November 12, 2005 - In a transparent effort to convince the world that Tibet is a part of China the endangered Tibetan antelope (commonly known as "chiru") was picked to be one of five mascots for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

CLICK HERE to Take Action Now! Tell the Chinese authorities the Tibetan antelope is NOT a Chinese symbol.

The Chinese authorities' plan to use the Tibetan antelope as propaganda purporting the unity of the nationalities in China in order to distract from the reality that China has illegally occupied Tibet for more than 50 years can be seen clearly in the statements made at the mascot unveiling ceremonies. According to Liu Qi, head of the Olympics organizing committee, the mascots "reflect the cultural diversity of China as a multi-ethnic country...and the enthusiasm and aspirations of our people."

The Tibetan antelope is not a Chinese symbol and is being used to legitimize China's occupation of Tibet.

Background on the Tibetan antelope/chiru:

The Tibetan antelope, or chiru, has been on the World Conservation Union's "endangered" list since 2000. Endangered is defined as "very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future."

The chiru is believed to have numbered approximately a million at the turn of the 20th century, but thousands were slaughtered for sport and meat by Chinese soldiers in the 1950s, ‘60s and 70s. In the 1980s, when the chiru’s fine wool, called shahtoosh, became popular internationally, Chinese and Tibetan poachers began taking a large toll, up to 20,000 animals per year. The total number is estimated to have dropped to under 100,000 in the mid 1990s.

Though trade in chiru wool has been illegal since 1979, poaching continues to threaten the ever-diminishing chiru population. As the undercoat is the only source of shahtoosh wool and cannot be sheared, the animal must be killed in order to harvest it. Although it has since recovered slightly, the animal is still in danger of extinction.

Under its Wildlife Protection Law, the People's Republic of China (PRC) gives the chiru its highest level of protection. The Greener Beijing Institute (a state sponsored non-governmental organization) has even had a "Save Tibetan Antelope" campaign since 1999 using the slogan "Just Save It." Despite this, the Chinese government's record on protecting it remains poor.

The railway currently being constructed from Golmud to Lhasa may endanger the Tibetan antelope further. While tunnels have been built to allow the chiru to cross the railway line, the railway will bring many more people – and potentially more poachers - closer to the chiru’s breeding grounds and habitat. The persistent influx of Chinese settlers and poor management of resources has also rendered areas protected for the chiru inadequate.