[Condole] Mr. Liu passed away

There was a man who left the world silently when the mass media was so loud. Mr. Liu, the man who committed self-immolation on the Liberty Square passed away in the early morning Dec. 14th.

News in Mandarin: Liberty Times

[Open letter] from Tibetan immigrant refugees in Taiwan

Respected ROC government and kind people
who care about the human rights of Tibetans,

With due respect, we are here to request and appeal for your urgent help. Here about 110 Tibetan illegal immigrant refugees under a very bad situation, We have nothing to do at this moment and only seek your help to refuge in Taiwan.

It is very clear to all over the world that Tibet is under China and Tibetans ae facing very big problems in and outside Tibet. Especially inside Tibet, we don't have human right, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and there is no human value for Tibetans. So at this situation, Tibetans are force to flue to nearby countries such as India, Nepal and Bhutan for better life and better education for coming generations. Even in those countries, we are facing basic problems to survive. So finally we bought Indian and Nepalese fake passport and legally enter this beautiful island for better life. We heard that Taiwan is democratic state, have human respect, human right, freedom of religion and land of equality to all cast and
tribes. But now we are in Taiwan and facing very big problem of survival. We never aspect such thing will happen in Taiwan.

We already appealed many applications to your presidential office and other related your department. Even on 12th Aug 2008, we all refugees came to your presidential office for help and even to ministry of issue. But till now your government didn't find any solution for our issue. So we are here again today for your kind help. We only seeking refugee asylum in Taiwan. We don't have country and we don't have
place to go back. Today thousands of Tibetans are all around the world
as refugees.

So last but not the least, please…please help us to give certain identification to stay legally in Taiwan. We hope that you will take this a serious matter.


With best regards
Tibetan immigrant refugees in Taiwan
====
The original complete letter:

滯台西藏難胞請願書

致關心西藏人權的台灣中華民國政府和社會善心人士：

當我們的鄉土自1959年被中共武力鎮壓統治後，幾十萬藏族同胞包括我們的精神領袖達賴喇嘛被逼流亡異國，開始艱苦的流亡生涯如今每年仍有許多藏胞為了爭取自由和人權離鄉背井翻越喜馬拉雅山流亡到印度、尼泊爾等世界各地，在僑居地因沒有國籍，永遠過著難民的生活。為了生存，我們這群西藏難胞舉債使用印度或尼泊爾護照來中華民國台灣尋求生路，不料因不識華文華語也不瞭解法律規定，雖然以合法身份入境，卻因逾期居留面臨被逮捕遣返的命運，一旦被遣返回印度、尼泊爾，又將面臨一場牢獄之災，更不幸的極可能被遣返回西藏，喪失寶貴生命。


依聯合國國際人權組織難民的定義，國際間公認將流亡海外藏胞視為國際難民（International Refugees），處理國際難民的最重要原則為「不予遣返」，依照人權的標準來看，遣返國際難民相當於意圖謀殺。我們這一群逾期居留滯台難胞，若貴政府依相關法令處理，則必須遣返西藏，若遣返印度、尼泊爾等原發照國，則服刑後依然要面臨遣返西藏的命運。

如今我們來到嚮往已久民主自由和繁榮的中華民國台灣，希望能在貴國為了維持基本生存而奮鬥，但不幸的貴國尚未有庇護國際難民相關法令，使我們從滿懷希望轉變為極度失望和挫折。身在貴國卻時時刻刻擔憂會被逮捕的惡夢，想找一份工作又因為沒有合法身份而無能為力加上沒有任何經濟來源，令我們舉步維艱，甚至日常生活都有困難。我們這一群滯台難胞衷心期盼基於人道與人權的關懷，台灣中華民國政府和社會各界善先人士能夠伸出援手給我們一條生路。這是發自滯台西藏難民的至誠心聲，希望台灣中華民國政府能夠給予我們生存的空間，使我們看到未來的陽光。為盼！

http://annpohugo.wordpress.com/2008/12/14/tibet/

FAPA Statement regarding police break-up of Wild Strawberry sit-in

December 12th , 2008
Contact: (202) 547-3686

Washington DC. Today, the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) expressed its anger and dismay at the forcible removal of the "Wild Strawberries" students and a group of some 100 Tibetans from Freedom Plaza in Taipei in the night of December 10th 2008 – International Human Rights Day.

The students had been encamped at the Freedom Plaza since November 6th 2008, when they initiated the "Wild Strawberry Movement" and organized a month-long sit in on Freedom Plaza in Taipei, protesting the excessive use of force by police during the visit of Chinese envoy Chen Yunlin, and urging the Ma government to revise the Assembly and Parade Law.

FAPA considers the student sit-in a peaceful expression of concern, which is guaranteed under the principle of freedom of speech and of assembly. FAPA thus deeply regret that at 4:00 am in the early morning of December 11th, some 200+ police with shields and sticks arrived at the Plaza and first evicted a group of some 100 Tibetan refugees, who had been at the Plaza since December 9th, urging the Taiwan government to grant them residence and work permits.

Then at 5:30 am, the police moved in on the remaining group of some 40 students, who sat down on the ground, interlocking hands and arms. After considerable pushing and shoving, the students were forced on several trucks and transported back to National Taiwan University.

According to reports from Taiwan, the police moved in when the encamped students started to assist the Tibetan refugees, providing them with warm clothing against the cold, tents, food, and other supplies. The police stated that the students were evicted "…because they had not applied for a permit under the Assembly and Parade Law" – precisely the same anachronistic law the students were trying to get changed.

FAPA President Prof. Bob Yang stated that "…as Taiwanese-Americans we highly value the basic principles of human rights and democracy in Taiwan, and consider these actions by the Ma government a severe infringement on freedom of speech and of assembly." He added: "We will raise this issue in our contacts with the US State Department and with members of Congress."

Please notice that there is NO official google group opened by Wild Strawberries Movement

So far, there is no official google group of Wild Strawberries movement; we are not sure if the following google group is managed by whom that we would like to remind you, please protect your personal information and concern carefully before you add in that google group.
http://groups.google.com.tw/group/wild-strawberry1106?hl=zh-TW