April 22 – More than 150 Tibet groups worldwide have signed a letter sent today to Coca-Cola stating that the key Olympics sponsor will be complicit in a humanitarian disaster in Tibet unless it uses its undoubted influence to force the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to drop Tibet from the Olympic Torch Relay.
The groups justify their concerns that a humanitarian disaster will unfold as the torch passes through Tibet by citing a statement made by Jampa Phuntsog, governor of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, on April 9. In his statement Phuntsog confirmed he expected Tibetans to protest and warned ominously, “We will without doubt, deal with these persons severely….we will not be merciful.”
The letter, a full version of which appears below, highlights that ‘”there is a direct, tangible link between the ongoing repression in Tibet and the coming of the Olympic Flame.” It goes on to highlight a leaked IOC memo which makes it clear that the IOC is fully aware that deaths may occur along the route of the torch. The memo advises its officials to respond to news of deaths simply by expressing “deepest sympathies or condolences”.
Matt Whitticase of Free Tibet Campaign, one of the groups to have signed the letter said, “Either the IOC and Olympics sponsors want to avert bloodshed or they don’t. It is in their power to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. If they insist the torch goes through Tibet they will only have themselves to blame when the Olympic Torch ends up drenched in Tibetan blood and their offices become the focus of a summer of protest.”
Full text of the letter sent to Coca-Cola today by the International Tibet Support Network on behalf of 153 Tibet Support Groups.
Dear Mr Isdell,
Thank you for your letter of April 2. I am replying on behalf of the 153 Member organizations of the International Tibet Support Movement.
Whilst your statement of concern with regard to the situation in Tibet is welcome, we feel that such concern must now be backed up with strong and immediate action on the part of Coca-Cola in order to avoid being publicly complicit in the humanitarian disaster that is likely to unfold in Tibet when the torch passes through in May (Everest) and June. To our dismay, the International Olympic Committee has so far failed to act to prevent China taking the torch through Tibet, so it is now urgent that you use your influence as a key Olympic Sponsor to avert disaster.
Please understand that there is a direct, tangible link between the ongoing repression in Tibet and the coming of the Olympic Flame, as Chinese authorities clear a path for the Torch Relay, employing the harshest of means. China’s parading of the torch through Tibet is extremely likely to provoke protests by Tibetans whose feelings have been inflamed by recent violent crackdowns by the Chinese authorities on Tibetan protesters. The torch relay is routed through the towns of Xining and Lanzhou, both of which are close to the very areas which have seen protests and crackdowns recently such as at Rebkong (Ch: Tongren) and where Tibetans are most likely to protest again. Tibetans also deeply resent the way in which China is mis-using the torch for nationalistic self-promotion.
Jampa Phuntsog (Chinese: Qiangpa Puncog), the governor of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), has admitted that China expects protests from Tibetans. In a press conference on 9 April he said: “I don’t doubt they will create trouble during the torch relay in Tibet”. Ominously, the governor went on to say “We will without doubt deal with these persons severely…we will not be merciful.”
The Chinese authorities have shown they will use violent and lethal force to put down such protests. The international media widely reported Chinese paramilitary forces firing into crowds of peacefully protesting Tibetans and killing more than 10 Tibetans in Kardze town on 3 April. Overall, the authorities have now confirmed that at least 4,000 Tibetans have been detained. Tibet supporters understand that well over 100 have died.
On 19 April, Nepalese officials reported that soldiers and police have been authorized to shoot to stop any protests that might occur on the Nepali side of Mt. Everest when the torch ascent occurs. If Nepalese soldiers are licensed to use deadly force on people protesting China’s Olympic Torch, Chinese soldiers will presumably have received orders at least as extreme. Meanwhile, a leaked memo from the International Olympic Committee makes it clear that the IOC knows that deaths may occur because of protests along the torch route within China (including Tibet), but advises officials to respond simply by expressing “deepest sympathies or condolences”.
This failure by the IOC to act to prevent deaths, but merely to express condolences, is unacceptable.
Your letter of April 2 states that Coca-Cola is ‘the longest-standing sponsor of the Olympic Movement’. The undersigned groups are in no doubt, therefore, that Coca-Cola has huge influence upon the IOC and can use such influence to persuade the IOC to have Tibet removed from the Torch Relay.
We call upon Coca-Cola to use its influence to force the IOC to rescind its permission for the Olympic Torch to pass through Tibet. Failure to do so, provoking inevitable Tibetan protests and a violent crackdown by the Chinese authorities, will establish direct linkage between the Olympic Torch and further bloodshed in Tibet. In such circumstances the IOC and the Olympic Torch Relay sponsors would have Tibetan blood on their hands. Such a scenario would do untold harm to Coca-Cola’s brand and reputation and would lead to global protests outside Coca-Cola’s offices by exiled Tibetans and Tibet supporters.
We believe, therefore, that for both ethical and commercial reasons, Coca-Cola must bring its undoubted influence to bear upon the IOC to remove Tibet from the Torch Relay and, in so doing, prevent a further humanitarian disaster in Tibet.
North America:
Association Cognizance Tibet, North Carolina
Bay Area Friends of Tibet
Boston Tibet Network
Canada Tibet Committee
China Tibet Initiative
Colorado Friends of Tibet
Committee of 100 for Tibet
International Campaign for Tibet
International Tibet Independence Movement
Los Angeles Friends of Tibet
Monadnock Friends of Tibet
Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association
Pasadena Friends of Tibet
Rangzen Alliance
San Diego Friends of Tibet
Santa Barbara Friends of Tibet
Sierra Friends of Tibet
Students for a Free Tibet
Students for a Free Tibet – Canada
The World Tibet Day Foundation
The Tibetan Alliance of Chicago
Tibet Committee of Fairbanks
Tibet Justice Center (formerly ICLT)
Tibetan American Resource Alliance
Tibetan Association of Northern California
Tibetan Association of Southern California
Tibetan Association of Santa Fe
Tibetan Cultural Association – Quebec
TIBETmichigan
Tibetech.org
Toronto Tibetan Youth Congress
U.S. Tibet Committee
Western Colorado Friends of Tibet
Central & South America:
Amigos de Tibet, Chile
Asociacion Cultural Peruano Tibetana
Casa Tibet Mexico
Comite Brasileiro DE Apoio Ao Tibet
Fundacion Pro Tibet – Buenos Aires, Argentina
Grupo De Apoyo a Tibet Chile
Pensando en Tibet Mexico
Tíbet Patria Libre, Uruguay
Salvadoran Friends of Tibet, El Salvador
Tibet Independiente, Chile
Tibetan-Costarican Cultural Association
Western Europe:
Aide aux Refugies Tibetains
Amici del Tibet-Friends of Tibet Italy
Association Dorje
Association Drôme Ardèche-Tibet
Association Jamtse Thundel (France)
Association of Tibetans in Germany
Association Rangzen
Associazione Italia-Tibet
Austrian Committee for Tibet
Autodetermination Tibet, France
Briancon05 Urgence Tibet
C.S.P.T. Midi-Pyrenees Rencontres Tibetaines
Caisse d’Aide aux Prisonniers Tibetains
Casa del Tibet – Spain
Comite de Apoyo al Tibet (Madrid)
Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain (CSPT)
Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain (Switzerland)
Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain Bretagne
Comite de Soutien au Peuple Tibetain de l’Herault
EcoTibet Ireland
Eco-Tibet France
Ewam Centre, Italy
France-Tibet
Free Tibet Campaign
Games of Beijing, Switzerland
Groupe Non-Violent Louis Lecoin, France
International Campaign for Tibet Deutschland
International Campaign for Tibet Europe
International Society of Human Rights, Munich Chapter
La Porte du Tibet, Geneva
Tibet Support Group Belgium – Les Amis du Tibet – Vrienden van Tibet
Les Amis du Tibet Luxembourg
Lions Des Neiges
Lions Des Neiges Mont Blance, France
Maison des Himalayas
Maison du Tibet – Tibet Info
Nos Amis de l’Himalaya
Objectif Tibet
Passeport Tibetain
Reseau International des Femmes pour le Tibet
Rhone Tibet
Save Tibet, Austria
Society for Threatened Peoples International (Associate Member)
Solidarite Tibet
Students for a Free Tibet France
Swiss-Tibetan Friendship Association
Tibet 59 / 62
Tibet Democratie
Tibet Initiative Deutschland
Tibet Libertes, France
Tibet Society, U.K.
Tibet Songtsen House, Switzerland
Tibet Support Group – Ireland
Tibet Support Group – Netherlands
Tibet Unterstutzung Liechtenstein
Tibetan Community Austria
Tibetan Community in Britain
Tibetan Women’s Association Switzerland
Tibetan Youth Association in Europe
Tibetisches Zentrum Hamburg
TSG Free Tibet And You
Tsowa-Maintenir la Vie, France
Urgence Tibet
Vercors Tibet Resistances
Northern Europe:
Friends of Tibet in Finland
The Norwegian Tibet Committee
Swedish Tibet Committee
Tibet Support Committee Denmark
Tibetan Community in Denmark
Tibetan Community Sweden
Central & Eastern Europe:
Friends of Tibet Society St. Petersburg, Russia
Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights – Tibet Desk (Associate Member)
Polish Movement for a Free Tibet
Tibetan Programme, Poland
Society for Croatia-Tibet Friendship
The Foundation for Civil Society, Russia (Associate Member)
Lithuanian Tibet Culture Foundation
Tibet Support Association – Hungary
Tibet Support Group – Krasnodar Region, Russia
Tibet Support Group – Romania
Tibet Support Group – Slovenia
Tibet Support Group – Sochi Region, Russia
Tibetan Programme – The Other Space Foundation (Associate Member)
Zida Cels, Latvia
Asia:
All India Students Forum for Free Tibet
Bharrat Tibbat Sahyog Manch, India
Foundation for Universal Responsibility of H. H. the Dalai Lama
Friedrich-Naumann Foundation (Associate Member)
Friends for Tibet and Tibetans – Delhi
Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet
Himalayan Committee for Action on Tibet
India Tibet Friendship Society
India Society for Tibetan Community
Mahatma Gandhi Tibet Freedom Movement, India
National Campaign for Tibetan Support, India
Roof of the World Foundation, Indonesia
Tibet Lives, India
Tibet Solidarity Forum, Bangladesh
Tibet Support Group Kiku, Japan
Tibet Support Network Japan (TSNJ)
Tibetan Parliamentary and Policy Research Centre (TPPRC) Delhi
Tibetan Women’s Association (Central)
Tibetan Youth Congress
Australasia:
Australia Tibet Council
Friends of Tibet New Zealand
Students for a Free Tibet New Zealand
Tibetan Community of Australia (Victoria)
Africa & the Middle East:
Israeli Friends of the Tibetan People
Tibet Support Group Kenya
