Published by: World Tibet Network News Sunday, November 30, 1997

The November activities of the Ottawa Friends of Tibet and the Ottawa branch of the Canada Tibet Committee included a visit by H. H. the Dalai Lama's eldest brother, Thubten Jigme Norbu Rinpoche. We arranged a talk by Rinpoche at the College of the Humanities at Carleton University that was well covered by the media and attended by 250 people. This was followed the next day by a fundraising dinner to good media attention our highest estimates of attendance were exceeded for a total of 350 tickets.

The Ottawa branch of the Canada Tibet Committee has only two Tibetans but has an enthusiastic membership nonetheless. In order to make our protest more effective we collaborated with several other groups to stage two days of protests.

In collaboration with Democracy China Ottawa, Amnesty International, PrisonLife Media and the Criminology Students' Association of Ottawa University we brought China's #1 dissident Mr. Harry Wu to Ottawa. Mr. Wu's very busy schedule on Thursday November 27 included:

Interview - CBC "This Morning"

Interview - CTV National "Canada AM"

Press conference on Parliament Hill

Presentation to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade

Interview - CFMT Natl. Radio "The Chronicle" Lunch with Svend Robinson M.P. Meeting with External Affairs in Lloyd Axworthy's office Meeting with Reform Party leader Preston Manning Interview CBC National TV, "Newsworld Politics"

Public Lecture at Ottawa University "Human Rights in China: What is Canada Trading Away."

PROTEST AT RIDEAU GATE 8:30pm THURSDAY NOV. 27 Jiang Zemin arrived at 6:00pm on Thursday the 27th during Harry Wu's talk and, following a welcome ceremony at the airport military base, was honored at a State Dinner at Government House. We followed Harry Wu's lecture with a CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL outside Government House. About 50 demonstrators with Taiwanese and Tibetan placards staged a solemn protest in contrast to the feast Jiang enjoyed inside. Harry Wu was present at the vigil.

PROTEST ON PARLIAMENT HILL 9:30 - 12:00 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28TH The next day, on Friday November 28th Canada Tibet Committee and Taiwanese group protest greeted Jiang's visit to Parliament Hill. We were joined by about 40 Tibetans from Montreal, the Taiwanese Canadian Association of Ottawa and a Chinese Christian group (who we didn't know about in advance). On the other side of the promenade to the peace tower were a group of Chinese who were there to welcome Jiang Zemin, complete with dragon and chimes. I am pleased to say that we outnumbered them by a considerable margin and, with our 12' Tibetan trumpets, we were more audible too!

The protesters kept up a steady cacophony while Jiang was welcomed to Parliament, met with Jean Chretien, had a press conference and media opportunity, and met with Senate and House Speakers. We then lined the barricades and blasted his limousine with cries of "China out, free Tibet!," "Jiang go home!" and Tibetan trumpets while he left Parliament Hill (by that time the pro-Jiang group had given up and gone home!).

PROTESTS AT THE PRIME MINISTER'S RESIDENCE 12:15 - 2:30 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28TH Next we followed Jiang Zemin back to Government House where he had to drive past our demonstration again on his way across the street to have lunch with Prime Minister Chretien. He ate his lunch to the sound of our trumpets and chants of "Shame on China," "Long live Dalai Lama" and "No free lunch for Jiang Zemin!"

At 1:30 the group re-formed to "welcome" Jiang again as his procession drove from the Prime Minister's residence back to Rideau Hall.

We don't know whether it was in response to our activities or not but Jiang cancelled a planned 2:00 meeting at the nearby Chinese Embassy with Canadian Chinese business leaders.

The protest activities were followed by an excellent lunch, courtesy of the Taiwanese Canadian Association of Ottawa. This was a good chance to get to know this group and to consider future collaboration.