Dear Mikaela, Chloe, Nathan, Vincent, Evan, and all Beijing 2022 athletes,
We are writing to you as your fans, as students and young people, most importantly, as individuals who have not lost hope in humanity. As you may know, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is responsible for some of the worst human rights atrocities of our generation: the genocide of Uyghurs, the coerced separation of an estimated one million Tibetan children from their parents through 21st-century residential schools, and the severe crackdown on democracy and press freedom in Hong Kong. These are not just isolated events happening in the news or facts for us to recite; they are the lived experiences facing our loved ones every single day. We never wanted to politicize the Winter Olympics, but for nearly two years now, the IOC has failed us, and failed you. And so one month from today, the IOC will ask you to stand alongside the genocidal Chinese government at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, and to join them in legitimizing the propaganda, sportswashing, and silencing of a 21st-century Holocaust.
Many of the high school and college students who are writing this letter are not so different from you. We went to the same high schools as you. We may have sat next to you in history class, or we might have worked together on a science project. We may even have walked past each other in the hallway every day, but what you can’t see by just looking at us is that we were all either born to stateless parents who made a new home in the United States, or we fled CCP violence and found refuge in this country. In many ways, we understand how hard you have worked to reach where you are today, and we are proud of you. But, we are writing this letter because we have no other choice; because our voices have been silenced by some of the world’s most powerful forces.
We hope you never know how it feels to have your relatives suddenly disappear, to lie awake at night and wonder if your aunt stopped responding because she is in a forced labor camp. The gut-wrenching feeling of waking up in the morning and seeing on the news that your friend has been arrested by an authoritarian regime due to a protest you attended together in 2019. You may never know what it feels like to carry the full weight of preserving the heritage and the way of life of your people because it is facing cultural genocide at home. But these are realities that many of us face every single day. And though you may never understand what it’s like to be oppressed by the Chinese Communist Party, we believe you may care enough to try to comprehend our pain. We are therefore asking you to stand in solidarity with us and our communities – some of the most highly oppressed peoples in the world today. We are asking you to take a stand against the Genocide Games.
The reality is that many of you, and many of your peers competing in Beijing next month, have probably been thrown into the middle of a political discussion that none of you asked to be a part of. It may feel overwhelming to even think about these complex topics as you focus on this final important stretch before the Olympics begin, but this letter is to ask you to remember that each of us holds a certain responsibility to the world. We, the undersigned, believe that every single person in the world holds the responsibility to draw a red line at genocide. As you well know, your unique platform carries with it a tremendous responsibility. And for some of you, that responsibility comes at a very young age. Our coalition of students and young people is reaching out to all of you, and to any athlete competing in Beijing 2022, to ask you to consider engaging in a completely private and closed door discussion with us so that we can brief you about the human rights situation facing our people under the Chinese government.
We understand you are singularly focused at this moment, but we believe it is critical that as representatives of Team USA, you take the time and emotional energy to meet with impacted communities, and move forward with compassion for those most severely affected by the Beijing Olympics. We trust and hope you will take into consideration our sincere request and decide to be an ally to millions of suffering people.
Please contact Info@StudentsforaFreeTibet.org to arrange a meeting.
Sincerely,
Tsela Zoksang, 18, Mount Holyoke College
Tumaris Ahat, 25, University of Massachusetts Boston
Tsering Yangchen, 18, Harvard College
Lance Chan, 19, Green River College
Topjor Tsultrim, 21, Williams College
Khenzom Alling, 21, Yale University
Nabihah Ahsan, 18, Yale University
Katie Chang, 17, Bard High School Early College Queens
Kinen Kao, 21, Cornell University
Tenzin Choeying, 16, Arlington High School
Jeffrey Ngo, 26, Georgetown University
Munawwar Abdulla, 27, Harvard Extension School
Sherab Lhanyisang, 17, Prospect Hill Academy Charter School
Jigme Farber, 21, San Jose State University
Tenzing Dekyong, 17, Bard High School Early College Queens
Dekyi Sharchitsang, 19, Emory University
Tenzin Rinchen, 15, Medford High School
Jampa Lhanyitsang, 14, The Winsor School
Antoinette Marie Torres, 14, Bard High School Early College Queens
Dylan Benson, 28, Northeastern University
Tenzin Tshering, 19, University of Massachusetts Boston
Ingsel Namgyal, 16, Bard High School Early College Queens
Tenzin Thomke, 21, University of Connecticut
Aimee Bulger, 16, Becton Regional High School
Tenzin Yiga, 16, Becton Regional High School
Jigme Palden, 17, Beacon High School
Lameeha Sheikh, 17, Bard High School Early College Queens
Kesang Namgyal, 17, Forest Hills High School
Steeven Jolicoeur, 18, Prospect Hill Academy
Sophia Beckmann, 17, Prospect Hill Academy
Louis Calhoon, 21, Marist College
Tenzin Dasel, 22, Brandeis University
Nyendak Lama, 18, Malden High School
Biana Jean-Baptiste, 17, Prospect Hill Academy
Tenzin Woser, 16, Becton Regional High School
Tenzin Dedhen, 17, Chelsea High School
Amal Altareb, 21, Yale University
Tsering Lhamo, 20, Earlham College
Tenzin Kunsang, 19, Cornell University
Jangul Baurjan, 22, Michigan University
Tenzin Lodhen, 24, Anoka Technical College
Tenzin Dhondup, 17, Naugatuck High School
Ivanka Cheung, 20, Stony Brook University
Mirmo, 21, University of California Berkeley
Cindy Spoon, 31, University of Texas- Arlington
Iman Khanani, 19, Mount Holyoke College
Tenzin Choeying, 20, X University
Angie Romero, 19, Mount Holyoke College
Long Kiu Chung, 23, Stanford University
Tenzin Lhadon, 21, St Cloud State University
Corinne Wai, 62, University of Massachusetts
Tenzin Shrestha, 16, Bard High School Early College Queens
Zev York, 22, Middlebury College
Tenzin Gethoktsang, 19, Ryerson University
Tenzin Tsetan, 15, High School for Health Professions and Human Services
Tenzin Kunchok, 24, Adler University
Tenzin Werner, 17, West Springfield High School
Tenzin Lama, 17, Beacon High School
Jamie Marsicano, 28, UNC School of Law
Rahi Mitra, 17, Beacon High School
Jonathon Han, 17, Beacon High School
Tenzin Dolma, 18, Medford High School
Tenzee Angelo, 18, Ryerson University
Blaise B, 25, Tufts University
Tenzin Rigzin, 22
Dechen Lama, 21, Mount Holyoke College
Joyce Ho, 19, University of Pennsylvania
Tsering Nima, 21, St.Olaf College
Prabidhi Malla, 17, Beacon High School
Nicole Messner, 23, Adler University
Liz Mills, 22, Adler University
Madi Naylor, 22, University of Minnesota
Marco Chan, 20, Ryerson University
Kalden Namgyal, 20, Brown University
Tenzin Dakar, 16, NYC Museum School
Tashi Dhondup, 26, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jolina Larrame, 17, Prospect Hill Academy
Mridul Surbhi, 30, Indian Institute of Technology
Tarim Assimov, 31, Boston College
Adila Yarmuhammad, 21, University of Adelaide
Nasrullah Mehman, 19, University of South Africa
Vivienne Wai, 35, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Malika D., 21, UIB
Zeliha Kaya, 20, La Trobe College Australia
Rayima Parhat, 28, University of British Columbia
Sidra Kutubi, 19, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt üniversitesi
Meherban Kuerban, 24, Deakin University
Kabir Qurban, 24, Simon Fraser University
Connor Middleton, 21, Williams College
Lhaga Dingpontsawa, 21, Whittier College
Kevin C., 37, Ying Wa College
Abdulhabir Karahanli, 22, University of Tuebingen
Cameron Koo, 24, New York University
Patrick Tam, 45, Bentley University
Thupten Sherpa, 17, Easthampton High School
Ali Manetraimov, 22, KIMEP University
Mokhinur Bosakova, 29, Mannheim University
Victoria Czerski, 16, Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics
Gyatso Wolfs, 20, Avans University
Kimberley Wilks, 18, Prospect Hill Academy Charter School
Tenzin Choeyang, 22, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Karma Yeshi, 16, Becton Regional High School
Sign the letter by clicking here.