While the Tibetan people were eagerly waiting to hear the outcome of the first Tibet-China talks outside China, the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States has become the first government in the world to officially issue a car license plate (Friends of Tibet) dedicated to the people of Tibet and their freedom struggle.
Over the weekend the 360 applications were submitted to the local Directorate of Motor Vehicle just in time to beat the deadline. A minimum requirement was 350 applicants. There are only about 80 vehicles owned and operated by the Tibetans in Northern Virginia, and almost all applied, and rest came from American friends of the Tibetan people. “Without the full participation of the Tibetan community it would have been very difficult, and I would like to thank the Capital Area Tibetan Association (CATA) for their hard work,” said Bill Shuyler, the man behind the initiative.
Bill and Greg of the Conservancy for Tibetan Art & Culture (CTAC) and the Tibetan community initiated the legislation which was co-sponsored by state legislator Patrice Ticer, unanimously passed by the assembly, and signed into law by Governor Mark Warner. The news was announced during the Tibetan New Year Party that year with much fanfare, but the community was not aware of the conditions attached to it. When the community finally came to know that at least 350 applicants were required to facilitate the issuance of the this unique place, every effort was made to mobilize every Tibetan who owned a car, and then reached out to friends, co-workers, associates and neighbors.
The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) also sent out a mailer to its members in the state of Virginia. The response was good, but not good enough. We had 300 applicants one week before the deadline, and frantic last minute drive was made. Bill even printed a few t-shirts bearing the colorful logo of the Friends of Tibet license logo, and CATA activists tried to beat the deadline. And, indeed, we made it. Now it is official. The Commonwealth of Virginia has sent a powerful message of hope to the Tibetan people. The colorful license, a quasi-model of the Tibetan national flag with red and blue stripes against snowy mountains, will replace the Free Tibet bumper strikers and other plain car plates in the great state of Virginia, now home to several hundred Tibetan immigrants.
