Home
Reports
Tibet Activists Target British Mining Company
TYUK
London, 22 March: Tibetans and their supporters demonstrated at the London
Headquaters of Central China Goldfields, a British conducting exploratory mining
in Tibet, demanding they withdraw from Tibet until the Chinese occupation ended.
By operating in an occupied territory, mining companies like Central China
Goldfields are contributing to the destruction of a country and people, said
Alice Speller, National Coordinator of Students for a Free Tibet UK. She
continued: “Tibetans continue to be marginalized both economically and socially
and mining has become another tool of this destruction within Tibet”.
In the past year, there has been a dramatic increase in British mining firms
active inside Tibet, prompting Tibet rights groups to raise concerns about the
impact large-scale resource extraction will have on the Tibetan people, their
culture and the environment. In February, 2007, the Chinese government released
details of a $44 million dollar survey of the Qinghai Tibet plateau; documenting
the discovery of 16 major mineral deposits. Tibetans and their supporters fear
that increased mining in Tibet will likely flood local communities with
ethnically Chinese workers, while Tibetans stand to reap few if any benefits
from the exploitation of their own natural wealth. “Central China Goldfields
claims to be ethical but yet they violate Tibetans not only enviromentally but
also politically, they are mining in an occupied nation without Tibetan consent
or thought and using and destroying my homeland. As a British born Tibetan, i am
deeply disappointed at this British company for
its unethical manner in destruction of a peaceful land”, said Tibetan Youth UK
activist Pema Yoko. continuing: “Until Tibetans are able to freely determine the
use of their own natural resources, British companies must not operate in
Tibet”.
From across the country, Tibetans and their supporters telephoned, faxed and
emailed the company with their concerns. The message was getting
through-although most of the senior managers were in China, the office staff had
soon started forwarding the campaigners objections. As a Street demonstration
took place outside, a small group entered the offices and was able to meet one
of the company directors to challenge Central China Goldfields on their projects
in Tibet. He acknowledged that there were ethical issues with working in Tibet
and in dealing with the Chinese regime, but refused to commit to a withdrawal.
The Campaign continues.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Back to Archived Reports List