Take Action: Tell your Congressional Representative to Support Tibet!

In Lhasa, the Chinese authorities have issued a notice to Tibetans who have taken part in demonstrations to give themselves up by midnight on Monday, March 17th. Not waiting for the deadline however, armed Chinese police have been conducting house-to-house searches and making arbitrary arrests. There is no reliable estimate of the number of detentions but reports suggest wide-scale raids and arrests across Lhasa. A curfew is now in place in Lhasa and the city is completely sealed off.

China's brutal clampdown on Tibetans continues as protests have spread throughout the country.

Please take immediate action by sending the letter below to your congressional representative urging him/her to speak out in support of Tibetans inside Tibet.

Dear [ Decision Maker ],


(Edit Letter Below)

As protests spread throughout Tibet, I am gravely concerned about China's continued brutal repression of Tibetans.

The Chinese authorities in Lhasa have threatened an increased crackdown after midnight Monday (12 noon EST) and according to Chinese state-run media, "Those who harbor or hide criminal elements shall be punished severely according to law upon completion of investigations."

Already, armed Chinese police have been conducting house-to-house searches and making arbitrary arrests. There is no reliable estimate of the number of detentions but reports suggest wide-scale raids and arrests across Lhasa. According to eyewitness reports received by the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy, "mothers and elderlies in the families helplessly plea at security forces upon seeing their sons and loved ones being beaten and dragged away."

Please, I am urging you to speak up for Tibet:

1) The U.S. should speak out forcefully against China's brutal crackdown in Tibet.

2) The U.S. government should strongly support the Dalai Lama's call for a United Nations team of investigators to go to Tibet as soon as possible.

3) The U.S. should do everything in its capacity to urge China to withdraw military and security forces, release those detained, and allow peaceful protest. China must halt house-to-house searches; and authorities must refrain from any further arrests of Tibetan protesters even after its so-called surrender deadline has passed on Monday at midnight. China must immediately allow foreign journalists back into all Tibetan areas (Tibetan Autonomous Region as well as the Tibetan areas of Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan).

For five decades, the Tibetan people have suffered greatly under China's brutal rule. The Chinese government has swamped Tibet with Chinese settlers, poured money into mega-infrastructure projects like the railway that solidify its control, and ruthlessly attacked Tibetan culture and religion. As the Olympics approach and the world's eyes turn to Beijing, this outpouring of frustration is the natural consequence of China's ongoing repression in Tibet.

Please speak out now to help ensure that further violence against Tibetans is stopped.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address