Famed Tibetan freedom activist and award-winning writer Tenzin Tsundue will be touring the UK between 27th June and 6th July 2006. Tsundue climbed into the history books in 2002 when he scaled the outside of the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai, India to deliver a protest to the Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji.

Dilip D'souza writing in Indian publication Mid-Day stated, "Fortunately, there are Tenzin Tsundues out there, men neither craven nor willing to shut up, and unaffected by the demands of 'realpolitik'. Power to your flag and banner, Tenzin. May they fly from a thousand places, unexpectedly."

Tsundue’s commitment to working continuously for a free Tibet, means that he has only once before left India. “Despite numerous invitations, this is his first visit to Europe and presents Tibetans and Tibet supporters in the UK with a unique opportunity to meet this inspiring and passionate man. He will be speaking to the public and invited guests across the UK about his poetry and activism for an independent Tibet.” said Alice Speller national coordinator for Students for a Free Tibet UK.

Public Events - there's no need to book just turn up!
London
29 June, 7pm - ‘Poetry and Politics - the activism of Tenzin Tsundue’
Public event at Pogo Café, 76 Clarence Road, London E5 8HB
An evening of poetry and discussion with Tsundue.

1 July, 1-3pm - Reject the Railway demonstration
A demonstration outside the Chinese embassy in London as part of an international day of action against China’s destructive railway in Tibet. See for details.

2 July - Meetings with Tibetan community UK
A chance for Tibetans living in the UK to meet this man who has inspired a generation of Tibetans.

3 July, 7.30pm - Exiled Writers Ink
Poetry Café, 22 Betterton Street, London WC2
Public poetry reading by writers exiled from their homelands.

Oxford
4 July - Idea sharing with student activists
People and Planet Summer Gathering, Oxford. You will have to arrange with P&P to attend this event.

Edinburgh
5 July, 7pm - ‘Poetry and Politics - the activism of Tenzin Tsundue’
Public event at the Quaker Meeting House, Victoria Terrace. An evening of poetry and discussion with Tsundue. Invited guests: representatives from the Cross-party group on Tibet in the Scottish parliament.

Tsundue’s landmark trip to the UK presents a unique opportunity to meet in person this enigmatic figure, to hear his life story and learn about his work.

For further details on Tsundue: www.friendsoftibet.org/tenzin
Email for details of events: students atat sftuk.org or iain atat sftuk.org

Well I'm astounded yet again. This year has been my third Action Camp and it's still amazing! I met so many incredible people commited to helping Tibet... and I only made it to Germany for the last three days.

Free Tibet! Action Camp VII, the second Action Camp to be held in Europe, was a runaway success. Students from around Europe, the US, India and as far away as Australia converged last week on the beautiful Pauenhof retreat centre near Dusseldorf for the six day camp. Avoiding the temptations of the World Cup (not too hard as Tibet's not allowed to play! See below) we met up, made friends, learnt a bit more about Tibet but most importantly we learnt how to effect change. Some of the world most experienced campaigners were there to run workshops and to pass on their knowledge to a new generation fighting for justice and for a free Tibet.

Keep an eye out for the pics comming soon. And if you missed Camp this year make sure your there next time!

It looks like the EU China Arms Embargo is likely to stay in place for another year. Good plan.

This year and last, the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre has prompted discussion of the EU's ban on arms sales to China. Thankfully, this year there have been fewer doubts about the continuity of the embargo, as this report by the Reuters news agency suggests. The embargo has remained in place since the 1989 massacre of pro-democracy student protesters, for which the Chinese government has never apologised. For this Tibet-watcher, democratic reform in China would support the movement towards a free Tibet, and a lapse of the arms embargo would be a seriously retrograde step.

This is not to say that China is struggling to equip her army (the largest in the world) or that the EU arms embargo is preventing the armament of China. As a report released today by Amnesty International demonstrates, "China is fast emerging as one of the world’s biggest, most secretive and irresponsible arms exporters", supplying over $1Bn worth of military hardware to some of the world's (other) dodgiest states, sustaining human rights abuses in countries such as Sudan and Burma.

With all the major world powers involved in increasing militarisation and prolonging the suffering of ordinary people caught up in the armed oppression they have created, I can't help thinking global leaders could do with a bit of an education in non-violence. Maybe we could invite them to Students for a Free Tibet Action Camp next week?

Today, in a historic legal move, the first Tibetan victim and witness gave his testimony in the initial proceedings of the lawsuit for genocide against Chinese authorities submitted by CAT (Spanish Tibet support group 'Comite de Apoyo al Tibet') a year ago and accepted by the court in January 2006.

Thubten Wangchen, Director of the casa del Tibte Foundation in Barcelona, recounted his personal experience of life in occupied Tibet. As a child in Kyirong, his pregnant mother was kidnapped by the Chinese occupying forces and disappeared, together with other women from the village. None of them were ever seen again. As the lives of all his family were in danger, Wangchen was forced to flee into exile, first to Nepal where he survived by begging, and then to India, where he became a Tibetan monk. In the early 1980s he moved to Spain, working as a translator and tourist guide, which led him back to Tibet. On one such visit, he was arrested and threatened with death for having a photograph of the Dalai Lama in his possession, although he managed to escape.

As the CAT press release states, 'this is a historic date for the advance of justice in Tibet, and is the first opportunity for a Tibetan victim to testify on their experiences under the Chinese occupation'.