China announced last month that their dearest "development" project for the Golmud-Lhasa railway tracks has been complete and by next year trains would ply on this 1,000 km railway track and would connect Tibetan capital Lhasa with Beijing.

The construction is already an environmental disaster, and once the train start running China plans to resettle millions of Chinese population into Tibet, where Tibetans are already a minority in their own country. And in this the Canadian multinational transportation company Bombardier is supplying China Railway the railway coaches.

Students for a Free Tibet (India) and Friends of Tibet (India) are jointly working for the campaign "STOP THE TRAIN!" This is being done in collaboration with the world-wide "Bombardier International Day of Action Nov 3rd". We request Bombardier to withdraw form this hand-in-glove act of destroying Tibet, undermining Tibetan culture and environment.

We ask for your support and cooperation in registering protest against the railway project and also Bombardiers involvement.

Things You Can Do

BOMBARDIER INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION
Thursday November 3rd, 2005
1) Please contact Bombardier's representatives by phone or fax and ask them to pass on a message to Bombardier Chairman and CEO, Laurent Beaudoin, urging him to withdraw from the Tibet railway contract. Sample letters and contact information are available at given below.

2) Forward this mail to your friends and ask them to write to the
Bombardier Chief.

3) Make a "Bombardier out of Tibet" banner or sign (or any other related slogan, be creative!) and take a photo of yourself, your action team and friends holding the sign somewhere in your community. It could be at city hall, street, bridge, any landmark or even your house.

Photos can be sent to: photos@studentsforafreetibet.org and will be posted on http://BombardieroutofTibet.org. We’ll publicize the site to make sure Bombardier sees the global opposition to their involvement in the railway.

Tenzin Choeying
President
Students for a Free Tibet (India)
Email: sftindia@gmail.com
Mobile: 098163 68335
Web: www.studentsforafreetibet.org
www.bombardieroutoftibet.org

Tenzin Tsundue
General Secretary
Friends of Tibet (INDIA)
Email: tenzin@friendsoftibet.org
Mobile: 094180 79832
Web: www.friendsoftibet.org

Sample Letter to Bombardier
Email: rajeev.jyoti@in.transport.bombardier.com

To
Mr. Laurent Beaudoin
Chairman and CEO
Bombardier Inc
CANADA

C/o
Mr. Rajeev Jyoti
President & Managing Director
BOMBARDIER TRANSPORTATION INDIA LTD.
Erda Road, Maneja, Vadodara, India
Pin Code-390013
Email: rajeev.jyoti@in.transport.bombardier.com
Phone: (91-0265) 263-8953
Fax: (91-0265) 263-8951

Dear Mr. Beaudoin:
I am deeply concerned that Bombardier is moving forward with plans to supply rail cars to the Chinese government for the Qinghai-Tibet railway.

As you are aware, the railway poses a very real threat to the survival of the Tibetan people as a nation and culture. The Chinese government itself has publicly acknowledged the rail project is politically motivated. By building rail cars, essential to the operation of the railway, Bombardier is in effect supporting and facilitating China's occupation of Tibet.

You have stated that “it is not up to Bombardier to solve the problems between Tibet and China”. While this may be the case, there should be no doubt in your mind that by involving Bombardier in this harmful project, you are directly exacerbating the Tibet-China issue and aiding the Chinese government’s systematic policy of diluting the indigenous Tibetan population by transferring non-Tibetan settlers into Tibetan land.

Make no mistake that this population transfer is producing a massive demographic transformation in Tibet and is marginalizing Tibetans economically, politically and socially, and posing a threat to the very survival of their culture and identity.

Since it entered into this agreement with the Chinese government,
Bombardier has faced growing international opposition, resulting in negative publicity for your company in countries all around the world.

For over 50 years, China has attempted to shake the controversy it started with its brutal invasion of Tibet. Its attempts have been unsuccessful. Bombardier would be wise to learn from China's mistakes and distance itself from this contract. There is still time to demonstrate your company's genuine commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

I urge you to withdraw from the Tibet railway contract now and enhance, rather than tarnish, Bombardier's reputation for years to come.

Sincerely,

*[SIGN AND INSERT YOUR NAME HERE]*

C) TALKING POINTS FOR PHONE CALLS*
When you speak with a Bombardier representative, please tell them you’re concerned that Bombardier is helping to build the Tibet railway, a project with devastating consequences for the Tibetan people. Ask them to pass on a message to Bombardier Senior Management that Bombardier must withdraw from its contract to build rail cars for the Tibet railway. If you’re able to talk to someone for longer, the following talking points may be helpful:

1. The Chinese government officials had admitted, the Golmud-Lhasa railway is politically motivated, with a goal of consolidating China's control over Tibet. It is opposed by Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet.

2. The railway will facilitate increased population transfer of Chinese settlers into Tibet, further marginalizing Tibetans physically, socially, and economically and posing a threat to the survival of their culture and identity.

3. The 1,400 km long Golmud-Lhasa Railway will link Tibetan capital Lhasa for the first time directly with mainland China by a rail link, and this will further strengthen China its military grip on Tibet. Now China can send in any number of troops and arms in huge amount any time.

4. China has plans to extend this railway link till Gyantse, the Tibetan town south of Lhasa. This brings proximity of Chinese railway towards India, almost touching the Indian border but shy of about 100 kms. Thus posing security threat on the already fragile peace existing between India and China.

5. The railway will improve China's military maneuverability, enable rapid troop deployments, and facilitate the expansion of People's Liberation Army bases and increases in nuclear weapons stockpiles and missile deployments on the Tibetan plateau.

6. This railway will facilitate the exploitation and removal of natural resources that belong to Tibetans.

7. The railway is expected to cause widespread erosion, damage to vegetation, disruption of migration patterns, and contamination of water bodies including the Drichu (Yangtse), Ngochu (Salween), and Zachu (Mekong) rivers, sources of water for more than one billion people.

8. Western companies should not be partnering the Chinese government in this scheme. Bombardier's main arguments for defending its involvement in the railway project and some suggested responses will be posted at
www.tibetnetwork.org (follow links to the Golmud-Lhasa Railway)

Related Links
Stop the Train
Chinese Diplomat Pressurizes Tibetan Group in India
Mountain comes to Mumbai
Youth Rocking Dharamsala
Betraying Tibet