibet

LONDON, 25th June- On April 8th, 2009 the Chinese government sentenced Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak to death for their alleged involvement in the March 2008 protests in Lhasa, Tibet. A number of other Tibetans have also received harsh prison sentences, including: Tenzin Phuntsok and Kangtsuk (sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve), Dawa Sangpo (life imprisonment), and three Tibetan women in their early twenties - Penkyi (death sentence with a two-year reprieve), Penkyi (life imprisonment), and Chime Lhamo (10 years' imprisonment).

Chinese authorities routinely deny Tibetans their basic legal rights, and these trials were not conducted in accordance with international judicial standards. The Chinese government has responded to last year's protests with extreme violence, and these convictions are part of a widespread campaign to punish and intimidate Tibetans who dare to speak out against Chinese rule.

March and April 2008 saw the largest protests in Tibet for 50 years. A wave of protests began in Lhasa on 10 March 2008 and, since that time, more than 150 separate protests have taken place across the Tibetan Plateau, the overwhelming majority of which were non-violent in nature.

These harsh sentences signal an alarming escalation in the Chinese government's campaign to punish and intimidate Tibetans who dare to speak out against Chinese rule.

Students For a Free Tibet, as a result , carried out a 10,000 signature petition to condemn the unfair trial and the execution of Loyak and Lobsang Gyaltsen and many tibetans alike.

220 pages of signature petition was delivered to the Chinese Consulate in various parts of the world. In London, 15 people in white tops, symbolizing solidarity and mourning for the tibetans who have sacrificed their lives so far and contnue to suffer under the brutal chinsese regime, delivered the petition to the Chinese Embassy.

Photos by: Sheep

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SFT Canada Confronts Continental Minerals Executives

Tibetans and supporters held two protests in Vancouver this past week; Saturday, June 20th in front in downtown Vancouver, and then again on Wednesday June 24th outside the Metropolitan Hotel where Continental Minerals held their annual general meeting. SFT Canada's National Director, Tsering Lama, was able to enter the AGM and confront Continental Minerals' executives, including CEO David Copeland, before being escorted out.  Several SFT members from Vancouver and Victoria took part in a "die-in" action right outside the meeting room after being kicked out.

For media coverage about this week's events in Vancouver, visit our media centre.

Tibetans and Supporters Confront Continental Minerals at their AGM

It was a rainy Vancouver day, but Tibetans and supporters organized by SFT and CTC came out to hold a second protest on Wednesday June 24th, outside the Metropolitan Hotel where the Continental Minerals AGM took place, to protest the company mining in Tibet. Earlier that morning, Tsering Lama, SFT Canada National Director, went head-to-head [...] Read more on SFT Canada's blog

SFT “Welcomes” Chinese Foreign Mininster to Ottawa

SFT Ottawa “welcomed” Chinese foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on June 22nd as he arrived in Ottawa to meet with the Canadian Foreign Minister, Lawrence Cannon. Below is a report from SFT Ottawa’s Wangdu Duntak and photos from Lodoe Laura. We started our protest against the arrival of foreign minister Yang Jiechi at 5:30 pm. There [...] Read more on SFT Canada's blog

Appeal to all Tibetans and Tibet Supporters to Sign Petition in Support of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo!

All Tibetans and Tibet Supporters are called upon to sign an important petition demanding the release of Liu Xiaobo who was formally arrested by the Chinese government on 23rd June 2009.

In 1996, Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to three years in labour camp for writing a joint letter addressed to China’s President Jiang Zemin supporting Tibetan self-determination and also calling for dialogue with the Dalai Lama. He was the first Chinese person to be sentenced for speaking up for Tibet.

Liu Xiaobo was a crucial figure behind 2008’s “Twelve Suggestions for Dealing with the Tibetan Situation”, an open letter written and signed by prominent Chinese intellectuals in support of Tibetans.

Tibetan writer Woeser has posted news about a petition for Liu Xiaobo on her blog alongside photos of an action carried out by young Tibetan activists in London earlier this year highlighting “Silenced Voices”. Read the blogpost and see the photos here:
http://woeser.middle-way.net/2009/06/blog-post_6000.html

Sign the petition here: http://is.gd/1efvd

There are three boxes to fill out:

Name:

Place:

Nationality:

Supporting Liu Xiaobo means supporting truth and justice in China today.  SIGN THE PETITION!

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