Washington, D.C. ­– Tibetans and their supporters are protesting Chinese President Hu Jintao’s arrival to the United States today, starting at 10:00am at Samuel Gompers Memorial Park (11th St. NW and L St. NW) near the Walter E. Washington Convention centre. President Hu will join more than 40 heads of states for the Nuclear Security Summit and will also meet with President Obama today, the first meeting between the two leaders since the U.S. President met with the Dalai Lama in February. Demonstrators are calling on President Obama to press the Chinese leader on a resolution for Tibet amidst reports of new protests by Tibetans students in eastern Tibet.

“We urge President Obama to go beyond the rhetoric and to press President Hu for measurable progress in negotiating a just and lasting resolution for the Tibetan people,” said Tenzin Dolkar, U.S. Grassroots Director for Students for a Free Tibet. “An end to China’s military occupation of Tibet will not just give the Tibetan people the freedom that is their birthright, but would greatly contribute to the goals of peace and security being pursued by President Obama at the nuclear summit. An independent Tibet would create a buffer zone between Asia’s nuclear powers of Pakistan, India and China, and would help ease tensions in the region.”

President Obama angered China when he met the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual and political leader and fellow Nobel laureate, at the White House in February. Tibet activists have launched a global campaign calling on the President and leaders of free countries to take bold and coordinated approaches to resolving the Tibetan issue, including heads of state publicly offering to personally facilitate a meeting between the Dalai Lama and China’s leaders. Tibet is situated at the roof of the world, surrounded by Asia’s great nuclear powers of China, India, Pakistan, and Russia. Since the early 1980s the Dalai Lama has been advocating for Tibet to be a nuclear free zone in order to achieve regional and global security.

“The recent series of student-led protests in Tibet shows that a new generation of Tibetans is uncowed by China’s violent military repression,” added Dolkar. “Tibetans from every corner of Tibet are calling for freedom and by demonstrating here today we will ensure President Hu hears their voices.”

Tibetans and Tibet supporters will protest today, April 12th at Samuel Gompers Memorial Park on the northwest side of the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre (11th St. NW and L St. NW) starting at 10am. President Obama is scheduled to meet President Hu Jintao at 2:30pm. Protests are also scheduled at the same location tomorrow, Tuesday, April 13th.

-30-