The Olympic Torch
will be met with

orange actions when it comes to China

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Teaser sent out 17th April 2008

The Olympic Torch will be met with orange actions when it comes to China

The Chinese Democracy Movement in Hong Kong in cooperation with Danish artist Jens Galschiot are going to make sure that also on Chinese ground, orange actions will be made to put focus on human rights in China during the Torch relay and the following ceremonies in Hong Kong.

Galschiot will bring several activists and a TV-documentarist, who will cover the actions in Hong Kong.   

The idea of using the color orange as a global symbol of the human rights violations in China has spread like wildfire on the Internet and among the actors in OG-connections. Politicians from both right and left wing, have declared they are considering meeting up in orange instead of boycotting OG2008. See BBC TV-broadcasting from Greece: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T92fGP-SEVM

So far the program is as follows:

26th April: Galschiot and the Orange group arrive in the airport of Hong Kong. (HKG, BA27)

27th April 3 pm: Press conference in front of the Pillar of Shame at the Hong Kong University, where the Orange group and the democracy movement will present the program for the activities in Hong Kong

28th and 29th April: Galschiot in cooperation with his fellow workers and people from the Chinese democracy movement, will repair the 8 metre high ‘Pillar of Shame’ sculpture at the Hong Kong University. The sculpture was set up in 1997 together with the Chinese democracy movement as a memorial on Chinese ground of the massacre of the students at the Tiananmen square in Beijing 4^th June 1989. The sculpture was set up three weeks before China was to take over Hong Kong, and it provoked disturbances and comprehensive discussions about freedom of speech in Hong Kong and Asia. The events were exposed globally by the many foreign journalists, who stayed in Hong Kong to report of China’s taking over of the British crown colony, and the sculpture became a global symbol of an atrocity. Later Pillars were set up in Mexico and Brazil. http://www.aidoh.dk/?categoryID=62     

30th April: Exactly 100 days before the opening of OG2008 (08.08.08) delegates for the Chinese democracy movement, the students’ movement in Hong Kong and the Danish artist will paint the Pillar of Shame orange to put focus on China’s human rights violations and the fact that China broke the deal with the Olympic Committee about improving the conditions, if they were allowed to hold the OG2008.

1st May: The Orange activists are going to participate in the May 1^st demonstrations of the labour movement.

2nd May: The Olympic Torch will pass through Hong Kong. This is probably the only place on Chinese ground, where it is possible for the Chinese to speak out criticism about the holding of the Olympic Games and the violation and the human rights. Also the many Orange activists take part displaying their Orange message.

The Democracy Movement has made thousands of Orange bracelets with the official Olympic slogan: ”One World, One Dream”. In an Orange context this means also the dream of freedom of speech and respect for human rights in China. 

2 Torches in Hong Kong: The Democracy movement plans to lead a copy of  ”Statue of Liberty with Torch”, which the students originally made at the Tiananmen square in 1989 through Hong Kong. The figure will work as a reminder about the students’ fight for democracy and against the suppression of the human rights in China.

3rd May: The Olympic torch arrives in Macau and it’s also the World Press Freedom Day. Since this whole conflict about the human rights in China has suppression of the press freedom as a core issue, the Orange activists will participate in the meetings.

4^th May: The Orange activists are participating in a 19 kilometre run to remember the students’ sacrifices at the Tiananmen square 4^th June 1989.

6^th May: The Orange activists leave Hong Kong.

We will continuously put information and pictures of our activities in Hong Kong on to www.TheColorOrange.net. Interviews, photos and TV-footings are available for the media by taking direct contact to the Danish group.

In most cases international media such as AP, AFP, Reuters, CNN and BBC are eager to cover the activities.

Info:

Departure Copenhagen (DK): Friday 25th April at 7:50 pm (flight BA821)

Arrival Hong Kong (CN): Saturday 26th April at 5:10 pm (flight BA27)

Departure Hong Kong (CN): Tuesday 6th May at 11:40 pm (flight BA32)

Arrival Copenhagen (DK): Wednesday 7th May at 9:55 am (flight BA812)

Address of the Danish Orange group in Hong Kong: King Wah Hostel (www.kingwahhostel.com) Flat 1003, 10 Floor, Sincere House, 83 Argyle Street, Mongkok.

Tel: (852) 2393 9679, Mob: (852) 9031 5779, English speaking: (852) 9770 5972

E-mail: kingwahhostel@yahoo.com

Phone contact to the Danes in HK (local HK numbers operational from 27th April):

Jens Galschiot, artist: +852 6204 1525 - Lasse Markus, press responsible: +852 6204 1523 - Kasper Markus still photos: +852 9573 1906 - Niels Madsen TV documentary: + 852 9573 2030

Contact to the Hong Kong Alliance (the democracy movement):

Secretary Ocean Fung, +852 2782 6111, e-mail contact@alliance.org.hk, Internet www.alliance.org.hk

Contact to TheColorOrange in Denmark:

TheColorOrange, Banevaenget 22, DK-5270 Odense N, tel. office (daytime) +45 6618 4058, Colette (evening) +45 6614 4038, Vagn (evening)  +45 6615 4506, e-mail: contact@TheColorOrange.net,  www.TheColorOrange.net

Contact to the Danish activists before departure: Jens Galschiot +45 6614 4038, +45 4044 7058, Niels Madsen TV footings +45 40 215 415, Lasse Markus +45 6170 3083, Kasper Markus, photos +45 6171 3083

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