Two Years Ago: China's Deadly Attack at Nangpa la


Take Action for Tibetan Filmmakers

On September 30, 2006, Chinese forces opened fire on a group of Tibetans escaping over the Nangpa Pass into Nepal. A 17-year old nun was shot dead, and many others were detained for months and later released.

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As we remember the tragic events that took place two years ago, please join us in taking action for the release of Tibetan filmmakers Dhongdup Wangchen and Gogok Jigme. Their brave actions aimed at bringing the Tibetan people's voice to a global audience resulted in their detention in March 2008.

TIBETAN MAN AND THREE SUPPORTERS DETAINED AFTER BEIJING PROTEST - AUGUST 21, 2008


At approximately 12:05 am Beijing time, Florian Norbu Gyanatshang, a Tibetan-German man and American Tibet supporters, Jeremy Wells and John Watterberg were detained by Beijing authorities for protesting near the Bird's Nest stadium. The three had been under intense surveillance by up to 50 plainclothes police.

They called out "Free Tibet" and Florian Norbu unfurled the Tibetan flag. They raised their fists in a salute in the spirit of defiance and resistance displayed by Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Last night's protest took place as spectators were leaving the Bird's Nest where the men's 200 metre final had been held just hours before. It was on the medal podium for this same event 40 years ago that Smith and Carlos staged their courageous protest.

A fourth Tibet activist, Mandie McKeown from Britain, who observed the protest was also detained. The four were taken away in a police vehicle and their whereabouts are unknown. Two photographers from the Associated Press who were at the scene were also briefly detained.

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CITIZEN JOURNALISTS, VIDEOBLOGGERS, ACTIVISTS DETAINED IN BEIJING SIX DETAINED SINCE EARLY MORNING, AUGUST 19TH


Beijing - Brian Conley, creator of the well-known videoblog "Alive in Baghdad" was detained with his friend, Jeffrey Rae, early Tuesday, August 19th in Beijing. Their detention appears to have taken place at the same time as that of international artist James Powderly, whose detention was reported Tuesday. Three other bloggers and activists, Jeff Goldin, Michael Liss, and Tom Grant, have also been missing since Tuesday morning. Conley, 28, Rae, 28, Goldin, 40, Liss, 35, Grant, 39 are all American citizens.

The five "citizen journalists" and activists were in Beijing to support and promote human rights, freedom of expression, and freedom for the Tibetan people. They and numerous others have acted as an independent media centre for the dozens of pro-Tibet activists in Beijing who have sought to draw attention to the Chinese government's occupation of during the Olympics. Rae and Conley shot and released online high-resolution photographs and footage of the recent protest by Students for a Free Tibet supporters at the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park.

PRO-TIBET ACTIVISTS HANG BANNER OUTSIDE BEIJING CCTV HEADQUARTERS


With the help of three support people, two pro-Tibet activists rapelled from the top of a large Olympic billboard and unfurled a 375 square foot/115 square meter banner in front of Chinese state television's new headquarters in Beijing early this morning.

The activists dropped the banner, which read "Free Tibet" in English and Chinese, over an Olympics billboard reading "Beijing 2008" at 5:45 am Beijing time. Chinese security officials gathered quickly outside the China Central Television (CCTV) building. After approximately 30 minutes, officials detained the five activists, whose current whereabouts are unknown.

The two climbers were Nicole Rycroft, 41, a Canadian-Australian from Vancouver, BC, Canada and Philip Kirk, 24, a British citizen from Hertfordshire, UK. They were supported by Americans Bianca Bockman, 27, from Hoboken, New Jersey, Sam Maron, 22, from Ossining, New York, and Kelly Osborne, 39, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. See more detailed bios below.

For more information including photos, video, and bios of activists, Click here .

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