Write to your MP |
Contact your MP
One person CAN make a difference, especially if there are lots of them!
Contacting your MP is a great way to progress the Tibetan cause, as with each voice added to the call for change, our government is pushed further to act.
Unlike the Tibetan people, we are allowed to speak up about our opinions on the job our politicians are doing, and they are directly responsible to listen to us our risk losing our vote. That makes your voice vital to the way in which our government pursues the notion of a free Tibet.
It may take a few letters to build up a relationship with your local MP, but once this is done you can ask them about a range of issues. When you do get replies from your MP about Tibet, please forward them to us so that we can take their opinions on and push for action on these issues.
Find issues to write about in our Urgent Campaign section.
Find out who your local MP is at www.writetothem.com
No luck with a local MP? Try your MEP instead on the link above.
Contacting your MP
If you have moved recently, or have never contacted your MP before, here are some guidelines on how to go about it. (Remember, your constituency MP is there to support you, whether or not you voted for him or her.)
Why your MP and not the Foreign Office? Why not go to the top?
We always recommend supporters write to their MP and not the Foreign Office for three reasons.
Who is your MP?
You can get this from your local public library, local town hall, local press, Citizens Advice Bureau, law centres, Age Concern or the local political party offices.
Where to write to your MP
Write to your MP at:
(Your MPs name)
The House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
or at the local party office if you know the address.
(All their mail is forwarded to them from the House of Commons, so letters addressed there will always reach them.) There is no need to enclose a stamped addressed envelope because MPs get free postage within the UK.
Address your MP by their Christian name and surname to avoid confusion. It makes no difference if your MP is a Government Minister.
Please do not be afraid of writing to your MP. They are used to getting letters; indeed, they use them to gauge what their constituents are concerned about.
It really helps to be polite and constructive. MPs, like anyone else, do not like being abused or harangued. Assume they are going to help. At the same time, be firm and put forward a well thought through argument. It is also vital to be accurate and not to exaggerate. What is happening in Tibet and the justice of the Tibetan people's cause is a strong enough case on its own without adding unnecessary embroidery.
The Free Tibet Campaign Information Sheets and the Campaigns page in each edition of the quarterly Free Tibet Campaign Update give guidelines on what to say. Use these to construct your letter. If this seems too hard, just express your feelings simply and clearly.
Free Tibet Campaign's aim is to support the Tibetans in their desire for freedom and the right to independence. We do not believe it is for us to say what Tibetans should have, or to try and speak for them. Our main concern is to make as many of our parliamentarians as possible know the truth about Tibet ‚ a truth the British Government has known since 1911: that Tibet is an independent country currently occupied by the Chinese.
It is important to ask your MP to do something: answer a question, contact the Foreign Secretary, find something out for you or support something. You could ask them to join Free Tibet Campaign.
When you receive the first reply - maintain the correspondence
The first letter is the hardest! You probably will not "like" the reply you receive, especially that from Foreign Office Ministers. The process of change is complex and takes time ‚ constant pressure from the public and a drip feeding of the true situation in Tibet will make its mark. So do not be put off by apparent intransigence.
When you receive a reply, see if the questions you have asked have been answered. If you feel you have not had an adequate answer write back politely requesting one. Do not worry if you feel you do not know all the details ‚ you know when a question has not been answered and that is the important thing.
After this, try to develop a regular correspondence with your MP - it also helps to encourage friends and colleagues of yours who live in the same constituency to write as well. If your MP shows sympathy to Tibet then always refer to this and encourage him/her to speak out for Tibet in the face of the Government's inaction.
If you are a member of Free Tibet Campaign, one way to keep the correspondence going with your MP is to follow the Campaigns page in each issue of the quarterly Free Tibet Campaign Update. This will keep the subject of Tibet in their mind as well as requesting your MP to act on specific aspects of the situation in Tibet.
Another way is to follow up on news items on Tibet in the press - send a copy of the article and draw the MP's attention to a specific point. Remember the same rule applies to all correspondence - ask your MP to do something. Information for information's sake is not enough.
Send Free Tibet campaign copies of the replies you receive from your MP
Please send copies of any correspondence you receive from your MP to:
Free Tibet Campaign
28 Charles Square
London N1 6HT
Over the last few years we have received hundreds of letters from our members' MPs and, from these and other monitoring we do, we now know of over 200 MPs who are not only sympathetic to Tibet but are acting for Tibet in some way. Three of the officers on the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Tibet first came to our attention through letters received by Free Tibet Campaign members, which were then passed on to us. Please send copies of the letters you receive from your MP to the address above.
Going to see your MP: How to fix up a meeting
Most MPs have local advice sessions/surgeries. Check with the places listed above or phone your MP at the House of Commons 020 7219 3000. Some require appointments; others have open access.
If you know other Tibet supporters in the same constituency then get a small group together to go and see your MP.
It is always useful to check with the Free Tibet Campaign office to see what information we have on file about the MP you are intending to visit. For example, we will be able to let you know if they are already active for Tibet.
What to do when you see your MP
* Take a set of Information Sheets (send for more from the office if you need them).
* Ask them if s/he is interested in Tibet.
* The MOST important thing to do is to ask them to do something specific.
Things you can ask your MP to do
* Bring up the issue with the Government Minister responsible.
* Ask a parliamentary question.
* Bring it up with fellow members of his/her party.
* Contact the All-Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group.
* Contact and support the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Tibet.
* (Use the information and the suggested actions overleaf to choose what you are going to ask your MP to do.)
After the visit
Follow it up, ie. if you do not hear from them, write and ask them if they have done what they said they would do. Again, let us know at Free Tibet Campaign - a short report is helpful.
Please keep Free Tibet Campaign informed of your actions
1. As a constituent your MP has a responsibility to listen to you and you can request him/her to act on your behalf. Ministers are not accountable to members of the public in the same way.
2. In all likelihood your MP will contact the relevant Minister, who in turn will reply to them. In this way a public statement is made by the Minister. Letters to the Foreign Secretary or one of his Ministers will result in a reply from their civil servants which cannot be credited to the Minister.
3. By writing to your MP, who then contacts the relevant Minister, your concern about Tibet is getting across to two sets of people.