Tibetan Community in Britain

Hu Jintao – the ‘Tyrant of Tibet' should be arrested, say British Tibetans

Tony Blair: "People are perfectly entitled to wear Free Tibet T-shirts"

Tibetans in the UK dream of President Hu one day being arrested for his crimes in Tibet. In 1989, Hu Jintao declared Martial Law on Tibetans, in response to a peaceful protest in Lhasa, Tibet's capital. As Party Secretary in Tibet, Hu Jintao was responsible for the deaths and torture of hundreds of Tibetans.

“He is responsible for the murder of our families, our friends, the relatives we never saw, and now will never meet. He should be arrested and tried fo r his crimes, and yet he is drinking wine with the Queen and Tony Blair. He is the tyrant of Tibet, and the world serenades him with business deals,” says Dalha Tsering of the Tibetan Community in Britain. “Hu still has the blood of my countrymen on his hands, and yet world politicians seem unwilling to seek justice on our behalf.”

As the EU and G8 President, Tony Blair has considerable gravitas, which will enable him to push forward the current negotiations between representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials. Tony Blair has a golden opportunity to raise the issue in the meeting on 9th November between himself and Hu Jintao. The silence of the British government regarding the Tibet issue is a dark shadow over what has been a vocal foreign policy for peace.

“As a British Tibetan, I feel that Tony Blair has under the premise of an ethical foreign policy, promoted himself as a world peacemaker. Over 1 in 6 Tibetans died as a direct result of Chinese occupation, and the terrible abuse of Tibetans continues. Yet Tony Blair won't say a word in public about Tibet,” Dalha Tsering continues.

Despite the painful memories of recent Tibetan history, we need to urgently safeguard the survival of the Tibetan people and our culture. During this visit, we Tibetans in Britain demand that Prime Minister Tony Blair publicly supports direct negotiations between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and President Hu Jintao of China.

Tony Blair must urge Hu Jintao to meet the Dalai Lama personally, in order to resolve the 55 -year occupation of Tibet.

During this State Visit, Tony Blair must make a public statement of concern about Tibet, preferably in Hu Jintao's presence, such as during a joint press conference.

Tony Blair, members of his government and opposition leaders must raise with Hu Jintao and his delegation the cases of the following detained Tibetans;

- Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the young 11th Panchen Lama, missing with his family for more than a decade. British leaders must press for independent access to the Panchen Lama and his family, which China has consistently refused.

- Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche, sentenced to death in December 2002 for alleged involvement in 'splittist activity' and 'causing explosions'. This sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in January 2005. Foreign governments and the EU have expressed serious concerns about the handling of this case and torture was allegedly involved in securing a conviction. British leaders must call for the case to be reopened and for allegations of torture to be investigated.

· Tony Blair, members of his government and opposition leaders must raise with Hu Jintao and his delegation the need to take urgent steps towards freedom of the media, which has yet to improve despite the promises made in 2001 by the Beijing 2008 Olympic bid Committee. The UK Government should further commit to a special initiative, in tandem to its planned cultural exchanges that will secure a negotiated settlement for Tibet and improve human rights in China before the Beijing Games of 2008.

· Business leaders must ensure that all future business deals with China adhere to an agreed code of corporate principles, including protecting individuals who are exercising freedom of speech in China.

· Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Home Secretary Charles Clarke should make a joint statement, making it clear that it is Government policy to facilitate peaceful protest during the State Visit and that no attempts will be made to shield the Chinese President from such protests. Metropolitan Police sources have indicated to campaigners that information about the State Visit has been difficult to obtain due to the high sensitivity of the visit.