Tibet Theme

The Situation: Criticism of China through a human-rights framework sometimes includes not just China's foreign relations but also domestic ones. One such example is Tibet. China invaded Tibet, which it claimed was originally part of China, in 1950. A treaty was signed in 1951, where Tibet acknowledged China's claim of sovereignty. Since then, the Tibetan government-in-exile has alleged a systematic pattern of human rights abuses, including claims of an apartheid-based system. The Chinese government disputes these claims, pointing out that Tibet was an autocratic country before its unification with China. Human rights groups also document human rights abuses and point out the destruction of thousands of monasteries and the lower standard of living for native Tibetans.

What We're Doing: The Monday before LDOC, DHRC plans to throw a birthday celebration/awareness raising event for the Panchen Lama. The Panchen Lama, religious successor to (HH) the Dalai Lama, was detained by the Chinese government when he was 6 years old, making him, at the time, the youngest political prisoner in the world. Since then, China has appointed its own Panchen Lama, one who is disputed by the Tibetan government-in-exile.

What YOU Can Do (Right Now!): All of these links provide you the opportunity to read up on the issue of Tibet, and offer you the chance to encourage China to do more for the Tibetan people. Many campaigns require only a few moments of action on your part.

http://www.tibet.com/Proposal/5point.html (5-Point Peace Plan for Tibet): Read up on the official plan for peace in Tibet, set forth by (HH) the Dalai Lama.

http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/section.php?id=13 (STF: Human Rights): This site lists several campaigns to advance human rights in Tibet, and explains how you can help.

http://www.tchrd.org/ (The Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy): Check out the "Urgent Actions" section for actions you can take. These Urgent Actions usually only take a minute or two.

http://www.racefortibet.org/ (Race for Tibet): This site was formed specifically to deal with the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Read up on the Olympics or Tibet-Chinese relations, sign a petition, or get a free bumper sticker!