Tell Coke Board Member to Do the Right Thing Now!

The Chinese government is moving forward with plans to parade the Olympic torch through Tibet next month, a blatant provocation that will likely lead to more bloodshed and suffering. Coca-Cola is an official sponsor of the torch relay and as a signatory to the U.N. Global Compact, promises to "support and respect the protection of international human rights."  It is irresponsible and hypocritical for Coca-Cola's board members to stay silent on this critical issue when the lives of Tibetans are at stake.

Please send the letter below now to Cathleen Black, the Coca-Cola board member responsible for social issues (cc'd to Herb Allen, Board chair) urging her to meet with Tibetans and use her influence to call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to stop the torch from going to Tibet.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Do the right thing: Meet with Tibetans Now

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I understand you recently refused to meet with young Tibetans who are deeply concerned about China's plans to parade the Olympic torch through Tibet next month, a serious provocation that will likely result in further bloodshed.

As a Board Member of Coca-Cola, a corporate sponsor of the Olympic torch relay, you are in a unique position to use your influence to call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to cancel the Tibet leg of the torch relay and prevent further suffering. It seems that you are choosing instead to callously disregard the thousands of Tibetan monks, nuns and laypeople who remain detained or missing as a result of China's crackdown on a popular, and predominantly peaceful, uprising against China's occupation which began in March.

The young Tibetans who requested to meet with you have family members inside Tibet about whom they are terribly worried. Allowing China to parade the Olympic through Tibet has grave consequences as eye-witnesses are already reporting increased repression by Chinese authorities in order to secure a successful, protest-free torch relay.

China's Governor in Tibet has promised that Tibetans will be "treated harshly and with no leniency" for protesting during the torch relay. Tibetan exiles have heard from sources inside Tibet that Tibetans are opposed to China taking the torch through their lands and are determined to protest.

As a signatory to the U.N. Global Compact, Coca-Cola has promised to "support and respect the protection of international human rights" and ensure that Coca-Cola is "not complicit in human rights abuses." By doing nothing to address the preventable tragedy that will likely occur if the Tibet torch run is allowed to proceed, your company becomes complicit in China's ongoing human rights abuses against the Tibetan people.

If you truly stand behind Coke's corporate responsibility policy of "helping to improve lives" you will agree to meet Tibetans and listen to their concerns about the life or death situation currently faced by Tibetans inside Tibet.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
May 23, 2008


Background Information

The Governor of Tibet has promised that Tibetans will be "treated harshly and with no leniency" for protesting during the torch relay. And yet Tibetan exiles and campaigners have heard from sources inside Tibet that Tibetans are unequivocally opposed to China taking the torch through their lands and are determined to protest.

Given the current situation in Tibet – an oppressive military presence, house-to-house searches, arbitrary detentions and arrests, beatings, disappearances, and a terrible climate of fear – it is the height of irresponsibility for the IOC to allow China to parade the Olympic torch through Tibetan areas, a brazen provocation that will likely result in protest and bloodshed.

A leaked internal IOC memo recognizes this likelihood and suggests IOC staff and leadership express "deepest sympathies or condolences to anyone that was injured or killed, and their families."

As a signatory to the U.N. Global Compact, Coca-Cola promises to "support and respect the protection of international human rights."  It is irresponsible and hypocritical for Coca-Cola, a sponsor of the Olympic torch relay, to stay silent on the matter when Tibetans have made the consequences clear of the torch going through Tibet.