ALERT: Tendor, SFT’s Executive Director, live on Al Jazeera English’s show ‘The Stream’ today!

“Peaceful Liberation” & the Potala Square

On Tuesday morning, 20,000 people gathered in the square in front of the Potala Palace, but not to protest.  They were celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the “Peaceful Liberation” of Tibet that took place when the 17-Point Agreement was signed in May, 1951. The stage was erected weeks in advance, much of Lhasa was under construction during the winter and spring, and government officials arrived on Sunday for one week of ceremonies and celebrations–the details of which were kept under wraps.

One thing was a given, that the Potala would serve as the backdrop.  The Chinese government loves using the Potala Palace as its flagship image for their Tibet propaganda. Completed in the late 1600s, the building sits thirteen stories high atop a hill overlooking Lhasa, holds over 1,000 rooms, exquisite temples, ancient scriptures, and remains of previous Dalai Lamas. No other buildings in the city rival the Potala’s height. It made the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994, and the Chinese government has plastered the image of the palace on everything from tourism brochures to beer and barley wine bottles and cans ever since. Not only is the Potala Palace a representation of incredible architectural feats and traditional Tibetan design, to the Chinese government it represents the backbone of a feudal society whose serfs were “liberated” by Mao and the People’s Republic of China 60 years ago.

 

In 2005, the Chinese government cleared the area in front of the Dalai Lama’s winter residence to make way for the new square and the “Tibet Peaceful Liberation Monument” that lay in the center. May 23, 2006 marked 50 years since the signing of the 17-Point Agreement, and the abstract representation of Mt. Everest was unveiled.  In front of the monument, embedded under the concrete, are water fountains synchronized with lights and music, giving the square a Disney-esque look and feel for the tourists who visit each night in the summer. Except for this year.

Lhasa has been banned to foreign travelers since June, and an article published on Saturday by AFP noted that the government is now restricting the number of Chinese tourists to the region. The fact that the number of domestic Chinese tourists traveling to Tibet is restricted is a sure sign that the situation is dire. Lhasa is cut off from the rest of the world, showing that there is fear of potential unrest, and most likely an increased military and security presence in the city–which is not something the government wants foreigners to view.

A China Daily article recounted what the government wanted people to see–Tuesday’s event, which included a speech by Vice President Xi Jinping, who claimed that “speeding up development holds the key to resolving all issues in Tibet”. The article launched into accounts of government aide to Tibetans, noting that Xi’s delegation brought pressure cookers and solar-powered TV sets to villages in Tibet.  Praise was given for the increased number of cars in towns and cities in Tibet, as well as one man’s opportunity to work in a cement factory ten months out of the year, rather than toil at his previous occupation as a farmer.

What the article omitted were the harsh realities of Tibet’s political and cultural oppression, and the continued economic and societal marginalization of Tibetans, despite the government’s attempt to buy Tibetans’ loyalties. It left out the fact that nomadic communities are being forced off of their land to make way for mining operations that destroy the land and poison the waters that flow downstream to 47% of the world’s population; that nomads are forced to slaughter their animals and move into ghetto-style housing blocks, where rates of depression, alcoholism, and suicide are on the rise; that the grasslands are turning into deserts because there are no nomads grazing their animals, whose traditional practices aerate and fertilize the soil, keeping the grasslands healthy and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Apparently pots and pans and television sets are more important.

Read more:

www.NomadRights.org

Celebration marks peaceful liberation (China Daily)

Beijing curbs China tourism to Tibet: travel agents (AFP)

 

Read more from e.v. de cleyre

No Foreigners Allowed…Again?

In March I wrote about how foreigners were banned from traveling to Lhasa, and it seems the authorities are denying entry permits to the Tibet Autonomous Region yet again.

Urban Sprawl in Lhasa, April 2011

In March, the official (read: Chinese government) reason for the ban was the over-crowding of tourists and extreme weather.  These were blatant lies, as there were few tourists in Lhasa at the time—only domestic tourists were allowed permits—and the weather was sunny, occasionally cloudy and windy.  The real reason was that the government did not want foreign tourists to view firsthand the current crackdown and the heightened military presence in March, due to fears of potential unrest on the anniversary of the Uprisings of 1959 and 2008

The Potala square in April, 2011, devoid of tourists.

In April, permits were re-issued, and fair-skinned foreign tourists toting heavy cameras began trickling in, trailing their tour guides around the city.  It had been one month since I had seen any foreigners save the few that I knew lived in Lhasa, and I stared and studied them with the same fascination as the Tibetans, not used to the sight of them.  A recent news article stated that areas of Sichuan, most likely Ngaba, were closed to tourists in April, following the self-immolation of a monk and the subsequent protests and crackdown in the region.

In May, another politically sensitive anniversary occurred on the 23^rd—the 60^th anniversary of the signing of the 17-Point Agreement, which China dubs the official day of Tibet’s “peaceful liberation.” (read the “17 Points of Disagreement”: 60 Years of China’s Failed Policies in Tibet)

It is now June, and the two anniversaries have passed, so why is Tibet yet again closed to foreign tourists? Documents cited the May 23^rd anniversary, but it seems more likely that the ban is in response to the upcoming July 1^st anniversary of the Communist Party’s founding.  Likewise, the recent protests in Inner Mongolia may also have something to do with it:

In May, Beijing told foreigners not to sow unrest in its vast northern region of Inner Mongolia, after rare protests by ethnic Mongolians sparked by the hit-and-run death of a herder garnered international attention.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu has said people overseas had an ‘ulterior motive’ and were trying to use the incident ‘to cause trouble’. (Reuters)

While blaming foreigners for unrest in Inner Mongolia is flattering, credit must be given where credit is due, and the people of Inner Mongolia, Tibet, and East Turkestan need to be recognized for their brave efforts.

The fact that Tibet is so frequently closed due to fears of potential unrest and heightened military crackdowns is absurd and horrifying.  March through October is the tourist high season, yet three out of the past four months saw bans on foreign tourists in numerous areas in Tibet. Tour guides who have no work in the winter must toil grueling hours in the high season, making most, if not all of their income in that half of the year. A ban on foreign tourists means that hundreds, potentially thousands of tour guides will be making next to nothing this year.

Right now, Lhasa is being built up into a tourist hot spot, with new luxury hotels like the St. Regis Lhasa Resort and the Intercontinental popping up, along with malls, movie theaters, department stores, and restaurants emerging and vying for tourist dollars.  The St. Regis Lhasa Resort opened its doors in November, boasting that they are offering training and employment opportunities for local Tibetans, but how can a hotel thrive when there are no tourists?  They have built it, but no one can come.

How can tourism successfully function in Tibet today? It cannot and it will not until Tibet is a free and independent nation, free of military oppression, economic marginalization, and religious and cultural repression.

 

Read more from e.v. de cleyre

 

China closes Tibet to foreigners until July 26 (AP)

UPDATE 1-China closes Tibet to foreigners ahead of anniversary (Reuters)

China closes Tibet to foreigners until July 26 in apparent move to head off disturbances (AP/Washington Post)

It Was Not a Good Day to be a Chinese Official

In the early morning hours on Monday, May 9^th, a group of us drove from New York to Washington D.C., to raise our voices at the U.S. China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. When our van pulled up in D.C., Tibetans were already confronting four full buses of Chinese officials and military personal.

SFT board member, Tenzing Barshee, unveiled a Tibetan flag in the face of Deputy Chief of the People’s Liberation Army, General Ma Xiaotian. Tibetan palas and amalas placed flags over the windows of their buses as activists confronted the Chinese officials.

As Tibetans in Ngaba, Eastern Tibet continue to experience repression from Beijing, Tibetans in D.C., brought their voices straight to the Chinese leadership.

By 1:00 PM, we gathered in front of the State Department. As 20 of us began to raise our bull horns, voices, and flags, we were joined by the 8 Ngaba Peace Marchers. During the previous 7 days, the marchers had epically walked from New York to Washington D.C., and insisted on walking the distance from Capitol Hill, where they lobbied their congressional representatives, to the State Department.

For the next 3 hours, we had unprecedented access to limousines and buses full of Chinese officials. We hounded them.

It was reported,”…protesters chanted “Shame on China!” and held signs outside the building that read “China — Stop Military Crackdown in Ngaba, Tibet! (Huffington Post)” and “Tibetan protesters demanded that China ensure the freedom of monks at the Kirti monastery (AFP).”

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton responded to the Dialogue by saying, the Chinese leadership “is trying to stop history, which is a fool’s errand” and called Beijing’s human rights record “deplorable.”

That night, back in New York, as I walked home, exhausted, my face burned by the sun, and my voice lost, I thought of the 8 marchers who tirelessly walked from New York to Washington D.C. I thought of the hundreds of monks, students, and lay Tibetans in Ngaba whose calls for human rights and freedom we delivered to the Chinese leadership.

It indeed was not a good day to be a Chinese official.

Click here to view photos from the protest.

A Clear Case of Lies, China’s Propaganda on Ngaba

On March 16^th, 2011 when Phuntsok Jarutsang, a 21 year-old Tibetan monk from Kirti Monastery, doused his robes in petrol and set himself ablaze, he sent a spark through the Tibetan world.

Following Phuntsok’s death, over a thousand brave Tibetans in Ngaba (Ch: Aba County), took to the streets. Their protest was swiftly quelled by Chinese security forces. In the ensuing days, Chinese forces arrested dozens of Tibetans and laid siege to Kirti Monastery.

Tensions mounted on April 12^th, fearing Chinese security forces plans to take away monks, Tibetans blocked the entrance of Kirti Monastery. Chinese soldiers tried to break through the Tibetans’ blockade by beating and setting dogs on the crowd. The Tibetans stood their ground.

Nine days later, police in Ngaba again attacked unarmed Tibetans and arrested over 350 monks from Kirti Monastery. Around 200 lay Tibetans formed a human chain attempting to stop the monks from being taken away. Two elderly Tibetans were killed as police beat their way through the human chain.

How did China respond to the siege at Kirti? A Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson acknowledged Phuntsok’s death but blamed it on “epilepsy treatment delays.” (China Daily) Nothing could be more insulting than to blame Phuntsok’s brave and tragic act on epilepsy.

A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry denied that security forces were blockading the monastery and added that Beijing’s policies in the Ngaba were “well received by local people” (BBC)

If this was so, then why did thousands of Tibetans pour into the streets after Phuntsok’s death? Why did thousands of Tibetans attend Phuntsok’s funeral to pay homage to Phuntsok? Photos and video received by Free Tibet campaign clearly show the blockade at Kirti and a massive police and military build up in Ngaba. Beijing’s policies have clearly not been “well received.”

The spark ignited by Phuntsok reached far beyond the streets of Ngaba. Tibetans and supporters across the world have held protests, vigils, and lobbied in support of Tibetans in Ngaba. Every day for the past 3 weeks, Tibetans in New York have staged daily protests and on April 25^th, the Tibetan Youth Congress in India launched an Indefinite Hunger Strike in New Delhi.

Tibetans in Ngaba have not only exposed the Chinese government’s brutality, but also the blatant lies they have told to cover up their actions.

Help Defend the Tibetan Language

Last month Tibetan students in Rebkong, Amdo boldly protested the Chinese government’s decision to replace Tibetan with Chinese as the language of instruction in Tibetan schools by 2015. In the following days, the protests spread as more than 8,000 students – some as young as 13 – took to the streets to defend their fundamental right to study in their mother tongue. Watch a compilation of Radio Free Asia’s footage of the protests.

Language forms the foundation of Tibet’s unique and vibrant culture; to deny Tibetans their language is an attack on their fundamental human rights. Overnight, language became a flashpoint of cultural resistance inside Tibet, and has sparked a solidarity movement worldwide.

Support SFT’s global grassroots effort to pressure China to respect Tibetans’ fundamental right to language by clicking here.

SFT’s Tendor and Ven.    Lobsang Monlam

This Wednesday, we hosted the fourth episode of the Renaissance Series, In My Mother Tongue: Freedom Through Language. Ven. Lobsang Monlam, the creator of the Monlam Tibetan Unicode, gave an inspiring presentation about new digital tools he has helped develop – including the newly released Tibetan keyboard for iPhone 4.2 – that are helping to elevate the global status of the Tibetan language.

SFT’s Renaissance Series was launched this summer to promote the writings, poetry, music, and other works of art and literature banned in Chinese-occupied Tibet.

 In spite of China’s escalated repression following the widespread protests in 2008, there is a cultural renaissance underway in Tibet. Writers, musicians, and intellectuals are boldly asserting their views as a form of resistance to China’s colonial occupation. Tibetans in Tibet and in exile are reclaiming their language as part of this renaissance. Through grassroots action and digital innovation, we can help ensure the Tibetan language flourishes, withstanding attacks from the Chinese government. Please help us to support this cultural renaissance, and amplify the voices of Tibetans inside Tibet that are calling for the protection of their language by donating today.

Global Outcry Over Nepal’s Disruption of Tibetan Election

Global outcry is building over the Nepali governments forced disruption of the Tibetan primary election. There have been protests in major cities like London , New York, and Washington DC. Thousands of ballots cast by Tibetans participating in the October 3rd preliminary round of elections to nominate candidates to the office of Prime Minister (Kalon Tripa) & Parliament (Chitue) were confiscated by Nepalese police from poling centers. As a result the US government has called on Nepal to “protect the rights of Tibetan exiles.” Nepal’s Home Ministry spokesman Jaya Mukunda Khanal responded by saying “The administration intervened in the…election because Nepal’s foreign policy does not allow any activities against any friendly neighboring countries.”People around the world are calling on the Nepali government to immediately return the ballot boxes and end its brutal harassment and mistreatment of Tibetans, especially those escaping persecution in Chinese-occupied Tibet.

Take Action: Send a Letter to the Nepalese Foreign Minister

Read SFT’s press statement.

(more…)

Tibetans, Supporters Protest Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in NYC

Rowdy protests were held on September 21, 2010 in front of the Waldorf Astoria hotel to greet Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s arrival in NYC. Two Tibet protesters were able to get up close to his motorcade with Tibetan flags! Protests will continue through September 23rd, check out the full protest schedule. Join us in making sure Premier Wen hears our voices for Tibetan freedom loud & clear.

View photos from the Wen Jiabao protest: