In 2001 we wrote to the Olympic Committee that the 2008 Olympics should
not take place in Beijing because of their continuing oppression of the
people of Tibet. Now that it is taking place, however, we would support
H.H. the Dalai Lama in his view that the Games should go ahead. That
said, the Olympic Torch World Relay gives an opportunity to draw the
world's attention to the suffering of Tibetans under Chinese rule. In
the West we can demonstrate over abuses of human rights. Protests by
Tibetans in their own country have been harshly put down while at the
same time the world's press has been barred from entering Tibet and
reporting on what is happening. In April we initiated and took part in
a number of events to demonstrate our support for the recent protests
in Tibet and to do all we could to influence public and political
opinion.
Tuesday April 1st, Aberdeen: Illustrated Talk: 'THE TIBETAN PROTEST MOVEMENT'
Dr. Martin Mills, Tibetologist, University of Aberdeen and a member of
our Group, presented an in-depth explanation of the protests by
Tibetans and the response by the Chinese forces.
Friday April 4th, Edinburgh: SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT. RECEPTION FOR THE SINGING NUNS
Fourteen nuns -known worldwide as the 'Singing Nuns' of Tibet- who were imprisoned in Drapchi Prison in Lhasa in
the 1990s had had their sentences extended when, in 1993, they smuggled
out a recording of freedom songs they had sung in prison. One of the
nuns died in prison but the others have now been released. Four of the
nuns, Gyaltsen Drolkar, Phuntsok Nyidron, Namdrol Lhamo and Ngawang
Sangdrol toured the UK in March, and attended a reception in their
honour by the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Tibet.
Interviews with the press followed outside the Parliament.
On Friday 4th April in Edinburgh, a march was organised to
support the protests against the CCP's Olympic Torch Relay, which was
at that time passing through London. The march was headed by the
Singinhg Nuns, and took a route along the Royal Mile to the
Castle. The turnout was good, and a great deal of support was shown by
the Edinburgh public. Notably, the Edinburgh chinese communityput
on their own tit-for-tat march, which we supsect was funded by the
local consulate. Their flags weren't nearly as artistic as ours,
though, in fact I reckon those plain red rags might be seen as as
antagonistic by any bulls in the vicinity. ;-)
That evening, the Singing Nuns gave a performance of the protest songs which they had recorded in Drapchi Prison.
Saturday 5th April, Aberdeen: CAMPAIGN STALL
As part of our contribution to the protests over the holding of the
Olympic Games in China and the relay of the Olympic Torch through
London on Sunday 6th April, we set up a campaign stall in Aberdeen
where people were invited to sign a petition asking the Prime
Minister,first, to urge the Chinese Government to negotiate with H.H.
the Dalai Lama, secondly to cease their repression of Tibetans and,
thirdly, to allow journalists free access to Tibet during the run up to
the Olympics and during the Games.
Sunday 6th April, London: OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY
The Olympic Torch was taken through London as part of a world wide
relay. In London, Paris and San Francisco there were major
demonstrations by supporters of Tibet.
For the Tibetans, these protests beginning in their own country, have
been a major success in drawing world attention to the iniquities of
the Chinese regime in Tibet. It finally persuaded a reluctant prime
minister, Gordon Brown, to publicly agree to meet with the Dalai Lama.
Elsewhere, world leaders have expressed their disgust with the way the
Tibetans have been treated. Both the European's Slovenian President,
Hans-Gert Poettering, and the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, have
openly proposed boycotting the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in
Beijing. Whether pressure on the Chinese government will continue
during the Games is at present an unanswerable question. There is,
however, a distinct possibility that, once the Games are over, Tibet
will be forgotten again, a possibility the Chinese government will be
undoubtedly be counting on. Please support us after the Games are
finished, in the months and, perhaps, the years to come.
