Lessons Learned: Remembering Lobsang Dhondup, Taking Action to Free Tenzin Delek

I was attending the World Social Forum in Brazil when the Chinese government executed Lobsang Dhondup and sentenced Tenzin Delek Rinpoche to death. I was checking my email in a small cybercafe in Porto Alegre, surrounded by activists from across the globe, when I heard the news. At first, I just sat there. Stunned. Moments later, I couldn’t fight it back, and I wept. Then, I resolved to fight. It was a defining moment for me as a young Tibetan activist.

Up until that moment, I had somehow been convinced that the Chinese wouldn’t go through with it. They hadn’t dared to execute a Tibetan in such an overtly political and high-profile way for nearly 20 years, not to mention the incredible amount of unwanted attention and government pressure the Chinese were facing as a result of the global outcry and campaign in support of the two men. I was sure it was helping. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

On January 26th, 28-year old Lobsang Dhondup was executed, likely with a bullet to the head, and Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s death sentence was upheld, with a two year reprieve. Lobsang’s relatives never got to see his body. Only his ashes were returned to them.

Looking back on that day now, I see how naive I was to think that the Chinese authorities didn’t have the stomach for the fight – that they would somehow be unwilling to risk the negative press and global condemnation – and therefore wouldn’t carry out the sentences. I guess at that time, despite all I knew of their cruelty, all of the horror I had heard about since I was a small child, I had to learn this lesson and never forget it.

Though the Chinese government proved me wrong in my judgment that day, I was neither defeated nor hopeless. In fact, their brutal and heartless treatment of these two innocent Tibetan men only increased my determination to work harder and my conviction in the justice of this fight. And fight we did. In the campaign to stop Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s execution in the years that followed, we did everything we could possibly think of – from street protests and direct actions at Chinese embassies & consulates, to online advocacy campaigns and government lobbying – to gain global public and political support, and to inspire people to take action.

In the end, on January 26, 2005, the Chinese government commuted Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s sentence to life imprisonment for what they said was “good behavior” while in prison. Call it whatever they like, we knew why they did it. And though we were not able to help Lobsang Dhondup, I truly believe we saved Rinpoche’s life. This is the most important lesson. We can make a difference. We must fight. We might not win every battle, but we must always try.

We did our best for Rinpoche then, and we must do it again now. And never ever give up.

Please take action and help us free Tenzin Delek Rinpoche:

https://secure3.convio.net/sft/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=778

Tibet Haunts President Hu in Washington, D.C.

Last week, Chinese President Hu Jintao was confronted by the skeletons in his closet.

Tibetans and their supporters dogged the Chinese leader everywhere he went during his 3-day visit to Washington, D.C. Giant skeleton puppets representing Hu’s failed leadership and decades of repressive policies in Tibet haunted him in the streets of the U.S. capital. 
Watch a video roundup and view photos of the colorful protests.

From implementing martial law in Tibet in 1989 to his ongoing crackdown against pro-Tibet protesters, Hu Jintao has pursued policies that brutalize and marginalize the Tibetan people. Read the press release by Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) and the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) denouncing Hu Jintao’s failed leadership on Tibet and highlighting the Tibetan people’s enduring spirit of resistance.

SFT and TYC also jointly projected pro-Tibet images onto the Chinese embassy in D.C. during Hu’s visit.

On Wednesday, SFT’s Executive Director, Tenzin Dorjee (Tendor), spoke at a coalition rally in front of the White House alongside representatives from the Ugyhur, Taiwanese, Burmese, Chinese democracy and human rights communities. Each speaker echoed the call for long overdue change in Tibet and in China; Beijing must respect universal values of human rights and freedom if China is to be truly accepted as an equal among nations and a leader on the world stage.

Our Pressure is Working! Thanks to the consistent pressure on the Obama administration over the past two years, Tibet was raised as a central issue in the United States’ human rights agenda with China. President Obama pressed his Chinese counterpart to engage in a meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama and his representatives.

Through our continued efforts, we can ensure that our government leaders collectively stand up to China and press for an end to its illegal occupation of Tibet.

In the coming months, Tibetans and their supporters around the world will take part in what has become an annual Lobby Day for Tibet. On this day we visit our elected representatives, update them on the situation inside Tibet, and ask for their support of the Tibetan people’s nonviolent struggle for freedom.

If you are interested in taking part in the Lobby Day events, please contact: grassroots@studentsforafreetibet.org and we’ll send you more information pertaining to your country.

Support SFT’s hard-hitting actions for Tibetan freedom:
https://secure3.convio.net/sft/site/Donation2?df_id=1345&1345.donation=form1

Coalition Urges President Obama to Raise Tibet During US-China Summit

STUDENTS FOR A FREE TIBET

January 13, 2011
For Immediate Release

Contacts: Tenzin Dorjee, Executive Director, +1 646-724-0748

Kate Woznow, Deputy Director, +1 917-601-0069

Coalition Urges President Obama to Raise Tibet During US-China Summit

New York – A coalition of 39 Tibetan organizations and Tibet support groups across the United States sent a letter today to President Barack Obama asking that Tibet be a substantive part of the agenda during his meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao on January 19th.

“President Obama and his administration must publicly and vigorously raise Tibet and human rights when he meets Chinese President Hu Jintao,” said Tenzin Dorjee, Executive Director of Students for a Free Tibet.  “Human rights and freedom for Tibetans – and indeed all people – are universal values that Americans hold dear and want championed when our leaders talk to China.”

The letter states that the United States’ “long-standing history of supporting the Tibetan people creates an incumbent duty on this Administration to continue to raise the issue with Chinese leaders at the highest levels.” The visit comes at a time when Chinese leaders are escalating their violent and repressive policies in Tibet, including a full-scale attack against Tibetan writers, artists and intellectuals.

The letter argues that China’s failed policies in Tibet have consequences far beyond Tibet’s borders. China’s wide-scale construction of dams on the upper-reaches of Asia’s largest rivers originating on the Tibetan plateau that flow into India, Cambodia and other neighboring countries, are fast becoming a potential source of regional instability.

Students for a Free Tibet, along with the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of New York/New Jersey and Washington D.C. and the Capital Area Tibetan Association, is planning a series of protests from January 18th-20th in Washington, D.C. to coincide with Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit. A full schedule of the protests is available at: http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/hujintao

The text of the letter and list of signatory groups are as follows:

January 13, 2011

The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We, the undersigned Tibetan Associations, organizations and Tibet support groups, are writing to ask that you make Tibet a substantive part of the agenda when President Hu Jintao visits Washington on January 19.

You have spoken often of the universality of fundamental human rights, most recently to mark the awarding of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned Chinese writer and democracy activist Liu Xiaobo.

As you are aware, for the past six decades, the Tibetan people have been denied their fundamental human rights.  President Hu Jintao’s visit to Washington is a unique opportunity to engage him meaningfully on the Tibet issue and showcase the ideals and values cherished by Americans, including openness, democracy and individual liberty.  These principles underlie your remarks about rights that are universal to all human beings.

The United States has a long-standing history of supporting the Tibetan people and their peaceful struggle for human rights and freedom.  This support has become institutionalized within the U.S. government through the development of policies and programs designed to help Tibetans preserve and promote their culture, identity and dignity.  You have commended His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s tireless efforts to negotiate a resolution for Tibet with the Chinese government, a position consistent with long-standing U.S. policy.

Tibet is an integral part of the U.S.-China relationship for moral, historical and strategic reasons.  The position the United States has adopted on Tibet creates an incumbent duty on this Administration to continue to raise the issue with Chinese leaders at the highest levels. Tibet must be on the agenda of your summit with President Hu.

The recent protests by Tibetan students objecting to the central government’s plans to subordinate the Tibetan language to Mandarin as the language of instruction are emblematic of China’s policy failures in Tibet.

Moreover, there is a growing recognition of the potential impact China’s infrastructure projects on the Tibetan plateau will have on access to water in downstream countries, as Secretary Clinton noted during her visit to Cambodia.  The role of Tibet, also known by scientists as the “Third Pole,” in global climate change is further evidence that developments in Tibet are anything but the exclusive internal affairs of the People’s Republic of China.  Without a multilateral framework to address these issues, Chinese policies in Tibet could exacerbate regional instability.  A just and lasting solution for Tibet that includes Tibetans as integral stakeholders will bring greater stability for China, its regional neighbors and indeed the world.

These points underlie the central message that we ask you to convey to President Hu – that the United States has, and will continue to have, a strong interest in Tibet and will remain committed to facilitating a just and lasting resolution for Tibet.  This commitment comes with an expectation that Tibetans must be freely able to exercise their basic human rights and freedoms, preserve their distinctive culture, and address the ecological, educational, political and economic consequences of the Chinese government’s failed policies in Tibet.

The U.S. government should continue to press China’s leadership for results-oriented negotiations to achieve a political solution for Tibet and engage China in topical areas, including education policies pertaining to Tibetans and regional discussions on water security.

Your proactive approach will demonstrate to the Chinese government that Tibet is an integral part of the U.S.-China relationship as are basic universal values of human rights and dignity.  Again, we thank you for your public expressions of support for the Tibet issue and for your leadership in raising it with Chinese leaders, and look forward to your continuing to exert this leadership when you meet with President Hu.

Sincerely,

Association Cognizance Tibet, North Carolina
Capital Area Tibetan Association
Indiana Tibetan Association
Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association
Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota
Tibetan Association of Boston
Tibetan Association of Charlottesville
Tibetan Association of Colorado
Tibetan Association of Connecticut
Tibetan Association of Idaho
Tibetan Association of Ithaca
Tibetan Association of New York and New Jersey
Tibetan Association of North Carolina
Tibetan Association of Northern California
Tibetan Association of Ohio and Michigan
Tibetan Association of Santa Fe
Tibetan Association of Philadelphia
Tibetan Association of Southern California
Tibetan Association of Washington
Utah Tibetan Association
Wisconsin Tibetan Association
Bay Area Friends of Tibet
Boston Tibet Network
Committee of 100 for Tibet
International Campaign for Tibet
International Tibet Independence Movement
Los Angeles Friends of Tibet
Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of New York and New Jersey
San Diego Friends of Tibet
Santa Barbara Friends of Tibet
Seattle Friends of Tibet
Sierra Friends of Tibet
Students for a Free Tibet
Tibet Committee of Fairbanks
The Tibet Connection
Tibet Justice Center
Tibet Online
U.S. Tibet Committee
Western Colorado Friends of Tibet

-30-

Actor Richard Gere Joins Tibetans, Chinese at United Nations to Honor Liu Xiaobo’s Nobel Prize

NY SOLIDARITY EVENT FOR LIU XIAOBO AT UNITED NATIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY (12/10)

SFT will join a coalition of organizations and actor Richard Gere at a press conference and event in support of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo  on December 10th in front of the United Nations in New York (9am, Ralph Bunche Park at the corner of 1st Ave & 43rd Street). Tibetan & Chinese artists will display a collaborative portrait of Liu Xiaobo and Richard Gere will read excerpts of Liu Xiaobo’s writings. Check out SFT’s media advisory for more details.

The coalition has released a statement (see below) calling on the Chinese government to immediately release Liu Xiaobo from prison, along with all those detained by China for exercising their rights.

JOINT STATEMENT

Freedom for Liu Xiaobo and All Imprisoned by the Chinese Government for Exercising Their Rights

Students for a Free Tibet, Human Rights in China, Amnesty International, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, International Campaign for Tibet, International Federation for Human Rights, Tibetan Youth Congress

DECEMBER 8, 2010

Students for a Free Tibet, Human Rights in China, Amnesty International, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, International Campaign for Tibet, the International Federation for Human Rights, and Tibetan Youth Congress congratulate the independent Chinese intellectual, scholar, and activist Liu Xiaobo for being awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, and call on the Chinese government to release Liu from prison unconditionally.

In the award ceremony in Oslo on Friday, December 10, neither the Nobel Laureate nor his family members will be present to receive the honor, because Liu Xiaobo is serving an 11-year prison sentence for what the Chinese government calls “inciting subversion of state power”; his wife, Liu Xia, is under house arrest; and his brothers have been barred from leaving China.
In awarding Liu Xiaobo the Peace Prize, the Nobel Committee has acted courageously, especially in light of China’s growing global political influence and of the pervasive perception that no country in the world can afford to disagree with or antagonize China.

While some heads of state and international organizations lower their heads and voices, the Nobel Committee, with this Prize, has declared, loudly and clearly, that a common bond connects the Chinese people with all the world’s people. This common bond is a set of universal values that include the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and the right to freedom of opinion and expression. For this strong act of engagement with the Chinese government on fundamental principles, we commend the Nobel Committee.
In addition to releasing Liu Xiaobo, we call on the Chinese government to demonstrate through its actions that it respects the rights protected by international human rights law and Chinese law. It can begin by releasing all individuals who have been imprisoned for exercising these rights.

Full statement in Chinese

Contact:
•    Students for a Free Tibet: Kate Woznow, kate@studentsforafreetibet.org, +1 917 601-0069
•    Human Rights in China: Mi Ling Tsui, miling.tsui@hrichina.org, +1 917 859-0765
•    Amnesty International: José Luis Díaz,joseluis.diaz@amnesty.org, +1 917 972-1073
•    Human Rights First: Brenda Bowser Soder, bowsersoderb@humanrightsfirst.org, +1 202 370-3323
•    Human Rights Watch: Minky Worden, wordenm@hrw.org, +1 212 216-1250
•    International Federation for Human Rights: Antoine Madelin, amadelin@fidh.org, +32 485 22 22 87
•    International Campaign for Tibet: Kate Saunders, kate.saunders@ictibet.co.uk, + +44 (0) 7947 138612

•    Tibetan Youth Congress: Ngawang Tashi, ngawangtashirutog@yahoo.com, +1 917-500-4570
•    Uyghur American Association, Alim Seytoff, aseytoff@uyghuramerican.org, +1 202-478-1901

-30-

Help Defend the Tibetan Language

Last month Tibetan students in Rebkong, Amdo boldly protested the Chinese government’s decision to replace Tibetan with Chinese as the language of instruction in Tibetan schools by 2015. In the following days, the protests spread as more than 8,000 students – some as young as 13 – took to the streets to defend their fundamental right to study in their mother tongue. Watch a compilation of Radio Free Asia’s footage of the protests.

Language forms the foundation of Tibet’s unique and vibrant culture; to deny Tibetans their language is an attack on their fundamental human rights. Overnight, language became a flashpoint of cultural resistance inside Tibet, and has sparked a solidarity movement worldwide.

Support SFT’s global grassroots effort to pressure China to respect Tibetans’ fundamental right to language by clicking here.

SFT’s Tendor and Ven.    Lobsang Monlam

This Wednesday, we hosted the fourth episode of the Renaissance Series, In My Mother Tongue: Freedom Through Language. Ven. Lobsang Monlam, the creator of the Monlam Tibetan Unicode, gave an inspiring presentation about new digital tools he has helped develop – including the newly released Tibetan keyboard for iPhone 4.2 – that are helping to elevate the global status of the Tibetan language.

SFT’s Renaissance Series was launched this summer to promote the writings, poetry, music, and other works of art and literature banned in Chinese-occupied Tibet.

 In spite of China’s escalated repression following the widespread protests in 2008, there is a cultural renaissance underway in Tibet. Writers, musicians, and intellectuals are boldly asserting their views as a form of resistance to China’s colonial occupation. Tibetans in Tibet and in exile are reclaiming their language as part of this renaissance. Through grassroots action and digital innovation, we can help ensure the Tibetan language flourishes, withstanding attacks from the Chinese government. Please help us to support this cultural renaissance, and amplify the voices of Tibetans inside Tibet that are calling for the protection of their language by donating today.

Renaissance Series Ep. 04: Amplifying Everything Banned in Tibet

“In My Mother Tongue”: Freedom Through Language ངའི་མ་སྐད་ནང་། ༔ སྐད་ཡིག་བརྒྱུད་རང་དབང་རྩོད་པ།

Watch a compilation of Radio Free Asia footage of the student protests in Amdo, eastern Tibet in defense of the Tibetan language

View a slideshow of photos of the student protests in Tibet and China in defense of the Tibetan language.

Watch this scene from Leaving Fear Behind, showing a Tibetan nomad school in Amdo as it works to preserve Tibetan language and culture.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Download full program schedule

I. LANGUAGE IS A HUMAN RIGHT

• Tibetan teachers’ petition letter and time-line of Language Protests (see below). View photos of the students’ protests.
• Solidarity Actions by Tibetans and their supporters worldwide in response to the Tibetan students’ protests.
  
• Analysis on Language Rights Protest – Why Now? Readings from Woeser’s articles “When Tibetan Students Fight for the Tibetan Language” and “If Tibetans Took to the Streets for the Tibetan Language“
• How close are we to having an endangered language???, written by a Tibetan blogger
• Sorry, written by a Tibetan blogger

II. TIBETAN AS A MAINSTREAM MODERN LANGUAGE

• Reading from “Waterfall of Youth” by Dhondup Gyal
  Dhondup Gyal is an acclaimed Tibetan scholar, writer & poet. He pays tribute to the indomitable spirit and will of Tibetan youth and appeals for Tibetans to protect their language in this 1983 poem “Waterfall of Youth“.
• Presentation by Ven. Lobsang Monlam, Creator of Monlam Tibetan Unicode & Monlam Digital Dictionary, .
• Presentation by Lhadon Tethong & Nathan Freitas, Tibet Action Institute demonstrated some of the digital tools and tutorials they’ve created to help secure Tibetans’ efforts inside Tibet.

III. GRASSROOTS EFFORT TO RECLAIM TIBETAN LANGUAGE

• Compilation of Solidarity Actions worldwide in support of Tibetan language rights
• Clip of underground Tibetan language school in “Leaving Fear Behind” by Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen
  Take Action for the release of Dhondup Wangchen, imprisoned for 6-years by China for filming the true thoughts and aspirations of the Tibetan people.
• Cough up a yuan (Chinese dollar) for every Chinese word & other anecdotes of how Tibetans in Tibet are promoting their language
• Let’s All Speak Pure Tibetan, video narration of a poem written by an anonymous Tibetan

IV. 5 WAYS TO TAKE ACTION IN SUPPORT FOR LANGUAGE RIGHTS

1. Sign a Petition in Support Tibetan Students’ Right to Learn in Tibetan
2. Read, print and distribute SFT’s Ten Ways to Promote the Tibetan Language
3. Sign a Petition for the release of Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen
4. Download and distribute SFT’s Freedom of Language petition
5. Sign the petition for Tashi Dhondup, a detained Tibetan musician and help achieve the goal of 50,000 signatures.

(more…)

Students for a Free Tibet Japan Protests Hu Jintao

Update from SFT Japan’s Director Tsering Dorjee:

On 13th November 2010, the APEC leaders gathered at Yokohama, Japan for the APEC Forum. A peace march and demonstration against China’s continued and brutal suppression of Tibet was organized by the Tibetan Community Japan with the support of Student for Free Tibet Japan.

The significant day began with speeches delivered by Zenkoji Temple Ven.Wakaomi, followed by the Vice President of the Tibetan community Ms. Dolma Tsering. In her speech, she explained the purpose of the demonstration:

“We are not here to protest against the countries participating in the APEC forum and we support a successful outcome. However, it is our appeal to the various world leaders gathered to raise the issue of human right and Tibet with China in a concrete way.”

Finally, everyone vigorously sang the Tibetan national anthem led by the Tibetan people. Makino Seishu, Japan ruling Diet member and ardent supporter of Tibet sent the following message:

“I firmly believe the core political agenda in the 21st century rests with the dilemma of human rights and poverty alleviation. With addressing and solving these issues, there will be peace in this world. And I am committed to addressing the Tibet issue in the spirit of non violence and dialogue with the people of the world. Being one of the politicians of Japan, I share my solidarity with the people protesting here today.”

The famous Japanese Alpinist Ken Noguchi also sent a message of support:

“According to China, Tibet is an internal problem and China always warns to other countries not to intervene in China’s internal affair. Until now, many Tibetan have been jailed, tortured and killed. Is this act of brutality not a human rights issues rather than China’s internal affair? I think human right issues have no boundaries.”

Around 140 people joined the protest which started near the APEC venue in Goshoyama Park and passed through Isezakicho mall, ending up at Yokohama Park. SFT Japan especially emphasized the recent Chinese language policy imposed on Tibetans and designed to eradicate the Tibetan language in Tibet. The protest was covered by various Japan media, including NHK.

The main objectives of the protest were to protest China’s continued and brutal suppression of the Tibetan people and culture, including the recent decision to make Chinese language the medium of instruction in Tibetan schools in eastern Tibet, a move aimed at eradicating the foundation of Tibetan language.

Yokohama city deployed 21,000 Japan police to avoid any disruptions to the G20 Forum.