Tibetan Youth Association in Europe (TYAE or Verein Tibeter Jugend in Europa) is the largest Tibetan youth organisation in Europe. It has organised many campaigns and events in its 40-year history, including the annual Tibetan Youth Parliament; TYAW will co-host the 4th Youth Parliament in Paris from 26 – 28 June 2015.

TYAE is an active member of a Tibet Network Campaign Working Group to oppose Beijing hosting the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.* When Beijing was awarded the 2008 Summer Olympics, International Olympic Committee members claimed that the Games would help to improve human rights in China. However this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Indeed, since 2008, China’s aggressive and unrelenting crackdown against freedom and human rights has escalated, trying to crush a surge of resistance, in which Tibetans call for freedom in Tibet and for the return of the Dalai Lama. To award Beijing another Games is akin to saying that torture and repression are acceptable to the world community. Sign the Petition and tell the IOC that China’s government does not deserve another Olympic Games.

On 10 June, TYAE activists challenged Beijing’s Olympic delegation as it presented its vision of the 2022 Winter Games in Switzerland. They were joined by Golog Jigme, a monk who had been detained and persecuted for helping to make a film about the 2008 Olympics. See the video of the protest below or view this Reuters video report.

*Other Tibet Groups in the International Tibet Network-convened Olympics Campaign Working Group are Free Tibet and Tibet Initiative Deutschland.