“Time to Act” – “Cycling for Tibet” on the occasion of the 50th year of the Tibetan uprising
20 Tibetans and Tibet supporters cycle from Zurich (Switzerland) to Frankfurt (Germany) Book Fair
Zurich, October 7th, 2009: On Oct 14th, 2009 the Tibet petition „Time to act“ will be handed over to the Chinese Consulate in Frankfurt by Tibet organizations and support groups. The bikers will arrive in Frankfurt coming from Zurich, Switzerland with stopovers in several German cities. A peaceful rally in front of the Frankfurt Book Fair is organized to call the attention to the enduring repression in Tibet.
On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising in Lhasa, the European – wide Tibet-Petition “Time to Act” was launched in Berne on March 10th, 2009. Tibet organizations and support groups demand from the Chinese government in Beijing to respect to the fundamental human rights in Tibet, to grant access to the Tibetan territories to foreign journalists and to contribute constructively to a peaceful solution on the Tibet issue. A number of Swiss members of parliament from diverse parties were the first to sign the petition in Berne. Up to now more than 20’000 people have signed the document.
In Frankfurt China is guest of honor– In Tibet China is oppressor
This year the Frankfurt Book Fair organization (Oct 14th -18th, 2009) declared China as guest of honor. For this reason the European Tibet organizations and support groups decided to combine the handover of the Tibet petition “Time to Act” with a peaceful rally at the Frankfurt Book Fair. They will point out the enduring cultural repression in Tibet in particular the censorship, restriction of freedom of opinion, restriction of freedom of press and the chastening of the Tibetan language in schools and out of public life by the Chinese government.
It is not the intention of the demonstrators to protest against the Chinese writers at the Book Fair. With this campaign they will raise the attention specifically to the situation of Tibetan writers in Tibet. The Chinese government has refused their right for freedom of speech. With the invitation to a Chinese dissident to speak at our rally in Frankfurt, we strengthen our effort to catch a broader attention and to be heard not only as worried Tibetans but as unified peace-seeking individuals.
„Cycling for Tibet“
The initiative was born when the European Tibet organizations had their gathering in February 2009 in Barcelona, Spain. After several preparatory meetings, the „Cycling for Tibet“ tour finally kicks-off from Zurich to Frankfurt (Oct 10th– 14th, 2009), where the supporters’ rally takes place in front of the Frankfurt Book Fair. Thehandover of the Tibet petition is planned at the Chinese Consulate. During the cycling tour and with stops in Zurich, Basel, Freiburg, Offenburg, Karlsruhe, Darmstadt and Frankfurt, the European Tibet organizations and the support groups aim to inform the Swiss and German citizens about the current human rights situation in Tibet.
The Swiss Tibetan organizations did the whole planning of the campaign and the surrounding activities in close co-operation with TID and VTD. This campaign is supported by different Tibet organizations and support groups from Europe: Tibetan Community in Switzerland & Liechtenstein, (TCSL), Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association (GSTF), Tibetan Youth Association in Europe (TYAE), Tibetans Women’s Organization in Switzerland (TWOS), Tibet Initiative Deutschland e.V. (TID), Students for a free Tibet (SFT), Verein der Tibeter in Deutschland e.V. (VTD), Save Tibet, Austrian Society to support Tibetan people.
For further details please contact
Mr. Kalsang N. Kangrang, Vice-President TCSL +41(078) 676 81 60
Mrs. Dicky Tethong, Member of Executive Board GSTF+41(078) 744 37 97
