Free Tibet Campaign

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The Free Tibet Campaign is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation, founded in 1987 and based in London, England that campaigns for the rights of the Tibetan people to determine their own government.^[1] The international movement is called the International Tibet Independence Movement.

The group campaigns for an end to what some consider to be an occupation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China (PRC), and that the fundamental human rights of the people of Tibet be respected.^[2]

It is a member of the International Tibet Support Network, a worldwide group of affiliated organisations campaigning to end Chinese rule in Tibet.^[3] As of November 2006 the Free Tibet Campaign had over 19,000 paid up supporters and around 30 local groups around the UK involved in fund raising and letter writing campaigns.^[1] The group issues a quarterly magazine to its members in addition to regular mailings informing its supporters of the organisation's activities.

In October 2000 they marked the 50th anniversary of the PRC occupation of Tibet with a demonstration outside the Chinese Embassy in London. Two protestors climbed onto a balcony of the embassy and flew the Tibetan flag. One person was arrested. ^[4]

The campaign calls for world leaders to boycott the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics, to be held in Beijing. The group has claimed that Prince Charles, of the United Kingdom, will be boycotting the opening ceremony of the Olympics for their cause.^[5]