Tibetans and Students for a Free Tibet activists today demonstrated at the London Headquarters of Central China Goldfields, a British company conducting exploratory mining in Tibet, demanding they withdraw from Tibet until the Chinese occupation ended. While Tibet is occupied, the Tibetan people have no say in how their homeland is used, resulting in widespread environmental destruction while the Chinese government and western companies profit.

From across the country, Tibetans and their supporters telephoned, faxed and emailed the company with their concerns. The message was getting through - although most of the senior managers were in China, the office staff had soon started forwarding the campaigners objections.

As a street demonstration took place outside, a small group entered the offices and was able to meet one of the company directors to challenge Central China Goldfields on their projects in Tibet. He acknowledged that there were ethical issues with working in Tibet and in dealing with the Chinese regime, but refused to commit to a withdrawal. The campaign continues!

www.stopminingtibet.org

March 10th in Edinburgh was a success! Pictures to come as soon as we work out how to get them off the digital camera!

But for now read about our press coverage in The Herald and the Edinburgh Evening News. Watch out for the great pic in the Herald and the interesting comments below the Evening News article!

March 10th got off to an early and auspicious start in Dharamshala, with a deafening thunder storm at 4am. The formal part of the day began in the morning at the Tsugla-Khang, with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetan government representatives being joined by a 15 member delegation from the All Party Indian Parliament group. Statements from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Parliament and the Kashag (Tibetan Cabinet) were delivered to a packed temple audience.

Meanwhile, outside the Tsugla-Khang, preparations were being made for the main demonstration by a dedicated team of volunteers from the four NGOs co-organising the march for the first time this year - Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet (an association of former political prisoners from Tibet), Tibetan Women’s Association, Friends of Tibet India, and Students for a Free Tibet India. Banners were put on poles, jeeps were decorated, faces painted and slogans practiced. Unlike previous years where the march from the Tsugla-Khang to Kacheri (lower Dharamshala) had been largely silent protests, this year was noisy and colourful, with tangible energy and passion. Despite pouring rain, a freezing wind and the odd lightning flash and peal of thunder, thousands joined the march as it wound its way down the hill from Mcloed Ganj, past the Tibetan government complex at Gangchen Kyishong, through the busy Indian bazaars of Lower Dharamshala to the rally point at Kacheri. The marchers were a diverse crowd, including large groups of students from the TCV schools and Tibetan Transit School, monks, nuns, Tibetan activists of all ages, Indians and foreign tourists. Five jeeps accompanied the march, with loud hailers blaring slogans in English, Hindi and Tibetan, leaflets being distributed to by-standers and flag-waving passengers encouraging the marchers.

At the rally point, after more enthusiastic slogan shouting in the drenching rain, and the burning of an effigy of Hu Jintao, Gyari Dolma, Deputy Speaker of Tibetan Parliament introduced speeches from Shri Bashishtha Narain Singh, Thupten Chhewang, Shrimati Maharani Pratibha and Shri Khiren Rijiju. Finally, a rousing speech was given by the President of GuChuSum, Ven. Ngawang Woebar, prayers were chanted and rangzen songs sung. As the crowd made their way back to Mcleod Ganj, shouts of ‘Pö Gyalo’ continued to resound across the hillside.

Despite continuing rain, the day was not over for the Dharamshala activists as a Freedom Concert was organised by the four NGOs at TIPA in the evening. Crowds packed out the hall and spilled into the courtyard of the institute of performing art, enthralled by an impressive line-up of singers, speakers – including special guests Phuntsok Nyidon (former political prisoner). Sonam Topgyal (former Tibetan cabinet minister) and Sonam Wangdu (USTC Chairman)- a satirist and powerful documentary footage and video messages to inspire the audience to take political action for Tibet.

For photos, click here.

More photos here and here.

You can read my write-up of the day's events on Phayul, the Tibetan news service.

We'll see you in the streets.
UK demo details here.

SFT SOAS report on the recent visit to the UK by the force behind the Spanish Court genocide case against ex-Chinese leaders.

 On Tuesday 27^th February, The School of Oriental and African Studies was proud to host a talk given by Dr Jose Esteve and Alan Cantos regarding their case against 5 high ranking Chinese officials for pursuit of genocidal policies against the Tibetan Population. The event, organised by the SOAS Law Society and SOAS Students For a Free Tibet, provided a useful insight into the international legal institutions currently being used to promote the cause of Tibet and its people. Whilst the case brings valuable international attention to the numerous injustices suffered by the Tibetan people at the hands of the Chinese Authorities, the prospective outcomes of this legal battle are admittedly and inevitably modest. Chinese officials are adept at painting international efforts to advocate the Tibetan cause as Western interference into what it considers its sovereign territory and it will remain difficult for international legal regimes to prove their legitimacy to policy makers in Beijing and Lhasa. This is, in this writer’s view, indicative of the failure of wider Tibetan advocacy movements to engage with the Chinese population in regard to policy in Tibet. At university level we must take advantage of contact with the ever-growing number of Chinese Students studying in British Institutions as they represent a potential (but often over-looked) source of pressure that can be applied back in China towards equitable policy in Tibet. This should not, of course, undermine the work of activists and legal professionals like Dr Jose Esteve and Alan Cantos and they are due thanks for their informative lecture and admirable legal campaign.