Tibetan Uprising

For Immediate Release

April 17, 2008

Dharamshala - The Tibetan People’s Uprising Movement organized a day long programme in protest against the Beijing’s proposed plan to take their torch into Tibet in its attempt to legitimize its Human Rights violations and illegal Occupation of Tibet.

The day long programme started with hoisting of prayer flags in the morning followed by a protest rally from Mcleod Ganj to Lower Dharamshala at 1 p.m. and Candle light vigil in the evening. The organizers also did a petition signing which would then be send to President Jacques Rogge, International Olympic Committee. Hundreds of Tibetans turned up to participate in all the activities.

Ven. Dhakpa Tenphel of Gu-Chu-Sum, Ex-political movement of Tibet said, “International Olympic Committee must immediately withdraw Tibet from the Torch Relay route. Carrying the Olympic torch through Tibet would aggravate the crisis and cause yet more suffering for the Tibetan people.”

As Chinese troops intensify their crackdown against Tibetans, China is celebrating a global “Journey of Harmony” - the 2008 Olympic Torch relay. Beijing plans to run the torch through Lhasa and other Tibetan territories including to the top of Chomolungma (Mount Everest) in a propaganda exercise designed to convince the world that the situation is stable across Tibet and that Tibet belongs to China.

“In the past weeks, tens of thousands of Tibetans have risen up across Tibet, risking everything to demand their independence. The global community must stop China from parading the Olympic torch through Tibetan territory while hundreds, possibly thousands, of Tibetans are being tortured and brutalized in Chinese detention cells”, said Topla, Vice-President of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress.

It is unconscionable to send the torch through Tibet when Tibetans are being detained by the thousands and the level of repression is so extreme that it is said to be like a “Second Cultural Revolution.” If the IOC continues to insist on proceeding with the torch relay through Tibet - including Lhasa, Mount Everest, Shannan Diqu (Tibetan: Lhokha), Golmud (Tibetan: Gormo), Qinghai Hu (Tibetan Kokonor), and Shangri-La (Chinese: Zhongdian, Tibetan: Gyalthang) - IOC members will be directly responsible for the loss of life, imprisonment, and increased repression that will undoubtedly occur in the likely event that Tibetans protest.

The IOC must make public the “rules” that they say have been set for the Olympic Torch’s journey through Tibetan territory.

If the IOC continues to insist on provoking a humanitarian disaster in Tibet by sending the Olympic Torch through Tibetan territory, it must at the very least use its influence with the Chinese government to uphold its own media regulations by immediately allowing journalists access to all areas of Tibet, and must ensure that this is maintained throughout the torch relay.

We also urge all the freedom loving people of the world and Tibetans in particular to act now and demand the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to immediately withdraw the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Tibetan provinces of Amdo and Kham from the Olympic torch relay route.

Contact:

Ven. Dhakpa Tenphel, Gu-Chu-Sum: 9418200610
Tenzin Gekyong, NDPT: 9418008061
Topla, RTYC: 9816226577
Tenzin Dolkar, RTWA: 9418223386
Migmar SFT: 9816172009