Student Protests Continue to Sweep Across Tibet

Late in the afternoon on July 10^th, 2011, three students arrived at the main market of Kardze County.  The students began distributing pamphlets and shouting slogans calling for “unity amongst Tibetans, the return of the Dalai Lama, and the independence of Tibet.” Almost immediately the Public Security Bureau officers arrived and began beating the students. The three students are Lobsang Phuntsok, Samphel and Lobsang Lhundup.

Again on July 29^th, only in his mid 20s, Lobsang Ngodup staged a dramatic protest on the main road of Kardze County. He unveiled a portrait of the Dalai Lama and began chanting slogans. Eyewitnesses reported that he “continued to raise slogans for Tibet’s independence even while Chinese security personnel beat him severely.”

Lobsang Phuntsok, 17

Lobsang Ngodup

Similarly, in north eastern Tibet (Amdo), over 400 students from “Golog Senior Tibetan High School” demonstrated against destructive mining in the region. In late July, the students set out on a 60 kilometer march to the site of a copper mine in Dawu, Golog. The students later staged a sit-in at the county government offices. Police forced the students to disperse although no arrests were made.

News of the protest was reported by the Tibet Times and Voice of Tibet Radio. A photo of the protest was sent from Golog to sources in exile and later posted on Chinese social networking websites. Although promptly taken down, the photo attracted dozens of supportive comments.

 

 

One user who shared the photo commented:

“Forward this article if you are inspired by the sacrifice of our brave Tibetan brothers who are rising across Tibet.”

In 2010, a wave of student protests spread across Tibet and culminated with widespread protests for language freedom in late October. Students both in and outside Tibet are utilizing the power of nonviolent resistance and continue to be at the forefront of the Tibetan freedom struggle.

Language Awards, Lhakar, and Tibetan Education

Recently several photos of a language awards ceremony in Lithang County were sent from Tibet. The photos show Tibetan youth being presented certificates and being offered Khatas for their achievements in Tibetan language and study of Tibetan history. The recipients of the awards range in age from 10 to 18. Because the high cost of private schools and the poor quality of state education, young Tibetans often attend community run schools.

“Most people think that because the government gives free education to Tibetan youth, it’s a good thing. But after 5 or 6 years in these schools, they start to forget Tibetan,” the Tibetan source in Lithang said.

When asked if the awards were given as part of Lhakar (literally white Wednesday), the homegrown Tibetan noncooperation movement, the source said “Some people in Lithang do Lhakar. For example, in Lithang the Tibetan alphabet is written on doorways and graffitied on walls. They need a better way to promote Tibetan [language].”

In recent years, Tibetan students attending schools in Xining, Chengdu, Beijing and other Chinese cities often complain of discrimination, inadequate job opportunities, and the absence of meaningful “cultural education.”

Similar actions to preserve Tibetan language and culture have been taken by Tibetans across Tibet. In the name of Lhakar, many Tibetans have boycotted Chinese-owned stores, made special efforts to speak and write in Tibetan, promote Tibetan culture, and engaged in acts of non-cooperation.

For more on Tibet’s Lhakar movement, go to: http://lhakar.org

10 Android & iPhone Apps for Tibet Activists

 

Mobile phones are playing an increasing role in movements for social change. Since the birth of smart phones, documentation of rights abuses, mobilization, and mass communication have been revolutionized.  As smart phones get smarter, we have an ever-expanding market of apps to make our work for Tibet more effective.

Apps for Android:

BhoView: Tibetan Text Viewer
BhodView lets you view any Tibetan webpage by using the “Share Via” feature of other apps like Browser, Email or Messaging. Just open a Tibetan website, email, or message and click “share,” then select BhodView. A great app for anyone who wants to view Tibetan on their phone. Free.

 

Congress
Congress is an amazing app. It’s a pocket directory that allows you to quickly get detailed information (including photos and bios) on your members of Congress, and what they’re up to. With Congress you can follow the latest bills and laws, and see floor activity and votes as they happen.

This is the perfect app for Tibet Lobby Day or for becoming more fluent and up-to-date in US congress happenings and info. A must have. Free.

 

Tibetan News & Music
A great new app which brings Tibetan video newscasts from Voice of America and Radio Free Asia as well as the latest headlines from Phayul.com to your Droid. As an added bonus, Tibetan News & Music also brings you the best new Tibetan music videos. A big shout out to Digital Vajra for developing this. Free.

 

uTalk Tibetan
uTalk is a good app for learning basic Tibetan phrases, numbers, and vocabulary. uTalk has an interesting  recording and playback function, although it didn’t prove to be too useful. The word games and quizzes are perfect for a long subway ride. Even without Tibetan font support, uTalk displays Tibetan letters. This is a great app for anyone who wants to learn Tibetan or expand their vocabulary. Price $9.71. Also available for iPhone for $9.99

 

Beiks Tibetan English Dictionary
The Tibetan-English Dictionary is for both Tibetan speakers who need to look up words in English and English speakers who need to look up words in Tibetan. This was my personal favorite of the Tibetan dictionary apps. This app is not in the Android market. Price $12.95.

 

English Tibetan Dictionary
English Tibetan Dictionary (Romanized) is travel dictionary to translate English to Tibetan displaying a list of words in Romanized Tibetan. The dictionary also translates from phonetic Tibetan to English. The dictionary has an impressive collection of words but also lacks some basic ones. Price $4.02. Also available for the iPhone for $2.99

Free2Work
Free2Work is an awesome app. Free2Work promotes transparency by rating major brands based on their policies to address this human rights issue. With Free2Work, you can easily find specific Companies, get updates from other activists, see the latest video and photos from the field, and share information. Learn how companies like Nike, Adidas, and Patagonia are rated and how they are improving. Also available for iPhone. Free.

 

Obscura Cam
A “Visual Privacy” photo app developed by The Guardian Project with Witness. Obscura Cam detects faces in photos, then protects the identity of the subjects by obstructing their faces. It also removes EXIF metadata from photos. This is a fantastic app and it’s inspiring to see apps head in this direction. A great app for human rights defenders an d activists living under repressive regimes. Free

 

Orweb: Privacy Browser + Tor
Enhance your privacy, break through firewalls and communicate more safely. Orbot is the official port of Tor to Android. Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. Devoloped by the Guardian Project and the great folks at Tor. Find more about Tor for the iPhone here. Free.

Gibberbot
Another great app by the Guardian Project. Gibberbot is a secured chat client capable of firewall and filter circumvention, surveillance blocking and end-to-end encryption. Free.

 

Twitter
Share instant updates with your friends, favorite organizations, and the world. Twitter has been successfully used for organizing protests, and keeping the world updated as events are happening. It has played a key role in revolutions and freedom struggles. As citizen journalism becomes increasingly important, Twitter is an essential app for any activist. TweetDeck makes it easy to link and post to all your social networks. Twitter and TweetDeck are also available for iPhones. Free

 

Qik
Qik Video makes it easy to shoot video and have it stream live to the web. Many Androids come with Qik built in. For long live-casts, use apps like Ustream. Also available for iPhone. Free.

Apps for iPhones

PhayulNews
Phayul News’s iphone app is a great way to read headlines from the Tibetan world. News is updated hourly Free.

 

AiCandle
AiCandle  is Amnesty International’s iPhone application. Read the latest international human rights news and share news and actions and with your friends, colleagues and fellow activists via Facebook and email. A true activist app. Highly recommended. Free.

Human Rights Watch
This app brings you the week’s foremost human rights news from around the world as well as Human Rights Watch’s in-depth reports, allowing you to learn more about current challenges and opportunities to create change. Highly recommended. Free.

 

Tibetan Dictionary
The Tibetan Dictionary combines several dictionaries into a single app. Words can be searched for in both English and Tibetan, taking advantage of the Tibetan language support added in iOS 4.2. This is definitely the best Tibetan dictionary for mobile phones. Free.

 

MyCongress
MyCongress is a portal to detailed information about your elected U.S. Congressional officials. Track their news, video and Twitter feeds. Look up their official Open Congress profile or contact them directly. MyCongress helps you get in touch with your government. Great for Tibet Lobby Day. Free.

 

TibetanReading
TibetanReading is a great app by Sonam Chusang.  It is designed to help Tibetan language students to read Tibetan letters correctly, based on Lhasa or Central Tibetan dialect. What seems to be difficult task of reading Tibetan syllable is explained with simple and clear steps together with simple examples. This application covers all the aspects of Tibetan consonants, vowels and complex combination. It also has some cool audio features. Price $3.99.  Tibetan Amdo Reading is also available.

 

Writing Tibetan
This cool app is also by Sonam Chusang. It is designed to learn step by step strokes as one learn how to write Tibetan letters and vowels.  Price $1.99.

 

For more Tibet related apps, take a look at http://buddhistapps.com run by Thupten Chakrishar. Also, take a look at the work of Nathan Freitas and others to bring Tibetan to Android phones. More information on Tibetan dictionaries for Android phones can be found here.

If you have reviews for these apps or additions to make, please use the comments section below.

-Updated 8/20/2011

NEW PHOTOS, NEW PROTESTS, AND A NEW GENERATION

Last week photos of a brave protest in Ngagrong County in Kham from April 2010 were released by the Central Tibetan Administration.

Especially for those of us who have walked the streets of Tibet, the images of the 3 monks throwing handfuls of pamphlets in the air and waving homemade Tibetan national flags, are both inspiring and chilling.

What’s probably most inspiring about the photos and video is the age of the young monks. All under 23, they risked everything to send a message to the Chinese government that Tibetans are not happy under Chinese rule, that Tibetans want the return of the Dalai Lama, and that Tibet’s new generation will take action.

The fate of the four monks, Khu Tashi 22, Tsering Gyaltsen 19, Tsering Wangchuk 22, and Ringzin Dorjee is unknown. The prison where they are being held, their condition, and their harrowing story may never be heard. But their courage, sacrifice, and message was. To Khu, Tsering, Rinzin, and Tsering, we heard your brave cries.

Similarly last week in Kardze, Eastern Tibet, up to 20 monks and nuns staged protests. Like the 4 monks from Ngagrong, their brave sacrifice was heard.

All 17 monks and nuns from Kardze, like the monks from Ngagrong, are part of Tibet’s new generation, a generation of brave, brilliant, and restless youth who feel the “temptation of freedom.”

2008 Tibet, 2009 East Turkestan, 2011 Inner Mongolia?

On May 23, thousands of Southern Mongolians, led by students, took to the streets of Shiliinhot. Protests demanding the Chinese government respect the rights of Southern Mongolian herders quickly spread across Southern Mongolia.

Students as young as 12 along with herdsmen held banners reading, “defend the rights of Mongols” and “defend the homeland,” and shouted slogans as they marched to Government offices.

These protests erupted after a 100-ton coal-hauling truck owned by a Chinese company crushed a local herdsman, named Mergen. “These coal-hauling trucks have randomly run over local herders’ grazing lands…killing numerous heads of livestock… [and] further damaging the already-weakened fragile grassland,” wrote the Mongolian blogger Zorigt.

The mass protests by Southern Mongolian students and herdsmen in Shiliinhot and Hohhot have sparked a massive security clampdown. As a result, many universities across Southern Mongolia are under strict curfew and martial law has been imposed.

Like in Tibet, Chinese populations now dominate Southern Mongolia’s major cities. Resulting from China’s land divisions, Mongolians now make up only about 17% of the population of Southern Mongolia.

In 2008, the Tibetan uprising rocked the Chinese government’s hold on Tibet and gave birth to a new generation of Tibetan activists. Following the Tibetan uprising, thousands of brave Uyghurs protested in the streets of Ürümqi for rights and freedom. Will the brave herdsmen and students of Inner Mongolia triumph? Or will China be faced with another long-term freedom struggle?

 

 

 

 

Occupation is No Vacation: Speaking Up for Tibet at the St. Regis Annual Meeting

On Thursday, May 5^th, 2011, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide held their annual invest ors meeting in Atlanta. The company recently opened a St. Regis Resort in Lhasa, Tibet, and Tibetan advocacy groups— includ i ng Students for a Free Tibet—wrote to Starwood President and CEO Frits van Paasschen requesting more information to determine if the hotel will genuinely benefit Tibetans, or exacerbate deep-seated inequalities faced under Chinese rule. The company had yet to respond prior to the meeting.

Max Ruppersburg, Co-President of SFT’s Emory University Chapter, attended the meeting along with Tsondue Samphel, and a few Tibetan monks.  Here are his reflections on the day:

I went with several other members of SFT Emory to the AGM meeting this past Thursday to help support SFT’s advocacy work concerning the company’s new hotel in Lhasa.  A Tibetan faculty member came with us to serve as a spokesperson and ask the company’s board what they would be doing to ensure Tibetan’s rights are respected and asking that the CEO meet with SFT HQ to discuss these measures.  SFT HQ had already sent a letter to the CEO but had received no response, so we were going to make sure that they were hearing our message.  Our plan was to hand out the open letter to investors to those people walking into the meeting.  We weren’t very many in number—most of us student monks, and one non-Emory volunteer.  The spokesman and I checked with hotel management that we could hand out the letter outside the hotel, but when we approached the hotel again we were greeted by security who informed us that we could only hand out papers off of their property, which meant in the satellite parking lot or on the sidewalk.  So we took our flags and our papers and stood in front of the hotel on the sidewalk, our efforts somewhat incapacitated. They had one police officer arrive shortly after we came and he hung around outside while we were there.
Although it seemed like we weren’t able to reach anyone coming to the meeting, it was our presence there that seemed to make the difference.  They definitely knew we were there. I had tried to offer the CEO and President, Frits van Paasschen ,one of SFT’s letters while his town car drove into the hotel—Tibetan flags and monks behind me.  The President and CEO asked to have a private meeting with our spokesman and address his questions before the investor meeting, answering SFT’s questions and expressing the company’s willingness to discuss their employment practices in dialogue.  Our spokesman, Tsondue Samphel, also spoke during the investors’ meeting but he was not allowed to distribute any of the letters to the investors.

Opportunities to act don’t arise very often in Atlanta and at first it seemed like we weren’t doing much of any good, but it proved to be a powerful reminder of how small acts can make a difference and that even by showing your willingness to stand up for these issues you can get big companies’ attentions, which is most certainly a positive step.  I think it’s an important thing for people to remember, especially those who don’t often get a chance to act, that every opportunity to act is important because you never know what kind of positive impact it might have.

Max Ruppersburg
SFT Co-President, Emory University Chapter

A Reason to Hope: My Interaction with His Holiness in Los Angeles

On May 4th, Amnesty International honored His Holiness the Dalai Lama at its 50th anniversary event in Los Angeles. During the presentation, I had the opportunity to represent SFT and ask a question on stage.

As His Holiness exited with his entourage, he stopped to speak with a few of us. I held out a khata (traditional greeting scarf) and as I greeted him, he held my hands and said, “Don’t give up; you all must continue your work. Never lose hope, because change is definitely coming.”

He went on to say that in light of the increasing pace of change in China, it is important to work with the Chinese people – writers, intellectuals, artists, the opinion-makers of society.

The previous day, I had spoken at a conference bringing together Chinese dissidents, Tibetan activists, Mongolians, Uyghurs, and Taiwanese to discuss opportunities and develop strategies for advancing our respective struggles for freedom, democracy, and human rights.

I explained to His Holiness that our global network was engaging in strategic Chinese outreach by connecting with key democracy advocates, writers, artists, students, lawyers and intellectuals. He assured me our efforts will make a difference and that change is imminent.

In that moment, I felt the immensity of the work ahead of us, but also had the distinct feeling that victory was inevitable.

With your help we can bring about freedom in Tibet. Please donate today to support SFT’s work.

http://sft.convio.net/site/Donation2?df_id=1345&1345.donation=form1

As we build new and strategic alliances, we must continue to challenge China’s abuses in Tibet at every turn. I was reminded of this minutes after His Holiness left, when I joined Lobsang, the official videographer for the award ceremony.

Lobsang is from Ngaba, the county in Amdo, Tibet that is under attack by Chinese security forces. His 15-year-old cousin, Norbu, was shot dead by China’s armed police on March 16th, 2008 for taking part in a peaceful protest for Tibetan freedom.

Three years after the day Norbu was shot, Phuntsok Jarutsang, a 20-year-old monk, lit himself on fire in an act of protest against China’s repression, and troops have since laid siege on Kirti monastery.

Right now, U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, are meeting with Chinese officials in Washington, DC. Urge the U.S. Administration to raise Tibet and human rights during this week’s U.S.-China Strategic & Economic Dialogue.

Together, we can ensure that one day soon, people like Lobsang – and all Tibetans – are united with their families and homeland.

Please support SFT today: http://sft.convio.net/site/Donation2?df_id=1345&1345.donation=form1

Thank you for all you do for Tibet,

Tenzin Dorjee (Tendor)
Executive Director

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.