June 2- The Tibetan Youth Congress of San Francisco and the Students for a Free Tibet chapters at UC Davis and Stanford along with Tenzin Wangchuk (Event Coordinator) welcomed the three courageous Mount Everest (Chomolungma) Protestors on Saturday, June 2nd 2007 at the Jewish Community Center in Berkeley California. A grand vegetarian dinner reception was thrown to honor these three activists Tenzin Dorjee, Shannon Service, and Laurel Sutherlin for participating in the historic protest.
On April 25th, the Chinese authorities arrested Shannon Service, Laurel Sutherlin, Tenzin Dorjee (Tendor) and Kirsten Westby for holding a Free Tibet protest at Chomolungma base camp. The protesters unfurled a banner that read: “One World, One Dream: Free Tibet 2008,” while they sang the Tibetan national anthem and lit a Tibetan version of the Olympic Torch. After 55 hours of detention by Chinese authorities, the protesters were released due to international pressure.
The evening began with a short presentation of the Chomolungma Protest video featuring Tendor, Laurel Sutherlin and Shannon Service on April 25th, 2007 (the 11th Panchen Lama’s * 18th birthday). By climbing to the base camp of Chomolungma, Tendor and his friends brought to light the plight of the Tibetan people and shared with the world that the Tibetan freedom struggle is not forgotten. They also requested and urged the larger community to take responsibility to stand up and take a stance for the Tibetan issue. According to SFT’s website, “the direct action was taken to protest China’s plan to take the Olympic torch over Mount Everest and through Tibet. The protest came on the eve of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s decision to approve China’s plans to take the torch to the top of Mt Everest and through Tibet. Tibetans and their supporters believe the Chinese government is hoping to use the Games as a means to legitimize its occupation of Tibet.”
The guests of honor for the day, Tendor, a TCV alumnus, is the first Tibetan from exile to have returned to Tibet to protest for independence with Laurel Sutherlin and Shannon Service both from the Bay Area, California. Laurel is an environmental and social justice activist and has been involved with nonviolent direct action projects. Shannon, a graduate of Mount Holyoke 97, co-founded the Direct Action Network, the coalition of non-violent activities. Later she went on to become a direct action and media trainer for the Ruckus Society, a non profit dedicated to providing social and environmental activists with skills in non-violent direct action. Laurel and Shannon have contributed their skills in their respective fields with SFT by taking a tremendous risk in bringing the Tibetan issue to the world media.
Tendor, Laurel and Shannon shared their experience of traveling to Beijing, and Tibet to undertake the historic protest at the Chomolungma base camp. A large crowd of Tibetans and supporters from the Bay Area attended the dinner to hear them speak. The three activists kept the audience enthralled by their story, which was filled with determination, courage, fear and a great sense of dedication for the Tibetan cause. Their sense of duty and courage was palpable to everyone and also their sincerity in bringing the Tibetan issue to the world’s attention.
Tendor’s speech was very moving to the Tibetans, as he has given up his opportunity of ever going back to Tibet – his homeland by joining this action team. He shared that traveling to Tibet under the Chinese permission would have been a victim’s trip, but by undergoing this endeavor he was going as a fighter.
The message that left all inspired was when Tendor mentioned that Tibetans in Tibet has not given up, and they are still fighting under the Chinese military regime. He said that “they [Tibetans] may not be fighting loudly in public but they are using active resistance in Tibet against the Chinese.” It was a clear message to the exile Tibetans that we cannot give up our struggle and that we cannot let the Chinese think they can win. Tendor saw big loopholes in the Chinese system and the image of perfection is far from perfect and almost seems more like a façade and that they may not last forever.
Lhadon Tethong, SFT** Executive Director, thanked Shannon and Laurel for participating in this heroic event and also thanked others who stayed in the background but nevertheless took active role in the planning and implementation of the Everest protest. Lhadon stressed the need to use the Olympics as a platform to raise our voices against Chinese and to bring attention to the Tibetan issue. She appealed that they have plans, people, courage, action but no money, and hence pleaded the Tibetan people and their supporters to donate money to the SFT Olympic action fund. She also requested the audience to spread the word to their friends about the Olympic fund and to take action before and during the Beijing 2008 Olympics. She pleaded that though many of us cannot go to Tibet, we need to take action from outside. Lhadon proposed conducting candle light vigils, civil disobedience, march to Chinese embassies, and for everyone to stand up and say that, “Tibet belongs to Tibetans”.
Lhadon and the group requested everybody in the San Francisco to be ready for April 8th 2008. On April 8th 2008 the Beijing Olympic torch will be running through San Francisco the only city in the United States, and urged everyone to protest strongly against this.
Visit “Students for a Free Tibet” for more information.
