Bay Area Friends of Tibet

No Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

bafot — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 22:53:15 +0000

No Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

03/30/2021

Files:

Press release for No Beijing Olympics campaign.

March 10 2018

bafot — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 20:22:51 +0000

Date:

Saturday, March 10, 2018 - 8:00am to 8:00pm

Location:

Berkeley and San Francisco

Contacts: Tenzing Dolma 510-254-1420 (Students for a Free Tibet)

Tenzin Dolma 510-502-1180 (SF Tibetan Youth Congress)

Giovanni Vassallo 415-706-3507 (Bay Area Friends of Tibet)

San Francisco Team Tibet

Joins Global Commemoration of Tibetan National Uprising

WHAT: On March 10, 2018 hundreds of Tibetans and Tibet supporters in the San Francisco Bay Area will join thousands of people around the world in the annual global commemoration of the 59th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising.

WHEN/WHERE:

8:30 AM Berkeley City Hall 2180 Milvia St., Berkeley

10:00 AM San Francisco City Hall 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco

12:00 PM March to Chinese Consulate

1 PM Chinese Consulate 1450 Laguna St., San Francisco

2:15 PM March from Consulate to SF Downtown, to Union Square, SF

5:00 PM Union Square Speeches, Performances, Concert

WHY? It is 59 years since hundreds of thousands of Tibetans rose up and demanded an end to China’s illegal invasion and occupation of their country. China’s use of extreme force to quell these protests compelled His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama to escape to India, where he has lived in exile ever since. Today, China is stepping up its efforts to punish Tibetans in Tibet for expressing loyalty to His Holiness the Dalai Lama - a devotion that has not wavered despite the half century that has passed.

The human rights situation in Tibet has declined dramatically in recent years with the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, religion, and privacy highly restricted. Since the Chinese occupation in 1959, more than one million Tibetans have been killed. To fly a Tibetan flag, send an email abroad, or say the phrase "human rights," is cause for imprisonment and torture. 99% of all Tibetan monasteries have been closed. Media is greatly restricted and near 150 Tibetans burned themselves alive since 2009 to protest conditions in Tibet under Chinese government rule.

This March 10, tens of thousands of Tibetans and Tibet supporters will be taking to the streets across the globe.

BACKGROUND: San Francisco Team Tibet consists of Tibetan Association of Northern California (tanc.org), Bay Area Friends of Tibet (friends-of-tibet.org), San Francisco Regional Youth Congress (sfrtyc.org), Students for a Free Tibet – West (https://www.facebook.com/SFTWest/)

Press RELEASE 2018 final.pdf

Events

Dui Hua Welcomes Arrival of Dhondup Wangchen in the United States

bafot — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 17:45:57 +0000

Dui Hua Foundation

12/28/2017

SAN FRANCISCO (December 27, 2017) – Tibetan independent filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen arrived at San Francisco International Airport on Christmas Day, 2017. He has been reunited with his family after having been separated for more than ten years during which he was held incommunicado, detained, imprisoned, and subjected to deprivation of political rights in the People’s Republic of China. He conveys his thanks to the governments, organizations, and individuals who made this day possible.

Dhondup Wangchen and Golog Jigme Gyatso made a documentary – Leaving Fear Behind – based on interviews with Tibetans in China between 2007 and 2008. Dhondup Wangchen, now 43 years old, was taken into custody in March 2008 and formally detained in June the same year. He was convicted of inciting splittism and sentenced to six years imprisonment and three years’ subsequent deprivation of political rights by the Xining Intermediate People’s Court in Qinghai Province on December 11, 2009. He began serving his sentence in Xining Prison in 2010.

In response to his faltering health, and due to international concern, the prison authorities in Qinghai Province transferred Dhondup Wangchen from Xining Prison to Qinghai Provincial Women’s Prison in late 2012. He received better treatment there, and his health gradually improved.

Dhondup Wangchen was released from Qinghai Provincial Women’s Prison on June 5, 2014. He returned to his home village in Gansu Province where he served his three-year sentence of deprivation of political rights. That sentence expired on June 4, 2017.

“Although many people, organizations, and governments worked hard to bring about Dhondup Wangchen’s release and safe journey to the United States,” remarked John Kamm, executive director of Dui Hua, “the person who worked hardest and deserves the most credit for this happy development is his wife Lhamo Tso. While raising the couple’s four children and grappling with health issues of her own, Lhamo Tso worked tirelessly to free her husband and bring him home to her and their children. Dui Hua salutes her, and joins people around the world in rejoicing at the news of Dhondup Wangchen’s arrival in the United States.”

For questions, please contact John Kamm at jkamm@duihua.org or at 415-986-0536.

Tibetans and supporters from all over US headed to DC to protest Xi Jinping’s Visit

bafot — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 06:20:50 +0000

Protesters call on Obama to publicly raise Tibet with Xi

San Francisco Team Tibet* plans protest at SF Chinese Consulate

(San Francisco) Chinese President Xi Jinping is making his first ever state visit to the White House to meet President Obama. This comes at a time when at least 143 Tibetans inside Tibet have self immolated as a means of protest against Xi’s government, calling for freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. And just recently, on July 12 one of the most high profile Tibetan political prisoners, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, mysteriously died in Chinese prison after 13 years of torture for a crime he did not commit.

Tibetans and supporters from all over the United States will rally to call on President Obama to turn up the volume and publicly speak out on Tibet when he meets Xi Jinping - to let Obama know that the United States’ decades of ‘quiet diplomacy’ approach in promoting rights and freedom in Tibet and China have failed. Protests are scheduled in Washington DC and San Francisco.

Washington DC:

Who: Tibetans and supporters from all over US, including DC, Boston, NYC, San Francisco and Minnesota will protest in front of the White House calling on President Obama to publicly raise Tibet during his meeting with Xi Jinping

Where: Dupont Circle & President’s Park

When: Friday, September 25

Time: 10 AM -11 AM: March from Dupont Circle to President’s Park; 11 AM – 8 PM: Protest at President’s park, including guest speakers from 2 PM-4 PM as part of the “Xi: Free Tibet Now!”

China: Human #Rights365 = Human Rights for All

bafot — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 01:01:35 +0000

Press Advisory:

Sonamtso Lama 510-816-0600

Giovanni Vassallo 415-264-3264 giovanni@friends-of-tibet.org

For Immediate Release: 8 December 2014

China: Human #Rights365 = Human Rights for All

Solidarity for Tibetans, Uyghurs, Southern Mongolians, Chinese

and Hong Kong People

(San Francisco, California)

WHAT: On 10 December 2014, Human Rights Day, Tibetans across the world will join Uyghur, Southern Mongolians, Chinese and Hong Kong friends to demand the rights and freedom of our people who are collectively oppressed by China's dictatorship. We will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and pay tribute to his fellow laureate Liu Xiaobo, who remains incarcerated in a Chinese prison.

WHY? As tensions rise in Hong Kong and harsh sentences are handed out to individuals across the region who promote democracy or continue to resist China’s rule, we celebrate the solidarity between our movements and our shared efforts to challenge China. We embrace the theme Human Rights 365, meaning Human Rights for everyone, everyday, and call on like-minded governments to help make this vision a reality, by engaging in coordinated diplomatic action that will press China for urgent changes to its policies on dissent.

WHEN: 10 AM – 12 PM 10 December 2014

WHERE: 1450 Laguna Street @ Geary Blvd.

Outside Consulate of the People’s Republic of China

Protests are being staged in cities across India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Europe, and the USA

For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1572034029695046/?notif_t=plan_user_joined

###

Giovanni Vassallo

President | Bay Area Friends of Tibet

Bay Area Friends of Tibet was founded in 1983 to study, promote interest in and actively preserve Tibetan culture in all its aspects: educate the general public in matters pertaining to Tibet and the Tibetan people; and provide assistance to Tibetans.

Humanitarian China note of thanks for Friends of Tibet solidarity on Tiananmen 25th anniversary

bafot — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 17:44:15 +0000

Dear Friends,

I wanted to share this letter I received from our friend, George Ge, President of Humanitarian China in the hopes that you, too, will be excited and join us in shared purpose and endeavors in the coming months. The presence of Bay Area Tibetans and friends of Tibet at the 6/3 event at San Francisco's Chinatown's Portsmouth Square was appreciated and applauded by many Chinese humanitarians and democracy advocates who attended. It is exciting to celebrate this special friendship between Chinese and Tibetan people's as inspired by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.

I've also shared my speech at Portsmouth Square on the Tiananmen Massacre's 25th Anniversary. I hope it inspires you to do what you can do help freedom, democracy, and justice along in China and occupied-Tibet.

Also, please chip in and help if you can. Check out Bay Area Friends of Tibet's long-time project on Chinese Outreach at: http://friends-of-tibet.org/projects/chinese-outreach and make a donation today at http://friends-of-tibet.org/donation

Sincerely,

Giovanni

-----------------------

George Ge
President of Humanitarian China

Giovanni Vasallo
(president) Friends of Tibet

June 9th, 2014

Dear Giovanni Vasallo,

We highly appreciate your speech on June 3rd, 2014 in San Francisco. A quarter century passed since June 4th, 1989, during that dark night, Chinese troops opened fire on innocent civilians and peaceful students. It was a large scale Human Rights violation. Since then, Human Rights situation in China has become worse and worse.

Thus, we need to work together, not only to commemorate those lost their life, but also to protest Chinese government's ugly behavior.

Safeguarding Human Rights in China is the goal of Humanitarian China. We share this common purpose.

On behalf of Humanitarian China, I send this appreciation letter. Thank you for showing solidarity with us.

Sincerely,

George Ge

--------

Speech to Chinese and Tibetan Friends on 6/4 25th Anniversary

Dear Friends,

Thank you for all coming here today and for the invitation to speak. On behalf of the Bay Area Friends of Tibet, I express solidarity with the Chinese people on this 25th anniversary of the June 4 massacre in Beijing. We mourn for all those who died and pray for those who died for freedom, democracy and human rights.

Please let me offer this prayer for the people of China and Tibet.

(recited prayers invoking the Buddha of the Three Times and Call for Enlighten Mother-Loving Kindness Mind)

The Chinese government claim that their PLA army soldiers became the guardians of the public, and the military crackdown was justified as one that was necessary for stability and prosperity and that the student uprisings was also against a Western conspiracy to divide and weaken China," there is a sense that China is being victimized by the West." They use the same lies to justify their occupation of Tibet. So Tibetans are used to the upside down claims of the government.

I believe in the genuine reality about 6/4 is as the Dalai Lama has said previously:

The students involved in the Tiananmen Square movement were neither anti-communist nor anti-socialist. Their speaking out in defense of the Chinese people's constitutional rights, in favor of democracy, and taking a stand against corruption, truly conformed to the underlying beliefs of the Chinese Communist government. This was confidently stated by the then Party chief Zhao Ziyang.

Today we stand in solidarity with the popular demand for the government to be more accountable to its people, less corruption, for the freedom of the press, for freedom of speech, and four the restoration of workers' control over industry.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama said on today's anniversary that:

These values of freedom, democracy and human rights are the foundation of a free and dynamic society. “They are also the source of true peace and stability. While great progress has been made to integrate China into the world economy, I believe it is equally important to encourage China to enter the mainstream of global democracy. This will help China to gain the trust and respect of the rest of the world, enabling China to fulfill its potential in playing a leading role in global affairs.”

Today, we honor our fore-fathers and mothers and their vision, courage, and determination. We must never forget the Chinese people defiantly-enduring. Today is to honor China and the sacrifices made in 1989 by our elders and community and recommit ourselves to take any steps, leave no stone unturned in search of peace and justice.

We bow our heads and pay respects to these and all our 6/4 martyrs and all the human rights victims of the Chinese Communist Party, offer thanks and tribute to all these Chinese. We pray for genuine social, religious, political, and cultural freedoms and a China that honors everyone human rights highly and equally. We stand in solidarity and pray for the Tiananmen Mothers and call for the Chinese government to heed their demands.

We are not called to sacrifice as extraordinarily as our 6/4 heroes, but to do our own many small parts for peace, to perform numerous ordinary acts of peace for China with great love and never forget, to work incessantly to free the Tibetan and Chinese people, and remove a terrible blight on the world’s conscience and bring China back as a respectable partner on the world stage.

Thankfully we are not dead like some of our heroes. We are not cowards. We feel the pain of our elders and still resist the corruption of government leaders. We must protect the blessings that are meant for us all to enjoy life, liberty and the genuine pursuit of their happiness.

On June 4 We Remember, memorialize and we Press On! We Show we Remember and we Carry On! We Always Remember and keep Going! With remembrance in hearts and vision, courage and determination we will make a Free Tibet and a Free China.

As His Holiness the Dalai Lama, said, Never Give Up!

June 4 means we keep the Dream of liberty, equality and justice for all, Alive.

Free Tibet & Free China!

-------------------------------------------------

Portsmouth Square, June 3, 2014

by Giovanni Vassallo on behalf of the Bay Area Friends of Tibet

Again, please help and join us!

See make a donation today at http://friends-of-tibet.org/donation and http://www.friends-of-tibet.org/join-us

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Giovanni Vassallo

President | Bay Area Friends of Tibet

Dhondup Wangchen released, thanks supporters

bafot — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 06:36:51 +0000

Phayul[Thursday, June 05, 2014 16:15]

DHARAMSHALA, JUNE 5: The jailed Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen has been released this morning after serving six years’ imprisonment sentence, said Gyaljong Tsetrin, Dhondup’s cousin who lives in Switzerland.

He was driven by the police to Khotse, (about two hours drive away from Xining) where he reached his sister's home around 15.00hrs local time.

A very emotional Dhondup Wangchen said in a phone conversation with Gyaljong: "At this moment, I feel that everything inside me is in a sea of tears. I hope to recover my health soon. I would like to express my feeling of deepest gratitude for all the support I received while in prison and I want to be reunited with my family."

Lhamo Tso, wife of the imprisoned filmmaker who was granted US asylum in 2012 and now lives in San Francisco, is overjoyed. “Six years of injustice and painful counting the days ended today. It is a day of unbelievable joy for his parents in Dharamsala, our children and myself. We look forward to be reunited as a family," said Lhamo.

Bay Area Friends of Tibet extends congratulations to Dhondup Wangchen for his release as well as his endurance, courage, and determination. We look forward to this Tibetan hero reuniting with his wife, Lhamo Tso and his family in San Francisco.

Full Article is here: http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=34950&article=Dhondup+Wangchen+released%2c+thanks+supporters

Sincerely,

Giovanni Vassallo

President | Bay Area Friends of Tibet

Subscribe to our email list

bafot — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 00:31:48 +0000

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The OM Charity

bafot — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 21:24:08 +0000

Phurbu T. Namgyal, a Tibetan singer/song writer living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has established a medical social work project to provide free medical support to sick and poor Tibetans in Exile and beyond. Currently the project is solely supported by the money raised from his concerts and donations from family, fans, and friends. This project has directly touched or provided free medical support for 16 sick, elderly, and poor Tibetans since its inception in February 2013. However, the need is even greater. You may obtain more information on the project at http://www.omcharity.org/ Your contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. You may make a contribution right now via Paypal. Thank you.

Your contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. You may make a contribution right now via Paypal. Thank you.

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Projects

Tibet Solidarity Freedom Concert on May 17

bafot — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 23:39:34 +0000

Tashi Delek! My Dear Tibetan Brothers and Sisters

In the statement of Sikyong (the political head of Central Tibetan Administration based in Dharamsala, India) Dr. Lobsang Sangay on 23rd Anniversary of Conferment of Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, May 17 has been declared as a Tibet Solidarity Day. On that day in 1995, the six-year-old boy, Gendhun Choeky Nyima, who was recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama, was taken into custody by the Chinese authorities and has not been seen publicly since.

To mark this day, San Francisco Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (SFRTYC) is hosting Tibet Solidarity Freedom Concert featuring extremely talented line up of musicians including Chaksampa, the Tibetan dance and Opera Company, Tsering Lodoe, the former Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) artist, and Tenzin Ngawang, the former TIPA artist and the Melong Band member. The concert is dedicated to His Holiness Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, a stolen second highest reincarnated lama of Tibet. Furthermore, the concert also aims to showcase the richness and diversity of our culture and tradition to the general public through Play-act, Traditional dances and Music. We will also have the presentation on the Tibetan Contemporary Arts by Ang Tshering Sherpa, a well know Tibetan artist. One of his costly printings will be auctioned on the night. Through this medium, we are trying to encourage younger generation of Tibet to appreciate and learn our unique culture, and pass on the legacy to our future generations. We believe that preservation of Tibet's unique culture, language, and religion are inevitable to sustain the Tibetan freedom struggle.

I sincerely hope and believe that Tibetans community in Bay Area will support us with the effort as your participation means great deal to us. Your support fuel us to do more for the greater cause of Tibet, and we are so much grateful for unwavering support that we are receiving from the community.

What: Tibet Solidarity Freedom Concert
When: Friday, May 17, 2013 from 6.30 pm -11 pm
Where: Berkeley Adult School, San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702
Entrance Fee: $25 (Yummy Tibetan Food will be Sold Separately)

Lastly, please let us know if anybody would like to sponsor the concert in any capacity for the greater cause. Never ever hesitate to contact either me or any other board members of SFRTYC.

Regards,
Tenzin Rangdol

President
SFRTYC
www.sfrtyc.org
Mobile: (510) 610 7348

http://tibet.net/2012/12/10/statement-of-sikyong-dr-lobsang-sangay-on-23...

Bay Area Friends of Tibet

No Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

March 10 2018

Dui Hua Welcomes Arrival of Dhondup Wangchen in the United States

Tibetans and supporters from all over US headed to DC to protest Xi Jinping’s Visit

China: Human #Rights365 = Human Rights for All

Tags:

Humanitarian China note of thanks for Friends of Tibet solidarity on Tiananmen 25th anniversary

Dhondup Wangchen released, thanks supporters

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Subscribe to our email list

The OM Charity

Tibet Solidarity Freedom Concert on May 17

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