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March 26, 2008
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We the undersigned are writing to urge you to personally appeal to China to show restraint in its response to the demonstrations now occurring throughout Tibet and to respect the human rights of the Tibetan people. The Tibetan government-in-exile reports that close to 100 people have been killed at the hands of Chinese authorities. China has posited a far lower figure, but, as you know, the veracity of information emanating from the communist country and its state-run media is often suspect.
China’s selective reporting has also impeded coverage of peaceful protests, distorting perceptions and propping up the government’s stance. International media coverage, meanwhile, has been severely curtailed, with Beijing essentially deeming Tibet off limits to foreign journalists in a move that the U.S. State Department described as “disturbing and disappointing.” While violence on the part of some of the protestors can in no way be condoned, Beijing’s systematic brutal crackdown is on another order of magnitude, and must be addressed.
We urge you to act in solidarity with the Dalai Lama and call on Beijing to curb its unjust tactics. Your meeting with His Holiness in October of last year was a landmark occasion, and in the ceremony in which you presented the Congressional Gold Medal to him, you said: “Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away.” Your words rang just as true then as they do now. The injustices that the people of Tibet have long suffered through cannot be denied. As the Chinese economy continues its exponential growth, Tibet remains neglected and underdeveloped; cultural repression is institutionalized and abetted by state-sanctioned policies of ethnic resettlement.
Just as you stood up to pressure from the Chinese government on that shining day when you awarded the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal, we ask that you stand up to China today and forgo your trip to the Opening Ceremony of the upcoming Olympic Games.
Mr. President, the grievances of Tibetans are real and legitimate, as you yourself have rightfully indicated. We urge you to send a strong message to His Excellency President Hu Jintao to address the Tibetan people’s grievances by responding positively to the Dalai Lama’s initiative for a negotiated solution. We also ask you to appeal to His Excellency to cease his government’s attempts to portray the Dalai Lama as the primary instigator behind the deplorable actions of some of the protestors. The situation in Tibet is at risk of spiraling out of control and it demands the international community’s full attention. A strong statement from you on the matter would do much to calm tensions.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Cameron Porter
President
Leadership Council for Human Rights
John Ackerly
President
International Campaign for Tibet
Mohammad Al-abdallah
Syrian human rights activist
Alexandra Morgan Barr
Donna Porter Barr
The Rev. Chloe Breyer
Executive Director
The Interfaith Center of New York
Nir T. Boms
Vice President
Center for Freedom in the Middle East
Anne Creter
United Nations Liasion
Peace Partnership International
Do Hoang Diem
Chairman
Viet Tan (Vietnam Reform Party)
Trung Doan
Secretary
Committee to Protect Vietnamese Workers
Lee Edwards
Chairman
Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
Jean Fallon
Martha Gallahue
Pastor Getaneh Getaneh
Watch and Pray International Ministry
Joseph K. Grieboski
Founder and President
Institute on Religion and Public Policy
Tim Heinemann
Director
Worldwide Impact Now
Michael Horowitz
Senior Fellow
Hudson Institute
Director
Hudson Institute Project for International Religious Liberty
Ibn Khaldun Center for Development (Cairo)
U.S. Representative Office
Marco Antonio Karam
President
Casa Tibet Mexico
Kerry Kennedy
Chairman of the Board
Speak Truth to Power
Henry Kim
Sister Joan Kirby
Temple of Understanding
Kok Ksor
President
Montagnard Foundation, Inc.
Kurdish Human Rights Watch, Inc.
Acharya Judith L. Lief
Shambhala International
Dr. Mark D. Mandeles
President
The J. de Bloch Group
Michael Meunier
President
U.S. Copts Association
Joshua Muravchik, Ph.D.
Resident Scholar
American Enterprise Institute
William J. Murray
Chairman
Religious Freedom Coalition
The Rev. Richard M. Nahman, OSA
Roman Catholic Priest
Rong Nay
Executive Director
Montagnard Human Rights Organization
Pastor Peters Omoragbon
President/CEO
Nurses Across the Borders Humanitarian Initiative
Katharine Redford
U.S. Office Director
EarthRights International
Hearty Ritti
Rodney Rose
Albert Santoli
President
Asia America Initiative
Suzanne Scholte
President
Defense Forum Foundation
Alim Seytoff
General Secretary
The Uyghur American Association
The World Uyghur Congress
Lucianne Siers
Director
Partnership for Global Justice
Fawaz Tello
Syrian political activist
Nguyen Dinh Thang, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Boat People SOS
Vanida S. Thephsouvanh
President
Mouvement Lao pour les Droits de l’Homme
Bob Thurman
Chairman
Tibet House
United Sikhs
U.S. Campaign for Burma
Binh Vo
President
Vietnamese American Public Affairs Committee
Hashim Warmzyary
FSI/SLS/NEA
Department of State
Matt Weiner
The Rev’d Canon Andrew P B White
President
Foundation for Reconciliation in the Middle East
Vicar of the Anglican Church in Baghdad
Jennifer Windsor
Executive Director
Freedom House
Harry Wu
Executive Director
Laogai Research Foundation
David Wynne
Fakhteh Zamani
Director
Association for the Defence of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran
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