Ask Congress to Oppose Beijing's Olympics Bid

Help stop Beijing's bid to host the Olympic Games, and prevent China from whitewashing their crimes in Tibet and Tiananmen Square. Ask your members of congress to support resolutions pending in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: No Olympics for China Until Tibet is Free

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing to urge you to support the concurrent Congressional Resolution opposing Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympics. China has brutally occupied Tibet for more than fifty years, and regularly detains and tortures both Tibetans and Chinese for peacefully expressing their beliefs. A country that flagrantly violates international laws in this manner should not receive the distinction of being an Olympic host.

Since China invaded and annexed Tibet in 1949, more than 1.2 million Tibetans have died from famine, imprisonment, torture and execution. In Tibet today there is no freedom of press, speech, assembly or religion, and Tibetans are now facing the most serious crackdown on their religious freedom in years. Chinese authorities have been carrying out house-to-house searches for banned photographs of the Dalai Lama, religious shrines, and incense burners, and Tibetans caught with this contraband are subject to arrest, imprisonment, and torture.

It is inappropriate for China to host the Olympic games while its government illegally occupies another country. While China speaks loudly of its economic and social development in recent years, they have made no progress whatsoever in their treatment of human rights. "Social stability" in Tibet is enforced by 300,000 Chinese troops.

Since western countries began expanding trade relations with China, while de-linking trade and human rights, Tibet has experienced the most severe oppression since the Cultural Revolution, and religious tolerance inside China has also deteriorated. Although China has signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it has not ratified either one. It is clear that when the international community does not specifically consider human rights in its relationship with China, intolerance and repression only increase.

It would be unjust and irresponsible to give China the internationally recognized privilege of hosting the Games, given its government's occupation of Tibet and disregard for the human rights of its own people. Until China leaves Tibet, it does not deserve the honor of hosting the Olympic games. Please support human rights in China and Tibet and vote in favor of the congressional resolution.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
March 27, 2001


Background Information

This July, the International Olympics Committee will decide which city will host the 2008 Olympic Games. Beijing wants the Olympics very badly, hoping to use the prestige of hosting the Games to whitewash their human rights record in China and Tibet. The campaign to oppose Beijing 2008 will be a key step in our efforts to make China recognize that their occupation of Tibet is too costly to continue.

The campaign has considerable support within the US Congress. On March 21, a resolution stating congressional opposition to Beijing's bid was introduced by fifty-two members of the House of Representatives and four members of the U.S. Senate (see below for the text of the resolution).

You can help! Take action and let your members of Congress know that you care about Tibet, and that you want their support on the bill opposing Beijing's bid.

For additional information and full text of the Resolution:

http://www.tibet.org/sft/action.htm

Students for a Free Tibet 735 E. 9th Street, #1FW New York, NY 10009 (212) 358-0071 sft@igc.org