FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1 June 2020
Contact:
Gonpo Dhundup, President, Tibetan Youth Congress, Dharamsala, India
+918826969572 | president@tibetanyouthcongress.org (For Tibetan)
Dorjee Tseten, Executive Director, Students for a Free Tibet, New York, United States
+1646-753-3889 | dorjee@studentsforafreetibet.org (For English)
Chinese version below. Tibetan and Hindi versions in the photos.
The Tibetan Youth Congress and Students for a Free Tibet, two of the largest global grassroots organizations in the Tibetan freedom struggle, applaud the ‘Free Tibet Act of 2020’ (H.R. 6948) introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Congressman Scott Perry (R-PA) on May 19, 2020.
“This bill represents a historic milestone for the Tibetan people who have struggled for freedom and independence from China for the last 70 years and it will go down in history as an important moment when the American people recognized Tibet’s legitimate claim to independence,” said Gonpo Dhundup, President, Tibetan Youth Congress.
While H.R.6948 refers to the “Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China,” Students for a Free Tibet and the Tibetan Youth Congress have engaged with Congressman Perry’s office to request that he amend this language so as to include the whole of Tibet, not just the TAR.
The so-called “Tibet Autonomous Region” was formed on September 9, 1965 by the Chinese Communist Party after its illegal invasion of Tibet, and constitutes less than half of the actual size of Tibet. [1] For the last seven decades, Tibetans in Tibet and in exile, from the three traditional regions of Tibet –– U-stang, Kham and Amdo –– have been fighting against the colonial occupation of our homeland by China. Moreover, since 2009, there have been 156 cases of Tibetan self-immolation protests against Chinese rule in all the three traditional regions of Tibet.
China’s initial coverup of the Coronavirus outbreak led to a pandemic that has now brought the entire world to a standstill. It is clear that the Chinese government’s authoritarian practices of censorship and repression endanger people everywhere. The international community must reject the Chinese government’s model of surveillance and control that Tibetan, Uyghur, Southern Mongolian, Hong Konger, Taiwanese, and Chinese people have suffered under for too long. The Chinese Communist Party must be held accountable.
“As the Tibet movement welcomes this bill, we call on all governments and global institutions to come together in solidarity during this crisis to ensure that freedom and human rights are upheld,” said Dorjee Tseten, Executive Director, Students for a Free Tibet “We urge world governments to take immediate multilateral action against Beijing’s authoritarian rule by challenging China’s illegal occupation of Tibet and by rejecting the ‘One China Policy’ in theory and practice. We urge other governments and leaders to take a stronger political stand when dealing with China and introduce similar bills to recognize Tibet as a separate, independent country that remains under China’s illegal occupation.”
The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) is a worldwide Organisation of Tibetans united in our common struggle for the restoration of complete independence for the whole of Tibet, which includes the traditional three provinces of U-Tsang, Do-toe, and Do-med. An independent Organisation, with a written constitution and its own plans and programmes, TYC has emerged as the largest and most active non-governmental Organisation of Tibetans in exile. It has more than 35,000 members worldwide
Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) works in solidarity with the Tibetan people in their struggle for freedom and independence. We are a chapter-based network of young people and activists around the world. Through education, grassroots organizing, and nonviolent direct action, we campaign for Tibetans’ fundamental right to political freedom. Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) was founded in New York City in 1994 by a group of Tibetans and young students and supporters. Since that time, SFT has grown into an international network of students and activists in more than 35 countries with its headquarters based in New York.
藏人和支持者对美国众议院提出承认西藏独立的法案表示赞赏
全球最大的争取西藏自由的两个草根组织，西藏青年大会（TYC）和自由西藏学生运动（SFT），对美国众议院议员斯科特-佩里（Scott Perry，R-PA）于2020年5月19日提出的 “2020年自由西藏法案”（H.R. 6948）表示赞赏。
藏青会主席贡布顿珠（Gonpo Dhundup）说： “这项法案对于过去70年來为了从中国争取自由和独立的藏人來說，是一个历史性的里程碑，它将继续被视为美国人民承认西藏独立的合法要求的重要时刻。”
虽然H.R.6948提到了 “中华人民共和国西藏自治区”，但西藏青年大会和自由西藏学生运动会已与佩里议员办公室联系，请求他修改这一措辞，以包括整个藏区，而不仅仅是西藏自治区。
中国共产党非法入侵西藏后，于1965年9月9日成立的 “西藏自治区”，占藏区实际面积的不到一半。在过去的70年里，西藏三个传统地区 (卫藏、康、安多)的藏人和流亡在外的藏人，一直在反抗中国对我们祖国的殖民占领。尤其是，自2009年以来，西藏三区的藏人抗议中国统治的自焚事件，已达156起。
中国最初对新冠病毒疫情的掩盖，导致了现在整个世界的大疫情，让整个世界陷入了停滞。显然，专制中国政府的审查和镇压，危及到了世界各地的人民。国际社会必须反对中国政府的监视和控制模式，藏人、维吾尔人、南蒙古人、香港人、台湾人和中国人长期以来一直在中共的监视和控制下受苦受难，我们必须让中共承担责任。
自由西藏学生运动执行主任多吉才旦（Dorjee Tseten）说： “为争取西藏自由的人们欢迎这一法案。我们呼吁各国政府和全球机构在这场危机中团结一致，确保自由和人权得到维护。”
我们敦促世界各国政府，立即采取多边行动，反对北京的专制统治，挑战中国对西藏的非法占领，反对 “一个中国政策 “的理论和实践。我们敦促其他国家的政府和领导人在与中国打交道时，采取更强硬的政治立场，并提出类似的法案，承认仍处于中国非法占领之下的西藏，是一个单独的、独立的国家。
西藏青年大会（TYC）是一个世界性的藏人组织，团结一致，为恢复包括传统三区的西藏全境的完全独立而共同奋斗。作为一个独立的组织，它有独立的章程和自己的计划和方案，在全世界有35,000多名成员，已成为最大和最活跃的流亡藏人非政府组织。
自由西藏学生运动（SFT）致力于团结西藏人民，共同争取西藏自由和独立。我们是一个由世界各地的年轻人和活动家组成的分会网络。通过教育、组织基层和非暴力的直接行动，我们为西藏人民争取政治自由的基本权利。自由西藏学生运动于1994年由一群藏人、青年学生及支持者在紐約成立。从那时起，SFT已从纽约总部发展成为一个由35个国家的学生和活动家组成的国际网络。
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Footnotes:
[1] Indeed, the creation of the TAR is seen as an attempt by the CCP to “divide and conquer” Tibetans. Yet even the CCP recognizes the Tibetan areas outside of the TAR as “Tibetan autonomous” counties or prefectures. See, e.g., https://tibet.net/about-tibet/map-of-tibet/.