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

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.

Photos from Art of Resistance: 3-Day Training for Tibet in Boston

From March 25th – March 27th, SFT’s “The Art of Resistance: 3-Day Activist Training for Tibet” is being held at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Participants from across the North-East are learning skills to become the next generation of leaders in the struggle for Tibet’s freedom.

More photos and updates to come…

Update: Tibetans, Supporters Rally for Tibet in New York

Thousands of Tibetans and Tibet supporters take to the streets in New York to commemorate the 1959 Tibetan Uprising in Tibet. Click here to view live updates via twitter.

Tibetans and supporters rally in New York on the 52nd anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising.

Click here to view more photos from NY on the SFT Flickr.