We had a packed year of events in 2011, starting early January with protests in London during the visit of Chinese Vice President Li Keqiang, going through to the mass lobby and uprising march, the visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, our environment conference, training conference, Action Camp in Germany, G20 protests in Cannes, the launch of the Enough! and Nomad Rights campaigns and various other events, protests, vigils, actions and cultural events.
In 2012, we’re looking forward to another packed year of SFT UK activism, and to getting closer and closer to an independent Tibet!
Mass lobby for Tibet
The mass lobby will take place on Wednesday 7th March in 2012 (TBC); come along to Westminster and talk to your MP about Tibet face-to-face. We’ll also be running training sessions for members of the Tibetan community in January.
Uprising Day march
The annual Uprising Day march takes place on Saturday 10th March itself this year as we and other Tibet groups walk through the streets of central London to commemorate the 86,000 who died during the 1959 uprising in Tibet and the Tibetan people’s continuing struggle against Chinese rule. This year’s march is particularly significant to us as it also marks 100 years since Tibet’s last declaration of independence.
The Panchen Lama’s birthday
Every year we mark the birthday of the Panchen Lama, who was kidnapped by Chinese authorities aged just six in 1995 and hasn’t been seen since. Alongside other Tibet groups, we are likely to be holding a candle lit vigil on 25th April.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s UK visit
The Tibetan spiritual leader is likely to be visiting London, Manchester and Glasgow in June, giving talks on Buddhism. As always, there will be media attention around not just his teachings but the situation in Tibet.
SFT UK training conference
Towards the end of every year, the conference is a great place to learn the skills you need to run a uni group in interactive workshops, and is hosted by a different uni group each year.
Through 2012: Renaissance events
SFT UK’s Renaissance events were highly successful in recent years and there will be more of these cultural celebrations. Tibetans are increasingly using the arts and new media to resist Chinese rule; new tactics which the state is finding it hard to deal with. We celebrate these brave Tibetans at the Renaissance events and make sure their voices are heard.
One Struggle events
SFT UK will be networking more with other causes affected by Chinese government policies such as others who are occupied by China like the Uyghurs and Inner Mongolians, people within China who are oppressed like Falun Gong and the Chinese democracy movement, Chinese Christians and movements against regimes propped up by China like North Korea, Zimbabwe and Burma. We will standing in solidarity with these causes at their events. Read more on the One Struggle minisite.
China’s new leader; Xi Jinping
Hu Jintao is due to step down shortly as China’s President, with this similarly hardline leader taking the reigns. Xi has an interesting history as is father, who is said to have had great respect for the Dalai Lama, disappeared after criticising the state over the Tiananmen massacre. Xi has towed the party line on the so-called ‘Dalai clique’, but as he ups his profile with international visits, we’ll be making sure he doesn’t forget what happened to his own father, or what is happening to the people of Tibet.
Watch this space for more details and more events!
