Fax Jam Campaign to Commence on April 20th

Dt: April 19th, 1998

Today marks the 41st day of our unto death hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, and the United Nations has yet to give us a favorable response. All we have heard from the UN Secretary General and the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights are requests to stop the fast. Neither of them have said a word about addressing any of the three demands we have put up.

Our activists did not go on this fast to be asked to stop. They began this hunger strike only to request the UN to fulfill its responsibility to our nation and to implement the recommendations made to this end by the International Commission of Jurists.

The reaction of the UN has deeply saddened and disappointed the six hunger strikers and the Tibetan Youth Congress. It has also strengthened their resolve to continue the fast and to fight for the rights of our people.

Similarly, the succeeding batches of hunger strikers are now more than ever determined to die until our demands are met. Our activists know that if their lives are the price for saving Tibet from the indignity of slavery and colonialism, then this is the price that they will have to pay.

Tomorrow we will complete the sixth week of our Hunger Strike Unto Death. On this occasion a 48 hour fax jam campaign directed at the UN Secretary General - starting from 5:00pm (Indian Standard Time) - will be a fitting response to the indifference of the UN. The fax number of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan is: 001-212-963-4879.

I also request all of you to reinvigorate your campaigns and pressure your governments and the UN to act immediately and save our activists and nation from death.

Finally, I would like to express our deepest thanks to all our friends for their abiding support to the cause of Tibet. Your support has given us hope and courage as we move forward on our way to freedom, justice and RANGZEN.

With my warm regards,

Tseten Norbu