Clearance Refused for Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
July 31, 2007
For Immediate Release
Tibetan People's Movement
Thousands of Tibetans are converging in New Delhi to participate in the biggest-ever Tibetan assembly to protest the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Tibetan monks, nuns, students are coming from the different refugee camps all over India, Nepal and Bhutan. Tibetan refugees have contributed their humble earnings and helped make possible the Tibetan People’s Movement.
They will be disappointed as the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Government of India refused the "clearance/NOC" for Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as the venue for the India-Tibet football match. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) asked the Organizing Committee to obtain this permission from MEA in a letter dated 27 July 2007. Team Tibet had earlier played at the same venue on 3rd August 2003 at the invitation from the 2010 Common Wealth Games.
We believe that due to political pressure from the People’s Republic of China, the MEA decided to deny us the right to play at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Over and above violating human rights and freedom in Tibet, China is now infringing upon the freedom that Tibetans in exile enjoy. If China can force India, the biggest democratic nation, to compromise on its democratic values, then China’s misuse of power is a real cause of concern for the global community. The Tibetan People’s Movement calls upon the International Olympics Committee to consider this action as a violation of the promises China has made to world when it accepted the responsibility to hold the 2008 Olympics.
Four Tibetan Non-governmental organizations are spearheading the 4th August initiative, which is taking place in the name of the Tibetan People’s Movement:
Students for a Free Tibet, www.studentsforafreetibet.org
Gu Chu Sum ex-political prisoners association, www.guchusum.org
Tibetan Women’s Association, www.tibetanwomen.org
National Democratic Party of Tibet, www.ndpt.net