Support Human Rights in Tibet!

Statement, 3 April 2008

With recent demonstrations against Chinese suppression of Tibetan culture and spirituality in Tibet and other regions in China it is vital that as many West Australians as possible voice their concerns. While these courageous demonstrations are in the international spotlight there is a historic opportunity to affect a resolution to nearly 50 years of subjugation.

I urge you to undertake the following actions today:

• Write or email Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd to congratulate him on his firm stand on human rights at his recent meeting with the Chinese Government, and ask him to continue to lobby the Chinese Government to:
• respect the human rights of Tibetans;
• allow international monitors and journalists access to Tibetan areas;
• engage in direct negotiations with the Dalai Lama for genuine and meaningful Tibetan autonomy (as set out in the Chinese constitution);
• allow visits by independent human rights monitors to religious institutions in and around Lhasa, in particular the Sera, Drepung, Ganden, the Jokhang, Ramoche, and Chubsang nunnery, to carry out an evaluation of the welfare of monks and nuns;
• allow access by international medical corps to medical facilities in and around Lhasa in order to evaluate the conditions of care for those injured in the demonstrations; and
• provide an account for all the missing and dead by name and location and assurances that detainees will be processed according to international standards of due process and rule of law.
• Join and support the Australia Tibet Council
• Get more information from the Tibet Information Office
• Sign the petition and get more information from Get-Up Campaign: Stand up for Tibet
• Pass on these website link to friends for more signatures

More information on the campaign within Australia

The Australia Tibet Council requests that people:

• Sign the petition on the Get-Up site urging Kevin Rudd to lobby China on Tibet;
• Urge the IOC to remove Tibet from the Olympic torch route;
• Send a message to Chinese President Hu Jintao that now is the time to resolve the Tibet issue;
• E-mail Australian Olympic Committee President, John Coates, to use the IOC’s influence to promote real improvements in Tibet and China.
• E-mail the new Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, about the fate of the Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima;
• Join the ATC’s e-mail list to get information about more campaigns and actions.

For more details go to Australia Tibet Council

Tibet Information Office is the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Australia. This site has up-to-date news articles including the text of the recent Senate motion by Bob Brown

International initiatives/websites

International Campaign for Tibet - Information and news in English, German, Dutch, Tibetan and Chinese. Actions proposed on the website include:

• Contact US President not to attend the opening ceremony
• Lobby against the Olympic torch coming to Lhasa
• Pass on first hand information from Tibet
• Donate to support the campaign
• Get in touch with local Tibet support group

Tibetan Solidarity Office for a circular from Solidarity Committee in Tibetan, English, Hindi and Chinese.

Phayul.com – Tibetan media – in English

Central Tibetan Administration Official Website of the Central Tibetan Administration with information in other languages, including Spanish and Russian

Further Reading

Giz Watson: Adjournment Speech in Parliament on 20 March 2008

Bob Brown: Senate urgency motion on Tibet, passed unopposed on 17 March 2008