Normally I do not express my political opinions on my blog, but I can no longer watch in silence. We can no more ignore the situation in Tibet.

I am deeply disturbed to learn of the Chinese government's use of brute force against unarmed Tibetans inside Tibet. Supported by tanks, thousands of armed troops have sealed off three major monasteries near Lhasa, Tibet where nonviolent protests were initiated on Monday. Police have fired live ammunition into crowds of unarmed Tibetans and unconfirmed reports from Lhasa indicate that 80 or more Tibetans have been killed.

I've not been pro-boycott, until now, but I think it would be "unconscionable" to attend the Beijing Games if China failed to deal peacefully with unrest in the Himalayan region.
Marches held by Tibetans worldwide this week to mark the 49th anniversary of a failed uprising against Beijing's rule that led to the Dalai Lama fleeing to India (in 1959) were part of a long succession of grievances.

China continues to repress Tibetans' religious aspirations, especially their veneration for the Dalai Lama, who won Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.


Please urge the United States government or your own government to demand that the government of China:

1) Allow demonstrators to exercise their right to freedom of expression and assembly;

2) Refrain from excessive use of force against Tibetan protesters;

3) Release all Tibetans who have been arrested or detained, and;

4) Allow international media unobstructed access to Tibet.

For five decades, the Tibetan people have suffered greatly under China's brutal rule. The Chinese government has swamped Tibet with Chinese settlers, poured money into mega-infrastructure projects like the railway that solidify its control, and ruthlessly attacked Tibetan culture and religion. As the Olympics approach and the world's eyes turn to Beijing, this outpouring of frustration is the natural consequence of China's ongoing repression in Tibet.

Please speak out now to help ensure that further violence against Tibetans is stopped.


Some info about Tibet:

For centuries Tibet, a country the size of Western Europe, existed as a culturally rich and independently governed nation. A place of great peace and natural magnificence, it gave refuge and religious freedom to a people whose language, laws, institutions and customs were created with one thing in mind: the creation of a society totally imbued with and inspired by love, kindness and human compassion.

That all changed with the invasion of the Chinese in 1949.

Relying on historical misrepresentations and an aggressive imperialism, China and its People's Liberation Army laid claim to the nation of Tibet by proclaiming a need for "liberation" and reform. In 1951 The "17-Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet" was imposed upon the Tibetan government. It was a document designed specifically to destroy their national, cultural and religious identity. With the presence of over 40,000 Chinese troops, the threat of an immediate occupation and the prospective obliteration of the Tibetan state, China had given Tibetans little choice but to cooperate.

Since then, the Tibetan people have become marginalized in their own country, the unique Tibetan culture has been severely restricted and hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have died as a result of the occupation, through torture and execution, suicides, starvation and even forced abortion.

The rich natural resources are diverted to the Chinese mainland and fundamental rights continue to be denied. Simply saying the words “free Tibet” or displaying a Tibetan national flag can result in arrest, torture and imprisonment. Religious freedom has been increasingly restricted: monks and nuns continue to be beaten, arrested and imprisoned for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama, their spiritual and temporal leader.

Today Tibet is strictly governed by the Chinese Communist Party with the active support of the military, which maintains the occupation with a presence of at least one quarter of a million troops.

Sine 2006, Senior Chinese Communist Party leaders have intensified their focus on the "anti-separatist struggle" in Tibet, indicating their determination to crack down on any dissenting views and actions. At a meeting in Lhasa in May 2006, the new Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), Zhang Qingli, called for the intensification of the political "patriotic education" campaign. He said the Party is engaged in a "fight to the death struggle" against the Dalai Lama and his supporters (Source: Xinhua) and described the Dalai Lama as "the biggest obstacle hindering Tibetan Buddhism from establishing normal order".

Tibet is currently being transformed, following the launch of the Chinese Communist Party’s “Western Development Strategy” in 1999. This strategy includes major infrastructure and industrial projects - the cornerstone of which is the China-Tibet railway. Most of these projects, including mines and dams are enriching the Chinese, but many destroying the natural beauty of Tibet. The Chinese Communist Party has little to offer Tibetans other than repression.

There is a lot of information about Tibet. Please educating yourself and others by visiting informational Web sites, reading books and articles, and accessing other resources. We can no longer be ignorant.


http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org/

http://www.gerefoundation.org/links.html

http://www.gerefoundation.org/resources.html

http://www.gerefoundation.org/

http://www.tibet.org

http://www.tibetanchildrenseducation.org/


Take care,

Sandra Wijnveldt