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The Chinese government’s insistence on carrying the Olympics torch through Tibet to Mt. Everest is not-so-subtle attempt at portraying Tibet as being “liberated,” an integral part of China, and in harmony with its policies. We in the free world have a moral responsibility to expose its lies!
In 1949 the Communist China occupied Tibet, a country the size of Western Europe with 6 million Tibetans, who are largely Buddhists by faith. Of that 6 millions in Tibet, about 80,000 Tibetans escaped across the Himalayas into India and Nepal. Eventually, a few thousands of them moved from India to the United States, Canada and other sympathetic countries in Europe.
Since then, for the last 50 years, the Chinese government has denied the Tibetans in Tibet of basic human rights, which include, inter alia, freedom to practice one’s religion and to voice one’s opinion of the Chinese government’s policies in Tibet. Possessing a photo of the Dalai Lama is a serious crime in Tibet. In this widespread atmosphere of political and religious repression in Tibet, the Tibetans everywhere, for about half a century, have heeded the call of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for peace and non-violent struggle. Such is his moral stature! Yet the Chinese government is blaming His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the recent unrest in Tibet, unwilling to face the reality: the cultural genocide in Tibet, the massive influx of Chinese from China proper into Tibet reducing Tibetans to a minority in their own land, and the denial of other basic human rights like freedom to practice one’s religion etc., are the root causes of the unrest.
The Chinese government, in its characteristic harsh reaction to the protests in Lhasa and other areas of Tibet in recent days, has reportedly sent troops to suppress any expression of dissatisfaction with its repressive policies in Tibet. Many monasteries and towns are under complete military control now. And by pressuring the foreign journalists to leave Tibet, the Chinese government has pulled a veil of secrecy over its militaristic response and harsh extra judicial punishments of the protesters in Tibet.
Contrary to the Chinese assertion, evidence is emerging that the Chinese government planted the “agent provocateurs” of the isolated riots in Lhasa. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whose moral stature is unassailable, has consistently insisted on a non-violent “middle way” approach to arrive at a reasonable solution to the question of Tibet.
We are deeply appreciative that many countries, including the US., and their citizens have voiced their growing concern about the violent crackdowns in Tibet by the Chinese government and called for the Chinese government to talk with His Holiness the Dalai Lama over the status of Tibet.
We request you to add your voice to the international pressure on China to seek a mutually agreeable solution between it and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile regarding the status of Tibet. To address our immediate concern about the fate of Tibetans in Tibet, we are pushing for the urgent implementation of the following steps.
- Dispatch independent fact-finding delegations to Tibet.
- Allow international press to report on the situation in Tibet.
- End the killings in Tibet.
- Release Tibetans imprisoned as a result of the crackdowns in Tibet.
- Allow Red Cross and other Humanitarian agencies to offer medical assistance to the Tibetans injured in the recent crackdowns.
- Allow free movement of Tibetans to have access to daily needs.
For more on this issue, visit www.phayul.com
Issued by the Tibetan Alliance of Chicago
950 West Carmen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640
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