The Chinese government's long arm of oppression has extended to Bangladesh.

The Chinese government's long arm of oppression has extended to Bangladesh.

Friends and supporters of Tibet in Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, are facing harassment from the Bangladeshi police due to pressure from Chinese diplomats.

Earlier this month, Students for a Free Tibet Bangladesh, in partnership with DRIK Bangladesh, organized an exhibit in Dhaka titled, Into Exile: Tibet 1949 - 2009. An hour before the opening of the exhibit, riot police sealed off the venue and stopped the public from entering the gallery. Read more about the event on SFT's Blog

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In the following days, Bangladesh's Special Branch Police continued to harass family members of the exhibit organizers including Wasfia Nazreen, a dedicated friend of Tibet. This amounts to a direct violation of the democratic rights of Bangladeshi citizens to peacefully express their opinions.

TAKE ACTION! Send a message to Dr. Dipu Moni

, Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, urging her to support Bangladeshi citizens' right to peaceful expression and SFT Bangladesh's right to organize.

1. Send her a letter by email at dr.dipumoni@gmail.com. See below for a sample letter.

2. Post a comment on Dr. Dipu Moni's homepage (Dr. Moni is the former Secretary for Women’s Affairs of the Bangladesh Awami League): http://dipumoni.com/comment.php

3. Phone and lodge a complaint with her office:
+8802-956-2852 or +8802-955-0220

4. Spread the word about SFT Bangladesh's efforts through Facebook, Twitter, and other social media tools by linking this article: http://blog.studentsforafreetibet.org/?p=3593

Thank you for taking action.

In solidarity,

Tendor, Kate, Lhadon, Schuyler, Tendolkar, Sonam, and the SFT HQ Crew
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Sample letter to Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, Dr. Dipu Moni:

Dear Dr. Moni,

I was disturbed by your government's crackdown on peaceful supporters of Tibet as a result of pressure from the Chinese embassy in Dhaka.

I urge you not to let Beijing dictate the policies of the Bangladeshi government when it comes to upholding the freedom of speech of its citizens. Even if your government adheres to the "one-China policy," censoring the rights of individuals to freely express their opinions poses a threat to democracy.

Please allow Bangladeshi citizens to exercise their freedom of speech to support human rights in Tibet.

Sincerely,