Students for a Free Tibet on demonstrations against China's Olympic torch relay
This story was updated on March 25, 2008, at 10:02 a.m.
On March 15, Student's for a Free Tibet's Kate Woznow wrote a piece for the Straight on recent demonstrations in Tibet.
Following that story's publication, Woznow traveled to Olympia, Greece, to protest the beginning of China's Olympic torch relay. The below report was filed on Student's for a Free Tibet's Web site on March 24.
Tibetan activists detained for confronting IOC president and protesting China's torch relay
Call on IOC to cancel torch through Tibet as China continues brutal crackdown
Kate Woznow in Olympia, Students for a Free Tibet (SFT)
Tendon Dahortsang in Zurich, Tibetan Youth Association Europe (TYAE)
Lhadon Tethong (SFT) in Dharamsala, India
Olympia - Tibetans from Switzerland, Germany and the United States were detained by Greek police today after protesting the start of China's global Olympic Torch Relay. Tenzin Dorjee from the United States was detained in the town of Olympia while the Olympic torch was being lit nearby and just 2 hours after he confronted Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, at his hotel. Dorjee and an independent Greek journalist were seen being forcibly dragged through the town by at least 20 police. Meanwhile, Florian Norbu of Germany and Pema Dolkar of Switzerland were violently detained after unfurling banners and Tibetan flags on the road as the torch made its way through Olympia. One of the banners, hung from a balcony along the torch route, read "Light the Passion Share the Dream: Free Tibet 2008." "Light the Passion Share the Dream" is the official Beijing 2008 Torch Relay slogan.
Activists accuse the Chinese government of using the Olympics and the global Torch Relay to cover up its human rights record and legitimize its rule in Tibet. China plans to run the Olympic torch through Tibet in June and to the summit of Mt. Everest next month. Tibetans and supporters are planning to protest the Beijing Torch Relay in London on April 6th, Paris on April 7th and San Francisco on April 8th and 9th.
"The Chinese government plans to run the Olympic Torch through Tibet and up Mt. Everest in a blatant attempt to legitimize its control over our homeland," said Pema Dolkar, spokesperson for Tibetan Youth Association Europe (TYAE)." "If the IOC does not cancel plans to take the torch through Tibet, it will be seen as endorsing China's brutal crackdown on Tibetans and complicit in escalating tensions and China's military build up in Tibet."
"Jacques Rogge had an opportunity to meet with me and address Tibetans' concerns face to face but instead he told me to write to Switzerland and ask for a meeting," said Tenzin Dorjee, Deputy Director of Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), via phone just moments after confronting Rogge. "At this moment, when the Tibetan nation is in crisis and the Chinese government is violently oppressing our people, it is unacceptable that Rogge refuses even to sit down and talk about how the IOC could help improve the situation."
On March 16th, Tibetans hand-delivered a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that was signed by 150 Tibet support organizations – under the umbrella of the International Tibet Support Network – demanding that the IOC "immediately remove Tibet from the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay route." They also called on IOC President Jacques Rogge to make a public statement of concern about the current situation in Tibet. Despite receiving more than 10,000 faxes echoing these demands, the IOC has announced that the Torch Relay will go ahead according to plan.
Tibetans pre-empted China's Torch lighting ceremony two weeks ago by launching their own Tibetan Freedom Torch in the Ancient City of Olympia despite intense surveillance and harassment by Chinese Embassy officials and Greek security. The Tibetan Freedom Torch will travel to 50 cities around the world to draw attention to Tibetans undying desire for freedom in advance of the Beijing Olympics.
Protests continue inside Tibet with reports of students from the Tibetan Language Department of Qinghai Institute for Nationalities staging a sit-in on the campus. In the lead up to the new midnight March 25th deadline for protesters to turn themselves in, there has been a massive build-up of Chinese troops in Tibet. Meanwhile, all foreign journalists continue to be barred from Tibet—a blatant violation of China and the IOC's promise that freedom of press would be respected in the lead up to and during the Olympics.
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