Gordon Brown & The Dalai Lama 2008

In 2008, thousands of supporters signed online petitions and action cards, and participated in Urgent Actions calling for UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to meet the Dalai Lama during his visit to Britain in May. Despite avoiding the question for some time, Mr Brown finally agreed to meet the Tibetan leader the day after our petition was closed and recieved on the Downing Street website. This pressure proved that individual supporters can make a difference when we get together to demand that our leaders recognise the situation in Tibet and engage Tibetan leaders on human rights issues.
You also helped persuade Mr. Brown to talk to Chinese leaders about human rights in Tibet when he attended the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in August.

Read more about the Dalai Lama's UK visit
Read about Gordon Brown agreeing to talk about rights abuses in Tibet
Go to the video wall, containing TV news reports of the Dalai Lama's visit

Revealing the truth:
Why China's anti-Dalai Lama campaign must end


Read the .pdf version here

This report copncentrates on the Chinese government's attempts to vilify the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, focusing on the fact that though the Tibetan people are forced to hide their devotion to the Dalai Lama, it is never far from the surface.

The report contains witness statements and includes information up to and including the 2008 demonstrations in Tibet.

Published May 2008

 

The Dalai Lama's teachings in London, Nottingham and Oxford have shown that thousands of people in the UK stand with the Dalai Lama. Here is a selection of supporters who were pictured at the talks, urging Prime Minister Gordon Brown to stand up for Tibet after meeting the Dalai Lama. (Note: you will need the flash player to see these pictures)

 

The Uprising in Tibet
Your support allowed us to break news about the biggest uprising in Tibet since 1959 and push the issue into the international spotlight.
Read more

 

The Olympic Torch Relay
Thousands of supporters took to the streets to ensure that China was prevented from using the relay as a propaganda tool.

Read more

'The Tortured Truth'
Funding from our supporters enabled us to collate damning evidence of torture in Tibet and present it to the United Nations.
Read more

 

Tibet coverage during the Games
Your support made sure that protests in Beijing stimulated serious discussion about human rights and freedoms in Tibet.
Read more

Gordon Brown & The Dalai Lama
After thousands of our supporters signed our online petition, Gordon Brown met the Dalai Lama and discussed the situation in Tibet.
Read more

 

Leaving Fear Behind
Your help in writing letters to MPs regarding the case of the filmmakers led to the release of Jigme Gyatso and the spreading of the film's message.
Read more

Increasing our voice
Hundreds of new members have joined Free Tibet in 2008, letting us show politicians and journalists that many people want to see change.
Read more

 

Free Tibet local groups
During 2008, more supporters stepped up to form local groups in their area, including our first groups outside the UK, spreading the word about Tibet.
Read more

A big thank you to all our supporters across the world.
You helped make 2008 a vital year for the cause!