Zurich, Switzerland – More than 250 Tibetans and supporters gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate in Zurich, Switzerland three days before the Olympic torch is scheduled to arrive in Lhasa, Tibet’s capital.
The rally, organized by the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe and supported by the Tibetan Community in Switzerland and Lichtenstein, the Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association, the National Olympic Committee Tibet and the Tibetan Women Association Switzerland, shed light on the IOC’s failure to hold the Beijing Olympics Committee for the Games (BOCOG) accountable to their promise to ensure unlimited media access to China and Tibet in the lead up to and during the Olympic Games. Since the Tibetan uprising in March, China has denied tourists and foreign journalists access to Tibet.
“As a young Tibetan I am outraged at China’s use of the Olympics and the Olympic Torch as a tool to legitimize its brutal occupation of Tibet. The torch is set to be paraded through the same streets where only weeks ago, thousands of Tibetans risked everything for their freedom, said Tenzin Yeshi, spokesperson for the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe.
“The Olympic games should promote values of international understanding, peace and harmony; however, the International Olympic Committee has remained silent about China’s continued crackdown in Tibet” said Rigzin Gyaltag, a professional cyclist with Team Tibet. “It is difficult for me as an athlete to keep my faith in the Olympic movement when the IOC continues to ignore the suffering of the Tibetan people at the hand of the Chinese government.”
Prayers were held at the end of the rally, followed by the Tibetan Uprising Song and the Tibetan national anthem.
Tibetan Youth Association in Europe announced they will continue to protest in the weeks to come and during the Beijing Games which are only 50 days away.
For more information, visit: www.tibetanyouth.org
