Dear John...China is bad...Tibet is good

Dear John,

Just last week I was in Beijing, getting a modest taste of what
it's like to be detained by the Chinese government. When the
authorities deported me, they said my actions in support of
Tibetan independence and human rights had threatened the
stability of China. All I did was speak and write openly about
how China is using the Olympics to legitimize their military
occupation of Tibet. I think most people watching must have
gotten the point - if one woman and a blog can threaten one of
the most powerful nations on earth, something must be very wrong
there.

Please help change the situation by making a contribution to
SFT's Olympics Action Fund at
https://secure.ga4.org/01/sftolympics .

The day before China's countdown celebrations in Tiananmen
Square, 6 of my colleagues from the United States, Canada and
the United Kingdom, hung a massive banner on the Great Wall of
China. The message on the banner, ONE WORLD ONE DREAM: FREE
TIBET 2008, was a play on China's Olympics slogan. They too were
deported after 36 hours of detention and interrogation. [To see
photos of the banner drop, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/greatwallaction]

These actions were meant to shine the Olympics spotlight on
China's occupation of Tibet. From Swedish and Canadian
Television to the Economist and the International Herald
Tribune, China's occupation of Tibet and its human rights record
in general overshadowed the story of the one-year countdown to
the Olympic Games. We took these risks and went to Beijing
because the 2008 Olympics provide us with an unprecedented
opportunity to draw attention to the Tibetan issue and press
China to end the occupation. [To see a quick round-up of the
phenomenal media coverage we received, go to:
http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/article.php?id=1114].

An article in the New York Times Week in Review by Jim Yardley
said it best:
http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/article.php?id=1117 .

"Beijing may have envisioned a public relations opportunity, but
so did an array of advocacy groups that spent the week
whipsawing China on human rights violations, press freedom and
Tibet.

If a few stunts were daring ? protesters unfurled a ?Free Tibet?
banner on the Great Wall ? the criticisms weren?t new. What did
change was the way the Olympics amplified the dissent, even for
a non-event like the one-year countdown. Media attention
intensified merely because the Olympics were in town."

SFT's strategy is working. Thanks to supporters like you, we are
having an impact! We ask you to give generously today to help us
keep up the pressure.

Please make a donation to SFT's Olympics Campaign by visiting:
https://secure.ga4.org/01/sftolympics .

As a nonviolent movement, we are challenged to be creative and
find alternative ways to grab the world's attention. As the
protest on Mount Everest and last week's actions in Beijing
demonstrate, SFT is combining direct action with cutting-edge
technology to successfully combat the Chinese government's
Olympics propaganda campaign.

At SFT, we have many more ideas and plans to use this historic
moment to push for real and substantive change inside Tibet.
From advertising campaigns to direct actions to grassroots
activities worldwide, we are committed to providing
opportunities for people of conscience to help make history for
Tibet in 2008.

You can help us make history in 2008; please make a donation
today at https://secure.ga4.org/01/sftolympics .

Thank you to everyone who sent messages of support and spoke out
on my behalf and on behalf of Paul, Sam, Mel, Pete, Nupur, Duane
and Leslie when we were detained. Compared to the acts of
courage and bravery that Tibetans engage in everyday inside
Tibet, what we did was small. But I know that our work,
especially in the coming year as we engage in the Olympics
battle, can make a difference and help bring an end to the
occupation of Tibet. Thank you for being a part of it.

For Rangzen,

Lhadon Tethong
Executive Director

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