Students for a Free Tibet posted this news on their blog today on freetibet2008.org -
Beijing – Five pro-Tibet activists unfurled a banner spelling out “Free Tibet” in English and Chinese in bright blue LED “throwie” lights in Beijing’s Olympic Park tonight. The five were detained by security personnel after displaying the banner for about 20 seconds at 11:48 pm August 19th. Their whereabouts are currently unknown. Read the press release.
Brief video clip of the banner unfurled:
NTSC format MPEG-4 video: watch or download
PAL format MPEG-4 video: watch or download
Photos of the banner available for download as a Flickr photoset
The detained activists are Americans Amy Johnson, 33, Sam Corbin, 24, Liza Smith, 31, Jacob Blumenfeld, 26, and Lauren Valle, 21. (bios of activists are below)
“The Chinese government is desperate to turn the world’s attention away from its abuses in Tibet as the Olympics take place, but the creativity and determination of Tibetans and their supporters has once again ensured that Tibetan voices are heard and seen in Beijing despite the massive security clampdown,” said Tenzin Dorjee, Deputy Director of Students for a Free Tibet. “The Chinese leadership must realize that the only way it can make the issue of Tibet disappear is to acknowledge the demands of the Tibetan people and work with them to bring an end to China’s occupation of Tibet.”
The Brain Labor Report is live every morning M thru F for 1/2 hour at 7:00 a.m. through the awesome community services of KSKQ, lpfm radio in Southern Oregon. They can be listened to each morning on the internet, via streaming radio is.
The Olympic torch has come and gone from North America, but the plight of the people of Tibet continues. To help further the peaceful cause of Tibetans and Tibet, we ask that you consider taking the following actions in support of the people of Tibet:
1. Write to Speaker of the House the Honorable Nancy Pelosi and thank her for her unwavering support of the people of Tibet and for human rights in Tibet and China. Write to President Bush and to your representatives and senators in Congress and insist that the U.S. Government:
– Demand that China halt its crackdown, withdraw military and security forces, release those detained and allow peaceful protest. China must also halt house-to-house searches; and authorities must refrain from any further arrests and intimidation of Tibetan protesters.
– Support the Dalai Lama’s and international calls for a team of investigators to go to Tibet as soon as possible.
– Demand that China fulfill its prior promise to allow foreign journalists unrestricted reporting throughout the country from January through September 2008, including permitting journalists to return to all Tibetan areas (TAR and Tibetan areas of Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan) immediately.
– Agree that members of the government, including President Bush, shall not attend the Olympic Games, and in particular refuse to appear at the Opening Ceremonies.
2. Demand that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) withdraw all Tibetan areas (TAR and Tibetan areas of Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan) from the planned Olympic torch relay route, including the planned torch ascent of Mount Everest. You can go to http://actionnetwork.org in order to send this message to the IOC President. You can also find the contact information for your National Olympic Committee at http://www.olympic.org The U.S. Olympic Committee information is at http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/noc_uk.asp?noc_initials=USA
digitaldharmafilms.org interviewed Karsh Kale with Wasfia Nazreen in April 2008 at the Phoenix Hotel in SF.
Karsh Kale has played alongside and worked with some of the world’s top artists, including Sting, Zakir Hussain, Baaba Maal, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, and Ustad Sultan Khan.
Born of Indian parents, and brought up in the U.S., Kale has long played Indian classical music on the tabla. Currently, he leads one of New York’s coolest ensembles, and his monthly spins at Paisley and Joe’s Pub are some of the hottest tickets on the New York scene.
Here he speaks about non-violence and the importance of Gandhi’s Satyagraha in relationship to Tibet.
I’ve been working for days now trying to get this new blog and forums installed! Whew! What an incredible time we live in. The tools available to us… wow. At the same time a bit daunting… Doing the best I can here.. I hope it looks good!
Tashi Delek! Welcome! Hello!
We are very excited about our new … well everything! New Project, New Website, New Blog. Its all happening so fast I have to be standing while I type this!
Please be sure to check out our PROJECTS page, where you can read about the full-length documentary film we are producing about Non-Violence and the Tibetan Uprising.
Also we are still completely self funded.. so any DONATION helps out tremendously. What’s 20 bucks?
There is so much to share.. I really hope you will take some time to read some of our Blog. And send us a note too!
We also interviewed Mary Gendler, who has been doing non-violent training here in India with the Tibetans for over 15 years! She was also close with the King family and involved with the March on Selma.
A few nights ago we did an audio-only interview with 6 ex-political prisoners - Tibetan Monks that had all been tortured and imprisoned by the Chinese Government. They did not want their faces to be shown for fear that the Chinese Governement will persecute their families back in occupied Tibet.
In addition we have been befriended by a wonderful couple here - Ronny and Rebecca Novick. Rebecca works for KPFK radio in Los Angeles, and Ronny does video documentary work. They have a fantastic website: http://thetibetconnection.org
Together with Ronny and Rebecca we are going to create a website “tibetin49seconds.org” where we will have a youtube video contest for people to submit their 49 second videos on the subject of Tibet. Stay tuned on that one…
I’m excited to start the editing process. We are starting to review some of our tapes while here…. its been such a whirlwind!
We are planning a couple of screenings here this week, one at KhanaNirvana Cafe, to share some of the footage from San Francisco - I think the Tibetans will get a kick out of seeing the thousands of protesters in SF as well as hearing the inspirational words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. (see video below)
Anyhow that’s the update… We are still planning more interviews and some trips to some monasteries… stay tuned!
Tom
here’s is a video of Desmond Tutu speaking on April 8th in SF. By SazzyV (My footage is in the process of being transcoded!)
MARCH TO TIBET, SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 1015 FOLSOM, SAN FRANCISCO
A Special Event In Support of the Tibetan People’s Uprising Movement
9pm - 4am | $15 advance, $20 door | 21+ Only
Tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/31859
All profits to benefit Tibetan People’s Uprising Movement: www.tibetanuprising.org
MAIN ROOM:
11:00-12:30 Cheb i Sabbah (San Francisco) www.myspace.com/chebisabbahji
12:30-02:00 FreQ Nasty (Giveback.net / Skint - UK) www.myspace.com/djfreqnasty
02:00-3:30 Karsh Kale (Six Degrees Records - NYC) www.myspace.com/karshkale
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