John Ackerly: International Campaign for Tibet

Candle Lights for Human Rights April 8, 2008 United Nations Plaza, San Francisco International Campaign for Tibet is one of the oldest Tibet Support Groups in the world, and has advocated for the Tibetan struggle for human rights and justice for more than 20 years. The organization has strongly pushed for dialogue between the Dalai Lama and representatives of the Chinese Government including the current Prime Minister Hi Jintao for many years. On the contrary, China, still committed to the outdated vision of Chairman Mao who was directly responsible for the deaths of more than 70 million Chinese during the "Great Leap Forward," has refused to begin talks with the Dalai Lama and Tibetan people since China's invasion of Tibet in 1949. For close to sifty years, there has been no solution to the China-Tibet problem. In March 2008, the Chinese government launched a new "crackdown" in Tibet, the worst since 1989 when eight teenage monks made a decision to risk their lives for the future of their country. These young monks, aged between 14-18 years, began shouting "Free Tibet" and held up Tibetan flags in the downtown center of Lhasa, the capital. John Ackerly, the current President of International Campaign for Tibet, was witness to what took place after. His harrowing account of the Chinese military's brutal suppression including imprisonment, torture and killings of these Tibetan youth and people as a whole still rings true today. It is time for China to make amends for past mistakes both in Tibet and also China, and to embrace His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the World Leader not only for the Tibetans, but for people everywhere. He is a true man of peace and awardee of the United State's highest honor the Congressional Gold Medal and also winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize. LINKS International Campaign for Tibet http://www.savetibet,org Students for a Free Tibet http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org Race for Tibet http://www.racefortibet.org

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YouTube | August 5, 2008

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