I was in Switzerland at the beginning of this month and gave a slideshow and talk at Zurich on Saturday the 5th, “Was Tibet an Independent and Sovereign State?”, based on my essay Independent Tibet – The Facts, but with a more polemical title. The talk was well attended by Tibetans. In fact the auditorium was packed full, and there was a good Q & A session.The talk had been organized by Tibetans in Switzerland who wanted to start a Rangzen Alliance group in that country. Before my talk I had a long meeting with these volunteers, and at the conclusion of my public talk I announced the formation of Rangzen Alliance, Switzerland. The newly designated president of RA-Switzerland, Rinchen Dorjee also spoke, emphasizing the importance of the goal of rangzen for all Tibetans. He pointed out how activists and intellectuals inside Tibet were expressing their desire for freedom and independence, at the risk of imprisonment, torture and even their lives. Other selected office bearers were Christophe Besuchet and Tsering Dolkar Gyangsar. Other initial members were Tsering Rakra, Ganden Blatner and Deki Tethong. The Rangzen Alliance has, since its inception been a somewhat loose knit organization, but members in Switzerland clearly wanted a more structured unit locally.

At the first meeting it was decided that RA-Switzerland, besides working to fulfill the three goals of the Alliance, should undertake to provide every possible support to all rangzen activism taking place inside Tibet and also support the rangzen work of such exile organizations as the Tibetan Youth Congress, the Students for a Free Tibet and others, as well as individuals and ad hoc groups undertaking projects and actions to further the rangzen effort.

On behalf of all members of the Rangzen Alliance I would like to wish RA-Switzerland our full, unstinting and unwavering comradeship in our united struggle for the cause of Tibetan independence.

J.Norbu