Honorable Ban Ki-moon

Secretary General

United Nations

760 UN Plaza

New York NY 10017

March 1, 2009

Re: Seeking Your Urgent Support for Tibet

Honorable Ban Ki-moon:

Today, on the eve of the Tibetan New Earth-Ox Year (Losar), I am writing on behalf of the

Tibetan community in Northern California, to seek your urgent support for Tibet. Tibetans and

supporters worldwide have in solidarity with Tibetans in Tibet, cancelled traditional celebrations

of Losar and are marking the occasion with prayers and candle light vigils instead. Large numbers

of Tibetans in Tibet have decided not to hold the traditional celebrations of this auspicious

holiday, both as an act of passive resistance and a mark of respect to those who lost their lives

during China’s crackdown on the wave of peaceful protest that swept the Tibetan plateau

following 10 March 2008.

March 10, 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s flight from

Tibet and the massive Tibetan upraising in Lhasa against China’s colonization of Tibet, when

thousands of Tibetans rose up against Chinese rule and His Holiness the Dalai Lama was forced

to escape into exile. During those days, and in the decades that followed, more than one million

Tibetans lost their lives. Since then China’s repression and denial of our people’s right to self-

determination has continued. As you are well aware, last spring, China brutally cracked down on

widespread protests throughout Tibet as our people attempted desperately to call world attention
to their plight during the Olympic year. More than a hundred Tibetans were killed, over 6000

were arbitrarily detained and many were imprisoned and tortured, while China intimidated the

entire population through a military lock down of the Tibetan plateau, which continues to date.

We appreciate the United Nations’ call for an independent inquiry into China’s excessive use of

force in cracking down on Tibetan protests last year and urge you to ensure that the inquiry is

conducted without granting China immunity for violations of human rights.

For the last 30 years, His Holiness has attempted to achieve a peaceful political solution,

in line with Den Xio Ping’s statement that everything is negotiable, except for independence. Yet,

in the fall of 2008, China rejected the Tibetans’ specific proposal for an autonomous arrangement

within the framework of the Chinese constitution, a highly compromised proposal from our

perspective. China made it clear that it would not negotiate anything with the Tibetan delegation,

except His Holiness’s future. Negotiations have thus come to a halt. In the meantime, on January

18, 2009, China launched a 42-day long “Strike Hard” campaign in Lhasa. Within the first three

days of this latest move to tighten its grip on the Tibetan people, Chinese authorities detained

5766 Tibetans. On February 15 and 16 of 2009, more than 100 Tibetan monks, laypeople and

nomads staged the largest protests to have taken place in Tibet since the early months of 2008.

The first protests took place in Lithang County in eastern Tibet and were prompted by the arrest

of Lobsang Lhundup, a 39-year old Tibetan monk who had publicly called for Tibetans not to

celebrate Losar. At least 24 Tibetans have reportedly been detained at present as a result of the

protests. We urge world leaders and your honorable office to press the Chinese authorities to call

off their provocative "Strike Hard" campaign and put an end to their hard-line policies in Tibet

immediately.

We ask you, how much longer does the international community expect our people to suffer

and to adhere to our non-violent path while it ignores our right to self-determination? Is it not the

purpose of the United Nations (Charter, Article 1 (2)) to “develop friendly relations among
nations” based on the “respect for the principles of equal right and self-determination of

peoples”? As we mark 2009 as the 50th year of our non-violent resistance, we respectfully and

urgently request you to make every effort to use your good offices to help us implement our right

to self-determination, as specifically recognized by the General Assembly in 1961 and 1965. We

fully realize how difficult our request is, given China’s economic and political might. Yet, if the

United Nations effectively ignores our rights and our non-violent path proves to be unsuccessful,

it will inadvertently support the path of violence for peoples around the world.

The loss of innocent Tibetan lives continues under the ongoing repressive government of

China while the world watches. Our families in Tibet live in constant fear of losing more than

what has already been pillaged by China. We urge your leadership to stand up for the ordinary

Tibetan people and our right to self-determination and basic human freedom.

Most respectfully yours,