Friends of Tibet recently announced chapters in Pakistan and Nepal. While providing our readers with a short note on the organization, we also encourage our readers in Nepal and Pakistan to support the organization.

Friends of Tibet (India) made a humble beginning in 1999 from Bombay with a handful of people supporting Tibet's independence, and by launching a single-page website hosted with a free site -http://www.anglefire.com/in/friendsoftibet/.  It started as an Email Club with the purpose of informing people about the latest from Chinese-occupied Tibet.

It did not take much time for Friends of Tibet to become the most active Tibet Support Group in India. Our task was to create awareness among the people about the suffering of the Tibetan people and their struggle for independence at a time when the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, the one and only legitimate government of the Tibetan people, abandoned the demand for independence.

In a short span, thousands of people became Friends of Tibet members. The organisation managed to create a strong network of campaigners across the country and once again made Tibet a matter of debate. Tibet resurfaced - in schools, colleges, poetry circles, among writers, journalists, cartoonists, and even among the communists in the country. India too became a difficult country for the visiting Chinese dignitaries. Even after eight years of existence, Friends of Tibet has no office, no salaried grass-root activists and no bank balance. The organization survives entirely occasional donations from its individual members and supporters and never accepts funds from governments or funding-agencies to ensure its political and financial independence. At Friends of Tibet, we believe that true activism is all about altruism.

On March 9, 2006, we announced the beginning of Friends of Tibet in Spain, Sri Lanka, Uruguay and the United Kingdom - a global movement of organisations directly supporting the Tibetan people's struggle for independence. And some of you must be anxious to know what we have to offer on March 9 this year when we complete eight years as an organisation. We are not going to disappoint you. We are happy to announce
the formation of two more international chapters - Friends of Tibet (Nepal) and Friends of Tibet (Pakistan)!

Friends of Tibet (Nepal) will be led by Jampa Gyaltsen (Email:jampa.gyaltsen@friendsoftibet.org / friendsoftibet.nepal@gmail.com) while
Friends of Tibet (Pakistan) will be led by a group of six Pakistan-based human-rights activists (Email: friendsoftibet.pakistan@gmail.com) who prefer to remain anonymous for sometime. Like any other chapter, memberships to both Friends of Tibet (Nepal) and (Pakistan) will remain open to anyone willing to participate in our activities or share
information on occupied-Tibet. The new chapters are putting in their efforts to update their new websites: www.friendsoftibet.org/nepal/ and www.friendsoftibet.org/pakistan/, and to make them available in local languages. We promise you some action in both Nepal and Pakistan in the years to come.

Friends of Tibet work for Tibetan independence because the clear wish of the people inside Tibet, who continue to suffer and to die for freedom - is for independence. As an organisation we shall continue to oppose China's ultimate design - the eradication of Tibet as a separate country, its history, culture and language. For us, this struggle is neither about winning nor losing but about being true to our beliefs and having the
courage to stand up for the oppressed.

Friends of Tibet today  is a global movement to keep alive the issue of Tibet through direct action. Our activities are aimed at ending China's occupation of Tibet and the suffering of the Tibetan people. Friends of Tibet supports the continued struggle of the Tibetan people for independence.

Regards,
Sethu Das
(Founder)
Email: sethu.das@friendsoftibet.org

Friends of Tibet Global Website: http://www.friendsoftibet.org
India: http://www.friendsoftibet.org/india/
Uruguay: http://www.friendsoftibet.org/uruguay/
Spain: http://www.friendsoftibet.org/spain/
Sri Lanka: http://www.friendsoftibet.org/srilanka/
UK: http://www.friendsoftibet.org/uk/
Nepal: http://www.friendsoftibet.org/nepal/
Pakistan: http://www.friendsoftibet.org/pakistan/

Friends of Tibet, PO Box: 16674, Bombay 400050, India.