Letter to Beijing 2022 Athletes

Dear Mikaela, Chloe, Nathan, Vincent, Evan, and all Beijing 2022 athletes,

We are writing to you as your fans, as students and young people, most importantly, as individuals who have not lost hope in humanity. As you may know, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is responsible for some of the worst human rights atrocities of our generation: the genocide of Uyghurs, the coerced separation of an estimated one million Tibetan children from their parents through 21st-century residential schools, and the severe crackdown on democracy and press freedom in Hong Kong. These are not just isolated events happening in the news or facts for us to recite; they are the lived experiences facing our loved ones every single day. We never wanted to politicize the Winter Olympics, but for nearly two years now, the IOC has failed us, and failed you. And so one month from today, the IOC will ask you to stand alongside the genocidal Chinese government at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, and to join them in legitimizing the propaganda, sportswashing, and silencing of a 21st-century Holocaust.

Many of the high school and college students who are writing this letter are not so different from you. We went to the same high schools as you. We may have sat next to you in history class, or we might have worked together on a science project. We may even have walked past each other in the hallway every day, but what you can’t see by just looking at us is that we were all either born to stateless parents who made a new home in the United States, or we fled CCP violence and found refuge in this country. In many ways, we understand how hard you have worked to reach where you are today, and we are proud of you. But, we are writing this letter because we have no other choice; because our voices have been silenced by some of the world’s most powerful forces.

We hope you never know how it feels to have your relatives suddenly disappear, to lie awake at night and wonder if your aunt stopped responding because she is in a forced labor camp. The gut-wrenching feeling of waking up in the morning and seeing on the news that your friend has been arrested by an authoritarian regime due to a protest you attended together in 2019. You may never know what it feels like to carry the full weight of preserving the heritage and the way of life of your people because it is facing cultural genocide at home. But these are realities that many of us face every single day. And though you may never understand what it’s like to be oppressed by the Chinese Communist Party, we believe you may care enough to try to comprehend our pain. We are therefore asking you to stand in solidarity with us and our communities – some of the most highly oppressed peoples in the world today. We are asking you to take a stand against the Genocide Games.

The reality is that many of you, and many of your peers competing in Beijing next month, have probably been thrown into the middle of a political discussion that none of you asked to be a part of. It may feel overwhelming to even think about these complex topics as you focus on this final important stretch before the Olympics begin, but this letter is to ask you to remember that each of us holds a certain responsibility to the world. We, the undersigned, believe that every single person in the world holds the responsibility to draw a red line at genocide. As you well know, your unique platform carries with it a tremendous responsibility. And for some of you, that responsibility comes at a very young age. Our coalition of students and young people is reaching out to all of you, and to any athlete competing in Beijing 2022, to ask you to consider engaging in a completely private and closed door discussion with us so that we can brief you about the human rights situation facing our people under the Chinese government.

We understand you are singularly focused at this moment, but we believe it is critical that as representatives of Team USA, you take the time and emotional energy to meet with impacted communities, and move forward with compassion for those most severely affected by the Beijing Olympics. We trust and hope you will take into consideration our sincere request and decide to be an ally to millions of suffering people.

Please contact Info@StudentsforaFreeTibet.org to arrange a meeting.

Sincerely,

Tsela Zoksang, 18, Mount Holyoke College

Tumaris Ahat, 25, University of Massachusetts Boston

Tsering Yangchen, 18, Harvard College

Lance Chan, 19, Green River College

Topjor Tsultrim, 21, Williams College

Khenzom Alling, 21, Yale University

Nabihah Ahsan, 18, Yale University

Katie Chang, 17, Bard High School Early College Queens

Kinen Kao, 21, Cornell University

Tenzin Choeying, 16, Arlington High School

Jeffrey Ngo, 26, Georgetown University

Munawwar Abdulla, 27, Harvard Extension School

Sherab Lhanyisang, 17, Prospect Hill Academy Charter School

Jigme Farber, 21, San Jose State University

Tenzing Dekyong, 17, Bard High School Early College Queens

Dekyi Sharchitsang, 19, Emory University

Tenzin Rinchen, 15, Medford High School

Jampa Lhanyitsang, 14, The Winsor School

Antoinette Marie Torres, 14, Bard High School Early College Queens

Dylan Benson, 28, Northeastern University

Tenzin Tshering, 19, University of Massachusetts Boston

Ingsel Namgyal, 16, Bard High School Early College Queens

Tenzin Thomke, 21, University of Connecticut

Aimee Bulger, 16, Becton Regional High School

Tenzin Yiga, 16, Becton Regional High School

Jigme Palden, 17, Beacon High School

Lameeha Sheikh, 17, Bard High School Early College Queens

Kesang Namgyal, 17, Forest Hills High School

Steeven Jolicoeur, 18, Prospect Hill Academy

Sophia Beckmann, 17, Prospect Hill Academy

Louis Calhoon, 21, Marist College

Tenzin Dasel, 22, Brandeis University

Nyendak Lama, 18, Malden High School

Biana Jean-Baptiste, 17, Prospect Hill Academy

Tenzin Woser, 16, Becton Regional High School

Tenzin Dedhen, 17, Chelsea High School

Amal Altareb, 21, Yale University

Tsering Lhamo, 20, Earlham College

Tenzin Kunsang, 19, Cornell University

Jangul Baurjan, 22, Michigan University

Tenzin Lodhen, 24, Anoka Technical College

Tenzin Dhondup, 17, Naugatuck High School

Ivanka Cheung, 20, Stony Brook University

Mirmo, 21, University of California Berkeley

Cindy Spoon, 31, University of Texas- Arlington

Iman Khanani, 19, Mount Holyoke College

Tenzin Choeying, 20, X University

Angie Romero, 19, Mount Holyoke College

Long Kiu Chung, 23, Stanford University

Tenzin Lhadon, 21, St Cloud State University

Corinne Wai, 62, University of Massachusetts

Tenzin Shrestha, 16, Bard High School Early College Queens

Zev York, 22, Middlebury College

Tenzin Gethoktsang, 19, Ryerson University

Tenzin Tsetan, 15, High School for Health Professions and Human Services

Tenzin Kunchok, 24, Adler University

Tenzin Werner, 17, West Springfield High School

Tenzin Lama, 17, Beacon High School

Jamie Marsicano, 28, UNC School of Law

Rahi Mitra, 17, Beacon High School

Jonathon Han, 17, Beacon High School

Tenzin Dolma, 18, Medford High School

Tenzee Angelo, 18, Ryerson University

Blaise B, 25, Tufts University

Tenzin Rigzin, 22

Dechen Lama, 21, Mount Holyoke College

Joyce Ho, 19, University of Pennsylvania

Tsering Nima, 21, St.Olaf College

Prabidhi Malla, 17, Beacon High School

Nicole Messner, 23, Adler University

Liz Mills, 22, Adler University

Madi Naylor, 22, University of Minnesota

Marco Chan, 20, Ryerson University

Kalden Namgyal, 20, Brown University

Tenzin Dakar, 16, NYC Museum School

Tashi Dhondup, 26, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Jolina Larrame, 17, Prospect Hill Academy

Mridul Surbhi, 30, Indian Institute of Technology

Tarim Assimov, 31, Boston College

Adila Yarmuhammad, 21, University of Adelaide

Nasrullah Mehman, 19, University of South Africa

Vivienne Wai, 35, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Malika D., 21, UIB

Zeliha Kaya, 20, La Trobe College Australia

Rayima Parhat, 28, University of British Columbia

Sidra Kutubi, 19, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt üniversitesi

Meherban Kuerban, 24, Deakin University

Kabir Qurban, 24, Simon Fraser University

Connor Middleton, 21, Williams College

Lhaga Dingpontsawa, 21, Whittier College

Kevin C., 37, Ying Wa College

Abdulhabir Karahanli, 22, University of Tuebingen

Cameron Koo, 24, New York University

Patrick Tam, 45, Bentley University

Thupten Sherpa, 17, Easthampton High School

Ali Manetraimov, 22, KIMEP University

Mokhinur Bosakova, 29, Mannheim University

Victoria Czerski, 16, Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics

Gyatso Wolfs, 20, Avans University

Kimberley Wilks, 18, Prospect Hill Academy Charter School

Tenzin Choeyang, 22, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Karma Yeshi, 16, Becton Regional High School

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