IMMIDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Alice Speller: 07786 982 222
Karma Chura-Tsang: 07725501995
[LONDON] Tibetans and Tibet supporters will call on Britain not to trade with China until TibetUK this week. Students for a Free Tibet and Tibetan Youth UK will be demonstrating throughout his visit including outside Downing Street is free as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visits the on Wednesday as Wen Jiabao meets the Prime Minister Tony Blair.
It is likely that Wen Jiabao will try to put pressure on the British government to support a lifting of the European Arms Embargo on China. During the recent EU-China summit held in Helsinki he made several public attempts to push the Finnish government into supporting a lifting of the ban.
Speaking on behalf of Tibetan Youth UK Karma Chura-Tsang said, “The British government must not miss this opportunity to push Wen Jiabao on Tibet. Findings of the recent Foreign Affairs Select Committee East Asia Report demonstrate that China is doing little to deal with the ongoing human rights and environmental abuses. With such current evidence in the hands of MPs it would be embarrassing for the government not to demand change in Tibet but to kowtow to Chinese trade demands.”
Alice Speller, National coordinator for Students for a Free Tibet UK added “Students and young people must demand change from our government on Tibet. Tibet has been ignored or pushed to the sidelines for too long. It is time we took a stand in support of a non-violent movement. Blair must not support the removal of the EU arms embargo and must realize that increased trade with China comes at a cost, Tibetan freedom.”
SFT UK is part of the international organization Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), with Headquarters in New York and offices in Vancouver, Canada and Dharamsala, India, seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile. Through education, grassroots organizing, and non-violent direct action, SFT campaigns for Tibetans fundamental right to political freedom.
# posted by Tibetan Youth UK @ 10:53 am
