The International Olympic Committee has received a new threat in the form of a second letter, postmarked from France, purportedly from a radical Tibetan group.
The letter was sent to IOC director general Francois Carrard at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, threatening reprisals against the IOC and its members if Beijing is selected as 2008 host city. A copy was also mailed to The Associated Press in London.
The IOC turned both letters over to Swiss police.
The letter is said to be from Pro-Tibetan Radical Faction (The French Group), described as “a new independent group of radical pro-Tibetan young persons (both European, Tibetan and Chinese-dissident) from France, England and Switzerland”.
The group said it was responsible for a recent letter claiming to be from a radical faction of the Tibetan Youth Congress, based in Dharmsala, India, which has the world’s largest Tibetan exile population.
The Tibetan Youth Congress, which espouses non-violent protest against Chinese rule in Tibet, has disavowed itself from any involvement in the first letter.
The new letter expresses “regret” for having involved the youth congress in the threat. It said, “that was needed for a question of acknowledgment but we now understand that it was a bad idea, although it doesn’t change anything to the contents of the letter. We’ll fight as strongly as possible (up to bodily reprisals). This is presently our last but true and effective threat against the IOC until July 13. Of course we also maintain our promise of a ‘spectacular public act’ at this date. You should take them seriously”, said the letter.
