London – Free Tibet Campaign has learned that China has been duping Tibetans into traveling to Beijing with promises of well-paid work on Olympic projects, only for their salaries to remain unpaid(1). A source, speaking from inside Tibet, confirmed that he had spoken to a Tibetan who had traveled to Beijing but who had subsequently returned to Tibet due to the unpaid wages. The source described the information as “very reliable”.
Hundreds of Tibetans traveled from Amdo [Ch: Gansu Province] in Greater Tibet to Beijing in April this year. It has been confirmed that some Tibetans have returned to Tibet this week due to unpaid wages, although Free Tibet Campaign can not be more specific about where the Tibetans came from and returned to due to concern for their security. Local government authorities in Tibet had promised that Tibetans working in Beijing would be paid about 1000 yuan (US$ 131.50) per month but, according to the source, none of those who had returned had been paid anything since arriving in Beijing. It is understood that a “few people” who consistently asked the authorities about unpaid salaries were paid between 100-200 yuan per month. In contrast to what was promised them before departing for Beijing, the source said that when Tibetans reminded the authorities about the unpaid wages, they were told: “You will be paid well during the Olympics and after you have been employed by the Government. Until then you need to work hard.”
Those returning to Tibet had “escaped”, knowing that the Chinese authorities would not allow them to leave freely. Since arriving in Beijing they had been trained in military drill exercises as well as being given instruction in stadium guard duties, tour guide duties and hotel and restaurant services. After each month, despite not being paid, they would be moved to a new place with a new trainer making it difficult to claim wages. At the time of writing the source was not able to confirm which government department was responsible for the Tibetans’ training in Beijing.
“News that China is exploiting Tibetans to work on the Olympics without pay follows the about-turn by China on an undertaking made to the IOC in order to secure the Olympics: to allow free reporting in China and Tibet in the run-up to and during the Games(2)” said Matt Whitticase of Free Tibet Campaign. “These, and other human rights violations, are happening as a result of China staging the 2008 Games and yet the silence from the IOC on such abuses is deafening. Despite promises from President Rogge of the IOC that the IOC would act if abuses persisted(3) we are still waiting for any meaningful and public action from the IOC. President Rogge must acknowledge the IOC’s accountability for abuses committed by China as a result of the Games being staged there next year. He could make a start at his press conference tomorrow in Guatemala City(4), by calling on China both to lift restrictions on free reporting from Tibet and to launch a full enquiry in to reports of unpaid Tibetans working on Olympics-related projects.”
NOTES:
(1) The information was sourced by Tibet Watch, a research-based sister organization to Free Tibet Campaign, based in Dharamsala. Tibet Watch was speaking to a source in Tibet.
(2) The official China Daily guaranteed full media freedoms in the run up to the IOC decision on which city would stage the 2008 Games: “The world’s media will enjoy full freedom to report on all aspects of China if the 2008 Olympic Games is held in the city” [Beijing]. Beijing Olympics Press Chief, Sun Weijia, said at a press briefing in September last year that “they [foreign journalists] can travel anywhere in China. There will be no restrictions.” (Reported by DPA, September 28, 2006).
(3) For example, in April 2002, IOC President Jacques Rogge said that the IOC had “urged the Chinese government to improve, as soon as possible, their record in human rights” and that “if either security, logistics or human rights are not acted upon to our satisfaction then we will act.” link
(4) President Rogge is holding a Press Conference tomorrow at the 119th IOC Session in Guatemala City. For details: link
Contact: Matt Whitticase: matt@freetibet.org; tel: +44 (0)207 324 4605 (o); +44 (0)7904 063746 (m)
