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Voyager - January
2007 Tibet: What We Can Do
Gabriel Hartnell
Since the invasion, the Chinese occupation has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Tibetans. Today, hundreds of Tibetan political prisoners are held in jails where, according to the UN Special Rapporteur, Dr Manfred Nowak, torture is ‘widespread’. This information is rarely made public in the west, as China maintains a high level of control over images, film and testimony coming out of Tibet. The result is that the Chinese are able to paint a picture of an autonomous, economically prosperous and progressive Tibet where its people have been ‘liberated’ from their backward lives. In fact, the basic freedoms of speech, religion and assembly are strictly limited in Tibet, and arbitrary arrests continue. Monks and nuns are often imprisoned and tortured for refusing to denounce their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, and Tibetans face long jail terms, as was the case with Phuntsog Nyidrol; a nun who served 15 years in a notorious prison after being involved in peaceful protests against Chinese rule. In terms of Tibetan culture, the Chinese have long pursued a policy of developing the country’s industry and infrastructure at the expense of schooling and healthcare. The result is positive for the millions of Han Chinese who are induced to migrate to the Tibetan region, but highly damaging for the native people, to whom secondary education is not available in Tibetan and lucrative jobs in government, tourism and construction are reserved for Chinese migrants and speakers. The highly advanced Tibetan Buddhist religion has also been under attack by the invading forces since the takeover, with more than 6000 monasteries destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, many of which have only been rebuilt as Chinese-controlled tourist spots designed to degrade the Tibetan culture to theme park status. ‘Patriotic re-education’ sessions continue, where monks who fail to swear allegiance to the Chinese ‘Motherland’ can be beaten and imprisoned. To add to the Chinese control of religion in Tibet, the Panchen Lama, the second most important figure in the tradition, was kidnapped by the Chinese authorities when he was only six years old, and has not been heard from since, being replaced by a ‘state sponsored’ Panchen Lama who’s views fit those of the state. In a bizarre move in 2007, the Chinese banned the reincarnation of lamas without state approval, and denounced the Dalai Lama’s suggestion that the Tibetan people may wish to pick their next leader through a democratic vote as ‘a violation’ of Tibetan Buddhism. Political organisations such as Free Tibet Campaign work not only to highlight the Tibetan situation in the world media, but also to urge international governments to action and to achieve the release of political prisoners. You can make a difference - Use Your Power
Writing to MPs, taking part in post card campaigns and simply spreading the message will ensure that Tibet is not forgotten and that as it attempts to become a world leader, China is pressure to develop its human rights alongside its economic prowess. Free Tibet Campaign is currently working on the case of Runggye Adak; a nomad arrested for expressing his desire to see the Dalai Lama return to Tibet, and for whom MP Norman Baker has tabled an Early Day Motion to parliament. Writing a personal letter to your MP asking them to sign this motion can pave the way to the Tibet issue being properly debated by ministers. Please give this link to your MP and express your support: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=34467 To find out who your MP is - click here For more information on the situation in Tibet and how you can help, please visit http://www.freetibet.org © Gabriel Hartnell 2008 Gabriel Hartnell is a campaigner for Free Tibet - a non-profit organisation with over 19,000 supporters combining their personal power towards the liberation of the Tibetan people from horrific oppression. Free Tibet Campaign generates active support by educating people about the situation in Tibet. It is independent of all governments and is funded by its members and supporters. To Learn more about Free Tibet or to show your support for humanitarian freedoms please visit - http://www.freetibet.org |
In 1950, Tibet was invaded by Chinese
Communist forces and remains an occupied country to this day.
Supporters can help by making their voice
heard, especially in the build-up to the Beijing Olympics 2008, where the media
spotlight will be firmly placed on China.