London: Tibetan scholars from all over the world gathered in London on Friday (15th April) to discuss the environmental implications of China's occupation of the country. Over 50 people and many more via an online video stream attended the successful event organised by Students for a Free Tibet and the School of Oriental and African Studies.
The experts from as far afield as Australia and America spoke on a variety of topics from the Yartsa Gunbu (Caterpillar Fungus) of Amdo to the Tibetan Environmentalist movement. The conference, entitled "Pure Earths?" also included a 20-minute film created by Emily Yeh from the University of Colorado entitled "Shielding the Mountains". The film addressed Tibetan cultures of nature, China's environmental movement and the imprisonment of Tibetans, such as Rinchen Samdrup for trying to protect endangered species.
The conference additionally covered the mining implications to the rivers in Tibet, the effects of glacier changes on the Tibetan landscape and the forced resettlement of nomads by the Chinese government. The experts, who included, Gabriel Lafitte, Dr. Andrew Fisher, Emilia Sulek, Mika Sillanpaa and Tobias Bolch, also held discussion panels.
There were brief addresses by Tendor, executive director of Students for a Free Tibet International and Lhadon Tethong, director of the Tibet Action Institute, who praised the event highly for its ambition and academia.
The following day Students for a Free Tibet UK organised a training day aimed at turning what was discussed during the conference and other environmental reports into campaign material as well as offering support in public speaking.