By Bhuchung D. Sonam
The four-day meeting of the International Tibet Support Network (ITSN) Olympic Campaign Working Group concluded with a press conference here at the Club House. Four members, Mr. Wangpo Tethong from Swiss, Ms. Passang Lhamo of Tibetan Women’s association, Ms. Lhadon Tethong of Students’ for a Free Tibet and Ms. Susan Mizrahi of International Campaign for Tibet, spoke during the conference.
The fourth ITSN meeting came to the conclusion that 1. Olympic presented itself as an excellent opportunity for Tibetans and the Tibet Support Groups to press the Chinese leadership to change its fundamental outlook towards the question of Tibet and to improve its Human Right records and also for China to review its Tibet policy for good, 2. that the ITSN will coordinate a series of global events during the two years running up to the 2008 Olympic in Beijing, and 3. to hold coordinated activities in every city where there are Chinese embassy or Consulate; and to have a special Olympic Campaign office that will coordinate activities. Furthermore, it is requested that any individual Tibetans, Tibet supporters and organization who plans to carry any activities during the 2008 Olympic in Beijing to let ITSN know about such plans so that they can give technical guidance regarding media handling and other assistance.
While answering the question on as how would ITSN handle water-tight security arrangement that the Communist China will arrange for the Olympic and what would be the nature of actions planned, Mr. Wangpo-la said, “ITSN has passed no resolution on specific actions to be carried out during the Olympic since it involves so many organizations with varied goals and aims, who will plan action on their own. The ITSN Olympic Campaign Working Group will provide technical assistance to any individual or organization that will carry activities.”
Responding to the same question, Lhadon Tethong said, “We will take opportunity of China’s invitation for the world to come for the Olympic and send as many people as possible. We are committed to non-violent direct action to expose China’s brutal policies in Tibet and to reveal their artificially painted façade of development and progress in Tibet to show their true nature.”
When asked if their have any plan to lobby with individual athletes and organizations regarding the Beijing Olympic, Ms. Lhadon responded that they had an agreement from the Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, who is to take part in both the opening and the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic, to hear our point of view.” It should be added that the famous director is of Jewish origin. Jewish people faced similar situation under Hitler as we do today under the Chinese. Paradoxically, IOC gave Hitler the privilege of holding 1936 Olympic and hence there is every reason for Spielberg to boycott his involvement in the Beijing Olympic.
In the past ITSN contacted the president of IOC and other members, who only provided lip-service that changed like a feather in a wind. In 1993 at Monaco IOC took some interest in the issue of Tibet from the point of view of human right because then the memory of Tiananmen Square massacre was still fresh. However, in 2001 IOC said that they were not a human rights organization and that they could not monitor human rights in China.
Lhadon Tethong said, “IOC simply does not use its huge leverage. There must be a massive change within IOC for fresh view to prevail.”
This was the fourth meeting of ITSN held so far. Previous meetings were held in 2002, 2003 and 2004 in Paris, London and Zurich respectively.
