Published by: World Tibet Network News, Sunday, June 23, 1996

"Diana Takata" -Organization: Students for a Free Tibet

Sun, 23 Jun 1996

About 25 students and 50 Tibetans and other friends of Tibet, including Taiwanese supporters, protested in front of the Chinese Mission this afternoon.

When press asked why we chose today, those interviewed pointed out that the repression occuring within Tibet is without a doubt the worst since martial law was declared in 1989 and that the press has not been covering this news so that we believe it is our responsibility to make this known to our communities and continue pressuring the Chinese government to act responsibly by recognizing fundamental human rights and let them know that our pressure will escalate through continued and increased numbers of widespread demonstrations and economic pressure and lobbying. We will be boycotting all Chinese goods until Tibet becomes free.

And again press asked, what is the importance of today, meaning what event are we remembering.

Again, the importance of today is that each day is significant, time is running out for the Tibetans in Tibet because of the systematic methods of sinocization and population transfer. There is no such thing as religious freedom in China. Monks, nuns, and lay people are arrested and tortured for expressions of their beliefs. All of this is intensifying and that is why we are protesting. The world does not know this.

The Chinese government is waging an all out war to eradicate the culture by denying Tibetans the ability to worship and to make ends meet. Strip them of belief, language, mobility, education, and jobs and what is left? The world does not know this and that is why we are protesting.

The more goods we buy the more ways we are directly fueling and legitimizing the genocide of Tibet.

And that is why more demonstrations will be held. As more students get involved and mobilization occurs nationwide and internationally, U.S. corporations and U.S. government officials will be forced to respond - there will be too much at stake for them not to. And this has happened in the past.

Regarding press coverage, World Television News the largest world wide news coverage will be airing clips from the demo on world news tonight.Other coverage included local Taiwanese TV station and Taiwanese newspaper.

For more information on participating and organizing a monthly demonstration please contact the Students for a Free Tibet office in NYC - ustcsft@igc.apc.org. While some may argue that we may not get the level of participation we need at a demonstration if we have them frequently, we believe that this is important practice and very much worthwhile. Simultaneously, we are reaching out to all aspects of the community for support - interfaith, businesses, labor, and other human rights groups. This is one of the ways the grassroots movement will grow.