By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, April 20: A group of legislators from across political lines in United Kingdom on Thursday wrote to Liverpool football club to scrap the controversial deal with a Chinese company producing bottled water. The group of MPs said that deal “is not consistent with the values promoted with the club”.
The letter addressed to the football club’s Chief Operating Officer, Andy Hughes, stated that the lawmakers from various constituencies across UK called on the club to “reaffirm commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights” and to drop the agreement that was penned in July, 2017.
The letter is signed by MP for Bristol East, Kerry McCarthy and co-signed by 25 other parliamentarians including Tim Loughton (Conservative), Chair of the APPG for Tibet on April 18. “The people of Tibet have no control over how their natural resources are used, and receive no compensation from the Chinese. By sponsoring Tibet Water, Liverpool FC is lending both the company and Chinese occupation of Tibet legitimacy,” Kerry wrote on her Facebook page.
She further argued that the club could do without the controversial deal. She wrote, “The club is by no means short of cash – it received over £148m from TV and prize money last year, as well as having returned to the Champions League this season.”
In July last year, Liverpool FC announced the partnership declaring Tibet Water Resources Ltd (TWRL), a Chinese company known for commercially exploiting Tibet’s water resource, as their official regional water partner in China.
Since then rights groups, common Tibetans and fans of the prestigious football club has spoken against the deal and urged the management to call off the deal. Tibet organisations, including the International Tibet Network, Free Tibet and Tibet Society, as well as international consumer group SumOfUs have campaigned in that direction.
The Liverpool football club, who have 18 English domestic titles and 5 Champions league titles have yet to respond to pleas and petitions since July 2017.
Liverpool eliminated English champions Manchester City from the Champion’s league and are expected to face against Real Madrid in the finals. The Reds will play two legged semi finals against AS Roma on April 24 and May 2, 2018.
