TIBET UPDATE

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Dear Söpa,

I recently wrote about the difficult situation Tibetan refugees are facing now. As this year draws to a close, I hope we can count on your help because so many are counting on us.

Tibetans at Risk We are witnessing one of the most dangerous times for Tibetans in decades.  Even the basic cultural identity of Tibetans is coming under attack. In recent months:

• Tibetans have been excluded from the reconstruction process following the Kyegundo earthquake in April.  There are growing fears that many families in the area will not survive the winter.
  
  
• Nepal recently facilitated the hunt of Tibetan refugees by Chinese armed police.  In a separate incident, three Tibetan refugees were handed over to Chinese border police - the first public incident of forced repatriation from Nepal in seven years.
  
  
• China has announced plans to restrict Tibetan language in schools, requiring all students to transition from being taught in their mother tongue to being taught in Chinese.
  
  
• The founder of an influential literary website dedicated to protecting Tibetan culture was sentenced to 15 years in prison on trumped up charges of "disclosing state secrets."

The freedoms and very lives of Tibetans are on the line and our work as advocates is more critical than ever. 

Action Needed Now

ICT is working hard to support and assist the Tibetan people as they struggle for their basic rights and freedoms.  But simply put, we need the help of all our supporters at this time of year to:

Protect Tibetan refugees. We must be prepared to launch advocacy and public information campaigns when refugees are threatened.  And we must help direct aid for the rehabilitation of Tibetan refugee settlements.  

Advocate for the release of political prisoners. We must galvanize the international citizens' movement for Tibet to gain the release of political prisoners. 

Increase international cooperation on Tibet. We must work through our Washington, DC, Amsterdam, Berlin and Brussels offices to build coordinated, international advocacy on behalf of the Tibetan people.

Tell the world what's happening in Tibet. We must capture accurate on-the-ground accounts and keep international media attention focused on Tibet through our research and communication efforts.

Our efforts are ambitious, but we cannot strive for less when so many Tibetans are at risk. And we can't do any of it without your help.

Please respond today with a generous, tax-deductible contribution to help us battle the forces that endanger Tibetans and Tibetan refugees, and to help secure humanitarian assistance for their immediate needs this winter.

And if you are able to make a gift of $100 or more, I'll also send you ICT's 2011 "Tibet: A Treasured Land" wall calendar as an additional thank you for your commitment to Tibet and the Tibetan people.

In thanks for your generosity and with best wishes for the new year,

Mary Beth Markey
President