By Tenzin Choephel
Phayul Correspondent

Kathmandu, April 25 - Lhadon Tethong, the Executive Director of Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) while talking to the Tibetan media in Kathmandu confirmed that four Tibetan independence activists have been detained and interrogated by Chinese soldiers at Everest Base Camp (EBC) in Tibet this morning at around 8AM Chinese time, according to the latest information she received from the EBC; the detained activists are Tenzin Dorjee, male, 27, a Tibetan American and three Americans, Kirsten Westby, female, 29, Shannon Service, female, 31 and Laurel Mec Sutherlin, male, 29, all four from USA. They have been detained and interrogated for demonstrating and unfurling a banner reading "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008" in English, and "Free Tibet" written in Tibetan and Chinese, at EBC, Tibet to protest the proposed taking of Beijing Olympic torch over Mount Everest and through Tibet. Is it not yet known whether these activists have been released after interrogation or taken into custody for further interrogation.

Tenzin Choeying, the National Director of Students for a Free Tibet India while commenting about the protest said that it is the duty of Tibetans to continue their protest for free Tibet, he would also like to send a message to all Tibetans inside and outside of Tibet that young Tibetans have never forgotten their duty to fight for an independent Tibet wherever they live in the world. Earlier in a press release he said that China can expect more protests of this nature in the months leading up to and during the Games.

Lhadon Tethong further added that, “it would be wonderful if stop would stop this torch route and IOC would not approve but the IOC has shown us to date no faith or any confidence that they would do the right thing, by what this young Tibetan American did, we will always keep Tibet in the story that they are people who call for a free Tibet, we must keep the Tibetan issue as a disputed issue and never forget Tibet. If we didn’t do this now then it just becomes Tibet as a part of China; the activist are representatives of thousands of Tibetans and non Tibetans who believes strongly and passionately in the cause of not only Tibetan independence but also human rights and freedom for the Tibetan people and an end to the sufferings of Tibetans; as long as China is in Tibet and continues to treat Tibetans in such horrific ways, there will be more and more and more protests and more people coming to challenge China’s authority in Tibet and so they should treat them (detained activists) well but at the same time they should know that they are not the only ones, the activist have been held and interrogated one by one and we were not sure, we would hope that now they would just kick them out of country, I guess they are still in their custody”.

According to SFT, these activists have been preparing for sometime to do this and they are people who are firmly committed to Tibetan independence and to supporting Tibetan people. Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) is a network of young people and activists campaigning for Tibetan independence, with 650 chapters in more than thirty countries worldwide. SFT is based in New York, with offices in Vancouver, London, and Dharamsala, India. SFT is working to shine the Olympic spotlight on China's occupation of Tibet.

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Click here to watch the protest video.