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01.00.02

Dominik Erne comes home from work. Instead of calling it a day, intensive training is on the agenda. The 26 year old Swiss with Tibetan roots is a passionate table tennis player. He has already won several medals at the Swiss championships. Now he is training for one special goal; he wants to play at the Olympic games in Beijing next year. For Tibet, to be precise.

00.27 Dominik Erne: The Tibetans, as people, we are not recognized. And we want to show through our participation that we exist. It ‘d be a great honour for us, to take part here. The best moment would be to raise our flag and show that we are here.  

00.49

Dominik Erne grew up in Bern with a Swiss father and a Tibetan mother. Today, he lives with his girlfriend in Zurich. His mother came to Switzerland as a child, having fled the Chinese invasion of Tibet. For a long time Dominik felt little connection with Tibet, until he first visited the exiled Tibetan community in India.  

01. 09 Dominik Erne: Through this journey I realized something hidden in me, that this is my second home. And I wanted to learn more about my second origin, what my roots are. The wish to do something for my people is bigger. I want to properly get to know my roots. I notice even more that there is something inside me that belongs to the East.

01.38

Dominik Erne is one of nine young Tibetans from Switzerland who want to compete for their country at the Olympic Games together with other Tibetan sportsmen from across the world. It was here at the home of the Swiss- Tibetan Friendship Society in Zurich that this idea came into being. The goal is to make people aware of the fate of occupied Tibet. However, they are not doing it through protests or a boycott.

02.02 Barbara Lehmann: We want to show another image; we want to leave the victim hood behind and participate with the same rights as sportsmen.

02.15

But to talk about Tibet is to talk about politics. The country was occupied by China in 1950 and shortly thereafter, it was declared Chinese territory. What the Chinese described as „reclaiming" a land which belonged to them, the Tibetans saw as bitter repression. The great uprising of the people in 1959 was brutally crushed. Even to this day there is neither freedom of worship nor freedom of speech. Since then hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have fled, many of them to Switzerland.

02.45

Almost 4000 exile Tibetans live in Switzerland. That is one of the largest Tibetan communities outside Asia. Although they are well integrated they are also trying to foster and develop their culture. When large celebrations are organised, such as the recent Constitution Day, Tibetan music and dance plays a part. Then, the Tibetans celebrate their constitution in exile and their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Here, of course, the young Tibetans ambition to go to the Olympics is on everybody's lips.

03.17 Lobsang Gangshontsang: Even when they are not the best athletes, they show the rest of the world that we Tibetans also exist in this planet and they make our rights valid.

03.31

Dolkar Gyaltag also had to flee to Switzerland as a child after the Tibetan People's uprising. Her father was a Member of the Cabinet when the Chinese soldiers marched in. Some family members were arrested by the Chinese. Today, Dolkar Gyaltag lives with her children near Zurich. (open)

03.51

Her son Rigzin also wants to compete for Tibet at the Olympic games - in speed cycling. His mother is proud of his commitment.

03.58 BITE DOLKAR GYALTAG: Sport stands for equity. And when someone feels that everything is based on injustice and on the abuse of human dignity, then it is very important to raise this subject, to report it. And this is admittedly a non-violent way.  

04.21

At 25, Rigzin is a journalism student. He has never been to Tibet himself, but the idea of competing in China with a Tibetan team has fascinated him.

04.33 Rigzin GYALTAG: Because for the first time, you could come yourself in China with the Tibetan flag, as a free Tibetan. That would be possible. A big politic step and for us athletes, a very motivating moment.

04.55

Up till now he was a mere „hobby cyclist" , and now he has to step things up a gear. All then same, he wants to compete with the very top riders from all over the world.

05.04

But it's unclear whether the International Olympic Committee will even let the Tibetan athletes compete, because Tibet is not a sovereign state.

05.13

A few weeks ago, those responsible for the Tibetan team founded a National Olympic Committee and handed their rules to the IOC. As far as the team-representatives are concerned, Tibet's application is legitimate.

05.27 Kelsang Gope: And there are a lot of nations that take part in the Olympic Games, although their political status is partly or not at all recognized, like for instance Palestine. Therefore, it is legitimate that Tibet is also there.

05.46

In fact, nations that are not sovereign states, like the Palestinians, do participate in the Olympic games. Taiwan is also allowed to take part, despite the fact in the eyes of the Chinese it is a part of China. Indeed, Taiwan has to fly a purposely designed flag which says „Chinese Taipei" 

06.06

The Olympics have always stood for fair play, peace and international understanding. Wouldn't the participation of Chinese occupied Tibet be a sign of the Olympic spirit? 

06.19

The headquarters of the IOC in Lausanne remains silent. Despite repeated requests, we were unable get an interview. However, in a written statement the IOC emphasised that there has been no formal application from Tibet. In addition, only delegations from internationally recognised states can be permitted. These regulations, they say, have been tightened up in the past few years. 

06.40

In the campaign office of the Tibetan team they suspect that the IOC does not want to annoy the mighty China. China would never allow the Tibetans to participate at the Olympic games. So the Tibetan sportsmens' website was blocked long ago in China.

06.57 Kelsang Gope: I don't see any other reason. If a negative decision should come from a political and economic background, then this has nothing to do with the Olympic idea.

07.11

Jan Mühlenthaler, a journalist and expert in sport and politics believes the Tibet question is politically awkward for the IOC:

07.20 Jan Mühlenthaler: To ask such a question, but also to behave wrongly at all events, is something that could displease the organizers of the Olympic Games in Beijing, which would be a greater success.  

07.52

In any case, the Tibetan athletes might have had too ambitious a goal, considering the short notice of their candidacy.

07.59 Jan Mühlenthaler: It is naïve to think that within a few weeks it will be finalized. It's a little bit naïve but at the same time they are entitled to grab this chance, to promote their rightful cause.

08.20

 Dominik Erne remains optimistic and he is looking forward to challenging his Chinese opponents at the Olympics.

08.28 Dominik Erne: First of all, to play against a Chinese, because Tabletennis is their national sport. It would be the best moment, if I could beat a Chinese.

08.38

 Rigzin Gyaltag is also counting on receiving permission to compete in Beijing. It would be a sign of hope for the politically oppressed Tibetan people.

08.47 Rigzin Gyaltag: It is not like everything we do is in vain or that no one has noticed it. You can see the support from abroad. Therefore, we have to carry on because it really helps the people in Tibet.

09.05

 Whether the Tibetan flag will actually fly at the Olympic games in China is doubtful, but the Swiss-Tibetan sportsmen are far from giving up...

ENDS 09.20