The following Press release was issued by Free Tibet and the Tibet Society today. The merger of the two organisations will strengthen the fight for Tibetan freedom and comes at at a time when the people of Hong Kong continue their resistance against the Communist regime and China's continued oppression of the Uighurs continues to be both exposed.
Free Tibet and the world’s oldest pro-Tibet group, the Tibet Society have completed a merger in a move which will see both organisations combine their strengths in support of the Tibetan cause. The merger has been welcomed by the Tibetan community, activists and supporters from across the Tibet movement.
Free Tibet is globally known for its public campaigns, advocacy and research, becoming one of the biggest and most influential Tibet organisations in the world. As the secretariat to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Tibet, a group of MPs committed to supporting Tibet, Tibet Society has strong links with decision makers and politicians to keep Tibet on the agenda of the British Government.
The merged organisations will pool their resources to ensure they are an effective advocate for Tibet – in parliament, at the UN and in the streets.
Free Tibet Chair, Daniel Russell said, “We all stand with the Tibetan people in their desire for freedom and the exercise of their right to determine their own future. By combining the Tibet Society with Free Tibet, and our partner organisation Tibet Watch, we create a strong platform to keep Tibet on the public's agenda.”
Fredrick Hyde-Chambers, Honorary President of the Tibet Society said, “I believe this partnership will strengthen both organisations in their advocacy for Tibet, providing new approaches to counter the power of Chinese influence, and support for the younger generation of Tibetan advocates.”
Free Tibet and the
Tibet Society have been working increasingly closely in recent years. The pair collaborated to win several major campaigning victories including persuading Liverpool Football Club to scrap its sponsorship deal with Tibet Water, a Chinese company exploiting Tibet’s water resources, in 2018.
A year later, the two groups worked together again on a successful campaign against plans by Google to launch a censored search engine in China.
Sam Walton, Free Tibet’s Chief Executive added, “Uniting our supporters and resources means powerful new campaigning opportunities can happen. I’m genuinely excited about what we can achieve together.”
