As new, disturbing footage of self-immolations in Tibet in April surfaced, SFT UK stood alongside other groups at parliament to call on the UK government to act on it’s acknowledgements about the crisis in Tibet by joining European counterparts to take multi-lateral action. The campaign will continue across Europe.

SFT UK join Bianca Jagger, MPs, members of the Tibetan community and Tibet groups outside parliament

The Dalai Lama will be prsented the Templeton Laureate award at St Paul’s Cathedral on 15th May, showing again the respect and legitimacy of the Tibetan people’s peaceful struggle for freedom. But Tibetans in Tibet don’t need awards, they need governments of free nations across the world to stand behind them.

Award-winning rights activist Bianca Jagger delivered a report by the Society for Threatened Peoples, focusing on the current situation in Tibet, to 10 Downing Street on 10th May, urging David Cameron to make a public statement of support for the Tibetan people. With China’s crackdowns worsening to combat protests across the country and oppressive controls and policies against monasteries, schools, discrimination against Tibetan workers and the forced resettlement of Tibetan nomads, tensions are high, and the Tibetan people’s rejection of Chinese rule is growing louder. If the UK really respects the work of the Dalai Lama and the struggle of the Tibetan people, now is the time to support them.

MPs sign a message to David Cameron outside parliament and SFT UK’s Padma ties a rangzen band round Bianca Jagger’s wrist

Bianca Jagger said “There is a historic relationship between Tibet and Britain, and an old friendship. Britain was the only country to deal with Tibet as an independent nation before China’s invasion in 1949… Over the past 60 years, the Chinese government has instituted increasingly hardline policies that undermine Tibetan culture and religion. The Tibetan people have been denied freedom of expression. Their language has been downgraded. And their economic resources have been appropriated by the Chinese state, with increasing numbers of Chinese migrants moving to the Tibetan plateau. Over the past 60 years, the Chinese government has instituted increasingly hardline policies that undermine Tibetan culture and religion. The Tibetan people have been denied freedom of expression. Their language has been downgraded. And their economic resources have been appropriated by the Chinese state, with increasing numbers of Chinese migrants moving to the Tibetan plateau”

Making a banner for the campaign launch and Bianca Jagger delivering the report at Downing Street

The campaign will continue across Europe, backing the calls in the Society of Threatened People’s report for EU governments to make strong statements condemning China’s handling of Tibet and to demand that a high level EU delegation and the press be allowed into Tibet and that an EU Special Co-ordinator for Tibetan issues be appointed.

A European Tibet Solidarity Rally will take place in Vienna on 26th May, where the Dalai Lama will be joined by the elected head of the Tibetan government-in-exile Lobdang Sangay and Tibetans and supporters from all across Europe. The aim is to press for multi-lateral action for Tibet, which is needed due to the Chinese government’s tactic of pushing back criticism from it’s European counterparts one by one to limit their impact.

But while protests, acts of civil disobedience and over 30 self-immolations in the past year alone continue, Tibetans in Tibet are becoming more and more united in their rejection of Chinese rule and the defence of their culture, language and identity. Tibetans and supporters are becoming more unified in their commitment to get behind what is increasingly becoming a robust resistance movement led from inside Tibet and world governments must also be united to effectively challenge China’s catalogue of human rights abuses in Tibet and demand that they properly address the greivances of the Tibetan people.

Meeting in parliament on 10th May and Tibetans in traditional chupa listen to the presentation of the report

Alongside representatives of SFT UK, TYAE, Tibet Society and the Tibetan Community in Britain, activist Tsering Passang made a statement saying “China says it has nothing to hide, so why do they not let any independent access to Tibet? The Prime Minister, along with all European governments must urge China to allow European government representatives to visit Tibet and see the situation for themselves; we would hope this would also give some protections to the people of Tibet.”

Get involved!

EUROPEAN SOLIDARITY RALLY
Vienna, Austria, Saturday 26th May
The Dalai Lama and Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay will address over 10,000 people. Full details available here. E-mail info@europefortibet.com for more information.

EMAIL YOUR MP
Go to writetothem.com and tap in your postcode to send an email to your MP. Tell them people are dying for freedom in Tibet and you want them to push David Cameron and the government to take multi-lateral action. If you can, ask for a meeting with them in their constituency office.

CALL THE EMBASSY IN BEIJING
Call Britain’s Ambassador in Beijing Sebastian Wood on (+86) (10) 5192 4000 in the morning (afternoon-evening Beijing time) and ask him to raise the issue of the self-immolations with Chinese counterparts, demanding information on what has happened to those detained.

WRITE TO THE CHINESE EMBASSY
Make it clear to the Embassy that British citizens do not accept China’s brutal crackdowns in Tibet and that China must allow foreign journalists to report the facts on the ground as any developed nation would.
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming
49-51 Portland Place London W1B 1JL
020 7299 4049

SFT UK and members of the Tibetan community marked the Panchen Lama’s birthday with a vigil and protest at the Chinese Embassy, in the midst of a crisis in Tibet as self-immolations and brutal crackdowns continue. Freedom for the Panchen Lama, and for Tibet itself, is long overdue.

The forced disappearence of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family is just one example of China’s repression of Tibetan religion and of the Tibetan nation. A few months after being identified as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama, one of the most important religious figures in Tibet, the six-year-old Panchen Lama was kidnapped by Chinese authorities, fearful of his influence on the Tibetan people as a symbol of religious and national identity. The Chinese state is petrified of influential Tibetan figures, as seen in it’s continual villification of the Dalai Lama.

On 26th April, China’s paranoia was again demonstrated when it emerged that the state has been forcing Tibetan nomads to sign a document denouncing the Dalai Lama, and is fining and beating them for refusing. The campaign began in Mola village in Lithang, where villagers were given a document which they were told referred to the harvesting of catapillar fungus, a popular source of revenue. Perhaps hoping that the nomads were illiterate, the authorities had added paragraphs denouncing Tibet’s spiritual leader and Lobsang Sangay, the elected head of the Tibetan government in exile. An exiled Tibetan with contacts in the region said “when they refused to sign, several Tibetans of all ages and both genders were severely beaten. Many of them were even forced to shave their heads and pressured to sign the document.” Aside from monks and nuns, nomads are also facing increased repression as the Chinese state fears that it is unable to control and sinofy them and their free-roaming, intinsically Tibetan lifestyle, one of the reasons for forced nomadic resettlement.

Panchen Lama birthday vigil at the Chinese Embassy, London

It’s important that we keep demanding answers about Gedhun Choekyi Nyima’s case. China has replaced him with a state-selected ‘Panchen Lama’, Gyaltsen Norbu, the son of a communist party official and a young man who has been showered with benefits and high ranking titles in an effort to legitimise him over the real Panchen Lama. But not only do Tibetans reject him, refering to him as ‘Panchen Zuma’ or ‘false Panchen’, but even Gyaltsen Norbu himself has reportedly attempted to escape this life as a propaganda puppet in the past.

Meanwhile the Chinese state has periodically claimed that Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is living a happy life and does not wish to be disturbed, offering contradictory accounts of his wereabouts and never any evidence. This year, Tibetans and supporters have been calling their local embassies to ask the simple question ‘where is Gedhun Choekyi Nyima?’. Most calls go unanswered, but some have reported embassy staff answering the question with ‘Sichuan!’ before slamming the phone down or simply hanging up then setting the line to go straight to answer phone as soon as his name is mentioned. Despite China’s propaganda drives abroad, it’s claims that it is pumping in huge sums of money to ‘develop’ Tibet and it’s increasingly farcical claims that Tibet is ‘harmonious’ and that the Dalai Lama is a ‘terrorist’, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is a question which China does not want to answer. There is no answer; there can be no reason to abduct a six-year-old boy.

TAKE ACTION FOR THE PANCHEN LAMA

-Sign and share the Panchen Lama petition

-Call your nearest Chinese Embassy and ask ‘where is Gedhun Choekyi Nyima?’

-Send a letter to Chinese state representatives:
c/o Padma Choling, Governor
No. 1 Kang’angdonglu
Lhasa, Tibet 850000
People’s Republic of China

-Print and stick up this ‘missing’ poster of the Panchen Lama

-Find more information at www.freepanchenlama.org

-Help fund SFT UK’s work by becoming a guardian for the Panchen Lama with a regular gift

With monks, nuns, nomads, students and laypeople self-immolating in Tibet; around 30 in the past year, it’s clear that it isn’t just religious figures being targetted by the Chinese regime; every aspect of Tibetan identity is being repressed in an attempt to remove the Tibetan people’s demands for the restoration of the Tibetan nation. The oppression isn’t working, as more and more Tibetans are resisting Chinese rule.

The case of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, once the world’s youngest political prisoner, reveals the true face of the Chinese regime. And the Chinese state must be made to remember this innocent boy’s face; it will haunt them until the Chinese occupation ends and both Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and Tibet are free.

The Book Fair was co-organised by the Chinese state GAPP propaganda department this year, meaning that the works of dissident writers are being silenced in what should be a celebration of creativity and individual expression. In contrast, China continues to crack down heavily on protests occurring across Tibet.

The Chinese state is deperate to popularise it’s propaganda views and whitewash it’s abysmal human rights record by using economic strength to buy it’s way into large scale events. The London Book Fair at Earl’s Court, London between 16th and 18th April is one such example. By co-organising the event, the CCP’s GAPP propaganda department has attempted to censor the works of Chinese, Tibetan and Uyghur literary figures who criticise the state; something which is part and parcel of any truly developed nation.

But despite this being the twenty-first centuary, China is still afraid of free expression and practices the kind of book-burning tactics employed by the Soviet Union and other oppressive regimes of history in a failed attempt to avoid criticism. The CCP is not the kind of organisation which we, as a free state, should allow to help organise such events. The Guardian published this letter from the coalition before the Book Fair, which the British Council replied to, but from inside the event itself it was clear that their claims that writers critical of the Chinese state would be represented were unfounded, making it even more important that activists made their voices heard.

Poetry reading from Tibetans, Uyghurs and banned Chinese writers at the London Book Fair, by Paul, Tibet Society

SFT UK, along with other members of the Chinese, Uyghur and Tibetan Solidarity coalition, organised a series of events inside the Book Fair on 16th April, including readings of banned poetry by Tibetan, Chinese and Uyghur writers and a silent protest during GAPP Director Liu Binjie’s keynote speech, where activists dotted around the crowd held signs in Chinese and English, criticising Chinese censorship and focusing on imprisoned intellectuals such as Liu Xiabao and Dolma Kyab. Enraged by the protests, Liu Binjie cancelled his speech and instead had it read out by Zhang Fuhai, (International Director of GAPP), creating great embaressment for the propaganda department.

Security were seen pointing out protesters after Tiananmen Square massacre survivor Shao Jiang protested at the state-approve China Pavillion stand earlier in the day, holding signs reading ‘Free speech is not a crime’ and ‘Stop literary persecution.’ Security asked Shao Jiang to stop the silent protest but he declined, then attendants at the China Pavillion tried to block people seeing him with screens, which he continued to walk around. This seemed to have promoted Liu Binjie’s sudden withdrawal from his keynote address, where he had been due to speak alongside UK minister Ed Vaizey. After the speech, a veiled threat was issued by Chinese officials to their co-organisers, saying “we’ve spent money renting this venue. I hope the organisers can be responsible for the money we’ve spent.”

The coalition also organised readings of banned poetry in a sympathetic exhibitor’s space, including poems by Tibetan writer and blogger Woeser, and fellow Tibetan writers Ombar of Shardungri (Eastern Snow Mountain) Namlo Yak, who escaped into exile in the 90s. There was also a press conference at the pro-democracy Independent Chinese PEN stand, which had been set up under the name ’57 Publishing Company’, where the repression of Chinese, Tibetan and Uyghur writers was discussed and where Chinese writers who had been banned from representation at the event, Qi Jiazhen, Bei Ling and Ma Jian, were given the forum denied by the GAPP. Ma Jian smothered his face in red paint as an act of defiance against the Chinese state and said “no Chinese writers enjoy freedom of speech. When you see 180 Chinese publishers here it may appear that there is a great variety but in reality they all come from the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist party… This invitation dishonours the values that make Western civilisation strong.”

Poetry reading from Tibetans, Uyghurs and banned Chinese writers at the London Book Fair, by Paul, Tibet Society

The day before the book fair, Sunday 15th April, Tibetans joined with Uyghurs and pro-democracy Chinese to protest during a dinner at the Chinese Embassy, attended by Li Changchun and members of China’s propaganda department. A contingent of bussed-in Chinese flag waving ‘supporters, known for being paid to attend such visits to bang drums and obscure protests, were placed between protest groups of Tibetans and Falun Gong, leaving the CCP the surrounded minority for once! As always, the ‘supporters’ brought drums but no passion, and were easily drowned out by the Tibetan contingent’s passionate chants. The Chinese officials declined to enter the main door of the Embassy, again forced to drive round the block to the side entrance, having to sneak into their own building to avoid protests. As soon as they were inside, the Chinese contingent stopped banging their drums, their enthusiasm suddently gone as soon as their job was done.

2012 is Olympic year for London, and as we inherit the Olympic principles which were damaged by China’s oppressive Beijing games of 2008, it’s important that Britain makes a telling contribution to the Olympic legacy by restoring some of these ideals. Ideals like equality, fair competition and free expression; things which are only further diluted when we are blinded by China’s money and allow the CCP to organise key London events.

Protesting at CCP propaganda leaders’ dinners at the Chinese Embassy, 15th April and at Trafalgar Square, 17th April

Inside Tibet, after over 30 self-immolations and protests across the country, the latest reportedly on 19th April, when young laymen Choephag Kyab and Sonam apparently died after setting themselves on fire in Zamthang, Ngaba. The Tibetan people are making their calls for freedom, rights and independence heard, even laying down their lives to oppose Chinese rule. And China is showing it’s true face; the footage below released on 17th April by International Campaign for Tibet showing Chinese police beating Losang Jamyang, a 22-year-old former monk who set himself on fire in protest against China’s oppressive rule on 14th January; the police kick him after flooring him with what appears to be a trolly, despite his obvious injuries from being on fire. Unseen in the footage is what happened afterwards; Chinese police opened fire on protesters, causing serious injury. This is just one of a series of similar incidents this year in which Chinese police have opened fire on, beaten and killed peaceful protesters, in one case killing a 12-year-old boy.

This true face of the CCP is not what it’s propaganda leaders wants the world to see, and is why China invests so much money and resources on controlling the free flow of information and the sharing of opinion inside Tibet. This is not a country which should be running a celebration of world literature, making a farce of the principles behind the creative arts. We have both the right and the duty to stand with Tibetans in Tibet and give voice to both their creativity and their demands, showing Chinese leaders that money or not, we will not kow-tow to them and their brutal and backward policies.

With a growing number of Tibetans laying down their lives by self-immolating in protest and many thousands braving beatings, arrest and torture to support them, now is the time for world governments to show their support for the Tibetan people.

Tibetan protests remain peaceful, yet the Chinese regime is intent on using deadly force to repel them. At least five Tibetans were killed when Chinese forces opened fire on protesters in three seperate incidents in January and two survivors of a shooting were hunted down and shot dead, but this tactic continues to be favoured by the Chinese state.

A Tibetan named Choeri was shot dead when troops opened fire on protesters on 6th March, and reports say that an unknown number of Tibetans were hit with grenades and tear gas when Chinese forces used them on peaceful protesters in Ba County on 18th March. One of those thought to have been killed by a grenade in this incident was a 12-year-old Tibetan boy, and seven people are said to be in a critical condition. The protesters had been demanding the release of 50 monks detained on 16th March for protesting for freedom, carrying images of the Dalai Lama. A local Tibetan reported that popular singer Dorjee Tsepel and his wife and sons were arrested during the incident, and that “few of the injured have been admitted in hospitals but many of the seriously injured have not received any medical treatment”.

Huge gatherings in support of Jamyang Palden in Rebkong and Sonam Dargye in Rongwo

Around 32 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in protest against China since 2009; 31 of them since March 16th 2011 and 19 in 2012 alone. 23 are known to have died as a result, with others being beaten, arrested and denied medical treatment since taking this dramatic action. The latest, monks Tenpa Darjey and Chimey Palden, set themselves on fire in Barkham, Ngaba in protest against Chinese rule on March 30th. It must be clear to world governments and anybody watching events unfold in Tibet that the Chinese government’s current brutal approach to dealing with these incidents is not working, and is in fact worsening the situation. It must be clear that if China does not begin to seriously and progressively address the greivances of the Tibetan people, that the situation will only deteriorate further. And it must now be clear that China will not change this oppressive, failed approach to Tibetan dissent unless it is strongly pressured to do so.

Sonam Dargye, Lobsang Tsultrim and Jamyang Palden and map from standupfortibet.org

43-year-old Rebkong farmer Sonam Dargye, 20-year old Kirti monk Lobsang Tsultrim, 34-year-old Rongwo monk Jamyang Palden and 18-year old Kirti monk Gepey are the latest four to have self-immolated; all in the space of a week between 10th and 17th March. Only Jamyang Palden is thought to have survived, taken away from hospital by monks who feared that like others, he would be abused and detained by Chinese forces at the hospital. It has also been reported that two failed self-immolaters were detained in mid March. A 17-year-old named Thinley of Serthar collapsed before he could set fire to himself after drinking gasoline, while a man named Tsekhog of was arrested after spraying himself with kerosene in Gansu. The wellbeing and whereabouts of the two are unknown. It also seems that the state, obviously struggling to deal with self-immolations, is offering cash rewards to those who tip-off authorities about planned immolations.

The dramatic protest of Jamphel Yeshi, who self-immolated before Hu Jintao’s visit to India

On 26th March, Jamphel Yeshi became the third Tibetan to set himself on fire as a means of protest in exile, echoing the calls of those inside Tibet who are being driven to carry out this act; he was the second to do so in the past year. Having escaped Tibet in 2006, Jampa Yeshi would have experienced first hand the oppression which engulfs every waking moment of the lives of Tibetans inside Tibet. You can read SFT’s statement on the self-immolation here. On 2nd April, it appears that another exiled Tibetan, Dandhup Phunsak, died after throwing himself off a bridge in Kolkata after proclaiming he had been inspired by Jampa Yeshi’s action; again showing how deep the feeling is within the Tibetan community that not enough concrete action is being taken for Tibet.

Jamphel Yeshi self-immolated days before Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to India, and the message will be clear to Chinese leaders; as he ran aflame, Jampa Yeshi shouted ‘victory for Tibet’, and it is increasingly clear that victory over Chinese occupation is the only way Tibetans will be free. Governments know China’s true face; it’s time they stood up and faced them by supporting demands of the Tibetan people.

It’s important that the demands these Tibetans are making are heard; they’re calling for freedom, human rights, for unity among Tibetans, for the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet and for Tibetan independence. And huge numbers of Tibetans are showing their support for these individuals and their demands; staging protests across Tibet, including some 2,000 in Rebkong on 18th March.

It’s important that we, as Tibet supporters and Tibetans living overseas, use our political rights to push for multi-lateral action for Tibet. China can bully people individually, and it can bully countries individually too, but as Tibetans in Tibet are continuing to show us, when we’re unified, China panics just like a bully who’s not used to being opposed. And like all bullies, it isn’t as powerful as it appears, with rumours on 22nd March of major turmoil within the CCP.

Please take the actions below and continue to do so; the more pressure we put on the Chinese regime, the more support we are giving to the brave Tibetans putting their lives on the line for freedom as we speak.

EMAIL YOUR MP
Go to writetothem.com and tap in your postcode to send an email to your MP. Tell them people are dying for freedom in Tibet and you want them to push the government to take multi-lateral action. If you can, ask for a meeting with them in their constituency office.

CALL THE EMBASSY IN BEIJING
Call Britain’s Ambassador in Beijing Sebastian Wood on (+86) (10) 5192 4000 in the morning (afternoon-evening Beijing time) and ask him to raise the issue of the self-immolations with Chinese counterparts, asking for information on the whereabouts and wellbeing of those detained.

WRITE TO THE CHINESE EMBASSY
Make it clear to the Embassy that British citizens do not accept China’s brutal crackdowns in Tibet or the Embassy’s claims that those who have self-immolated are ‘crimminals’, and that China must allow foreign journalists to report the facts on the ground as any developed nation would.
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming
49-51 Portland Place London W1B 1JL
020 7299 4049

Tibetans in exile are also being inspired to push for the support Tibetans in Tibet deserve. On 22nd March, a hunger strike organised by the Tibetan Youth Congress succeeded after 30 days when the United Nations High Comissioner for Human Rights agreed to look into the abuses in Tibet. There have also been comments by US politicians that they are willing to support mulri-lateral action, and these are avenues we can keep using to support the resistance inside Tibet. China is on the back foot, and we all have to keep pushing.

Tibetans in Tibet are calling for an end to Chinese rule, and we and governments of the free world must stand with Tibetans in Tibet to secure their freedom.

Huge gatherings in support of Jamyang Palden in Rebkong and Sonam Dargye in Rongwo

At least 28 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in protest against Chinese rule over the past 12 months. Among them have been monks, nuns, teenagers, mothers, fathers, from all over Tibet. It’s difficult for people in free societies to fully understand the feelings of Tibetans who self-immolate, but one thing is clear; these are not people who are giving up- far from it, they are making strong demands as they self-immolate, rejecting Chinese rule, calling for freedom, human rights, indepedence and the return of the Dalai Lama. And we’re seeing huge numbers protest when authorities beat them and refuse to return the bodies of the dead, and massive crowds flocking to attend their funerals. Tibetans in Tibet are uifying to lead this movement towards the only conclusion which will truly solve the long-standing human rights abuses in Tibet; the end of Chinese occupation.

Tibetans have been peacefully resisting Chinese rule since the invasion of 1949-50, but since the 2008 uprising, the movement has really diversified. A wide cross-section of people in Tibet are using civil disobedience, protests, arts and culture to make their point; they do not wish to be ruled by China. A year on from Phuntsok Juratsang’s self-immolation on 16th March 2011, the Chinese state has not learned that it’s same old response, used since the cultural revolution and the Tiananmen Square massacre, of opening fire on unarmed protesters, beatings, torture and discrimination is not working. Similarly, foreign governments’ approach of the subtle, behind the scenes coaxing of China to adhere to international human rights standards has also failed. It’s time for countries who claim to value freedom, equality and the rule of law to co-ordinate multi-lateral pressue on the Chinese regime to finally adopt progressive policies which can solve the crisis in Tibet.

Chinese leaders portray their country as a developed, modern state which should be taken seriously on the international stage, but this continuing instability makes China an embarassment to the Chinese people and to Chinese history. No modern nation really wants to deal with China, and only do so because of it’s economic strength; much of that strength garnered by plundering Tibet’s natural resources. Around 1,000 people marched in solidarity with Tibetans in Tibet in London and Edinburgh on March 10th, and public opinion is generally on Tibet’s side. The peaceful Tibetan cause is respected across the world, but we have to keep showing support and pressuring our political representatives, making sure they realise that it’s time for governments to translate that respect into action.

EMAIL TO YOUR MP
Go to writetothem.com and tap in your postcode to send an email to your MP. Tell them people are dying for freedom in Tibet and you want them to push the government to take multi-lateral action.

CALL THE EMBASSY IN BEIJING
Call Britain’s Ambassador in Beijing Sebastian Wood on (+86) (10) 5192 4000 in the morning (afternoon-evening Beijing time) and ask him to raise the issue of the self-immolations with Chinese counterparts, asking for information on the whereabouts and wellbeing of those detained.

WRITE TO THE CHINESE EMBASSY
Make it clear to the Embassy that British citizens do not accept China’s brutal crackdowns in Tibet or the Embassy’s claims that those who have self-immolated are ‘crimminals’, and that China must allow foreign journalists to report the facts on the ground as any developed nation would.
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming
49-51 Portland Place London W1B 1JL
020 7299 4049

The Tibetan people have had enough of Chinese rule. The word ‘independence’ is being seen more often; the Tibetan national flags, the rangzen fist gestures. Tibet under China will never be free, and the rest of the world under a Chinese Communist Party superstate will never be truly free either. Tibet is the catalyst we all need to protect our freedoms from the biggest threat to our free, democratic way of living on this planet, and that threat is the Chinese state. Tibetans in Tibet are on the front line; all of us need to stand by them.

Around 1,000 people took to the streets of London on 10th March to show solidarity with Tibetans in Tibet and to demand that the UK government takes part in multi-lateral action for Tibet.

It’s a crucial time for Tibet. Tibetans are being arrested, beaten, shot at and killed and at least 26 have self-immolated as Chinese forces flood towns with military and fire indiscriminately into crowds. It’s up to us to use the freedoms we have in a democratic country to show our political representatives that we need them to act for the Tibetan people.

18-year-old student Tsering Kyi, who died after self-immolating on March 3rd this year, said shortly beforehand, “In Ngaba and other areas of Tibet, Tibetans are burning themselves. We should do something for Tibet – life is meaningless if we don’t do something for Tibet.” That’s why march 10th this year was the most important it’s been for some time, and in cities all around the world. Tibetans and supporters sent an important message to Tibetans suffering under Chinese occupation; we are with you.

Tsering Kyi, mother of four Rinchen and 18-year-old Dorjee all died after self-immolating in Tibet on 3rd, 4th and 5th March. They were calling for freedom, and we can show them, China and the world that the spirit of uprising is alive and well in the hearts of the Tibetan people. In the 1959 Tibetan Uprising, some 86,000 Tibetan men, women and children were killed by Chinese forces, cementing the occupation of Tibet which continues to this day. We haven’t forgotten these brave Tibetans and the freedom they were fighting for, and we haven’t forgotten the brave Tibetans who’ve defied the Chinese regime with non-violent protests for over 60 years, including the thousands who have taken to the streets this year alone.

The march took us from Downing Street to the Chinese Embassy, and in Edinburgh another spirited march ended at the Chinese Consulate. The Chinese government cannot ignore the Tibetan people forever- it spends huge amounts of money on keeping Tibet under lockdown and tarnishes it’s reputation on the international arena every time it arrests, tortures or kills an innocent Tibetan. China may be powerful now, but other nations are rising and no developed nation will choose to work with a regime like China’s when the economic incentives they offer are no longer so unique. And the nation which is rising with more spirit than any other right now is the Tibetan nation- China’s 63 years of failed polices haven’t only fallen flat, but the Tibetan people are getting more and more passionate about their nation. Tsering Passing, speaking at the March 10th rally, said “You can kill and torture Tibetans but you will never break our spirit. We will uncover your lies. We will tear down your great firewalls. We will see the end of communism in Tibet. We will resist. And we will rise”. And that’s the spirit we’re seeing inside Tibet, despite the great risks; it’s a spirit the Chinese Communist Party will never have.

Chinese forces leaving Tibet after being forced to surrender in 1912, independent Tibet agreeing borders with the British Indian Empire in the Simla Convention in 1913.

2012 marks 100 years since Tibet’s last official declaration of independence. 100 years ago, Tibet was under seige by Chinese forces, who sought to invade Tibet, take its land, its resources and enslave it’s people. The Dalai Lama was living in exile in India and Tibetans were determined to defend their nation’s freedom. 100 years ago they did just that; driving the Chinese forces out and forcing them to surrender. The Dalai Lama returned to re-assert Tibet’s independence. We’re not expecting Tibet’s independence to be restored again 100 years on, but that is the end goal and it’s a call which we’re hearing more and more from inside Tibet today.

The Uprising Day march was organised by a coalition of UK Tibet groups.

Crackdown on protest in which Tibetans were shot in January and troops in Ngaba. Journalists have gone undercover to report what is happening, as seen in this BBC video from 22nd February