Beijing being chosen to host the 2022 Olympics stirred a mix of emotions within me. The news brought back haunting memories of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, when the oppression of Tibetans was at its peak. The images of thousands of Tibetans being killed and imprisoned during that time are still vivid in my mind. This also led me to reflect on the 1936 Berlin Olympics, a dark time in history when the Nazi regime, under the leadership of Hitler, exploited sports as a tool to further their agenda of hate and persecution, resulting in the deaths of six million Jews during the Holocaust.
I initially didn’t plan on joining this protest, for personal reasons and also because of the extensive attention it was already receiving from fellow Tibetan activist organizations. However, two days before the protest, I meditated and had an unconventional idea: to participate in the snowless Olympic Games and carry out an ridiculous but true act. Inspired by this sudden concept, I decided to walk with skis on asphalt, a daring and attention-grabbing endeavor. Determined to execute this plan, I embarked on a search for old ski shops, eventually managing to procure a pair of old skis which I then modified for the purpose of my unique protest. To further enhance the visual impact, I enlisted the help of my talented artist friend, who skillfully painted the skis, giving them a vibrant and eye-catching appearance. One day before the protest, I promptly issued a press release to notify the public of my unconventional Olympic-inspired protest. With everything in place, I set off on my journey, beginning my symbolic walk from Bern to Lausanne. My legs are still sometimes hurting from this difficult journey.
Media Coverage:
Tibetan musician Loten Namling walks from Bern to the IOC Lausanne with skis and ski boots and a Chinese flag trailing behind him, on Wednesday, 26 January 2022, in Bern, Switzerland, as part of a protest march to protest against the Beijing Winter Games. With the action, Loten Namling wants to draw the attention of athletes in Switzerland to the oppression of Tibetans by the Chinese government (Khumbule, Facebook, 2022, Available here, 11/7/2024)
Vor Beginn der Olympischen Winterspiele in Peking verstärkt sich die Kritik an Menschenrechtsverletzungen in China. Aktivisten berichteten von Einschüchterung, Verhören und der Aufforderung durch Staatssicherheitsorgane an chinesische Bürgerrechtler, sich während der Spiele zurückzuhalten. „Wir können davon ausgehen, dass jene, die noch nicht festgenommen, verschwunden oder außer Landes sind, durchweg zum Schweigen gebracht worden sind“, sagte Sophie Richardson von Human Rights Watch am Donnerstag. In der Schweiz ging Loten Namling aus Tibet anlässlich eines Protestmarsches auf Ski eine Straße entlang. Der Musiker möchte auf die Unterdrückung der Tibeter durch die chinesische Regierung aufmerksam machen. (OVB Heimatzeitung, 2022, Kreativer Protest des Tibeters Namling, Available here, 11/7/2024)
Des activistes tibétains se sont rassemblés jeudi à Lausanne pour une marche, devant le siège du Comité international olympique, pour protester contre la tenue des JO d’hiver à Pékin et dénoncer la politique discriminatoire de la Chine (LeTemps, 2022, Des activistes tibétains manifestent à Lausanne contre les JO de Pékin, Available here, 11/7/2024)
Loten Namling 
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