Tibetan National Snow Lion Flag

We are all a part of the Global Community. The people of Tibet are not allowed to protest. For them to protest means they literally risk their lives, and or imprisonment, which makes me feel even more strongly that those who can speak out, have the duty and obligation to do so.

What is it the people of Tibet are protesting about anyway? I happened to find a publication that shed light on the matter. Tibet press watch- Political Prisoners~ The truth about their lives. Here are some examples of why the people of Tibet are willing to risk their lives to protest.

“Splittism”- The People’s Republic of China imprisons Tibetans whose actions are perceived to be in support of Tibetan independence from China. Accusations of trying to “split” Tibet from the “motherland”, separating the country and destroying national unity can be levied for simply possessing a tibetan flag, making pro-tibet statements, hanging pro-independence posters, or speaking favorably of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.”

“April 25th is the birthday of Gedun Choekyi Nyima, recognized by the Dalai Lama as the 11th Panchen Lama. But there was little to celebrate. His whereabouts and welfare have remained a mystery since he was taken into custody by China at the age of six, after the Dalai Lama announced that he was the reincarnation of one of Tibet’s most important religious leaders. Nyima will turn 19 this year. In a meeting in 1996 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Chinese government that it was holding the boy and his family in “protective custody”.

Ani Choeying Passang, her crime “Splittism” sentenced 4 years in prison. recently released.

A 38 year old Tibetan spent 11 years behind bars for displaying a home made version of the Tibetan National Snow Lion Flag, which is banned by China, in Tibet. This prisoner later reported Tibetan prisoners are systematically tortured. While he regained consciousness, after a torture session, his torture/ interrogation resumed with the same questions, he could hear haunting screams from other cells.

Guilt by association:
B. C. Rinpoche was the head of a children’s schoo & orphanage. A builder hired by the school failed in an attempt to blow himself up as he tried to replace a Chinese flag with a Tibetan flag in front of Potala Palace. Hours later the Public Security Bureau detained the Rinpoche & closed the home. Sentenced to imprisonment on charges of “splittism”. Following the closure of the school, all the staff were arrested and imprisoned for varying periods. Rinpoche’s life sentence for splittism was commuted to 19 years, and later granted a year’s reduction. His sentence is now due to expire in 2021.

C. Khedrub a monk in his 30’s. was one of 6 men detained in 2000 for printing & distributing pro-independence leaflets. Three monks & two laymen were charged with establishing a separatist group. Khedrub was sentenced to life imprisonment for the crime of inciting splittism. There was no evidence presented to show he was guilty of endangering state security or ever used violence; his life imprisonment is for purely political offenses. The other monk received a sentence of 15 years, the 3rd monk 10 years. The two laymen got five and three years respectively.

N. Sangdrol was a 13 year old nun when she was first arrested fo praying at a cultural festival for the long life of th Dalai Lama, and calling for freedom in Tibet. She was held for 9 months, and barred from returning to her nunnert upon her release. Two years later she was arrested & sentenced to 3 years “for incitement to subversive and separatist activities”. While in prison, she and 13 other nuns managed to make a tape of the pro-freedom songs they sang in praise of His Holiness. The tape was smuggled out to the West, where it was used to highlight the case of the “singing nuns.”
For her part in making the tape, she was given a six year extension to her sentence. Later she was accused of demonstrating inside prison & another 8 years was added. In 1998, when she was 18, another six years were added, for a total sentence of 21 years. Sangdrol was released toInternational Campaign for Tibet, and now living in the US in a home with two other nuns from the prison. They have a picture of the Dalai Lama on the wall- which is forbidden in Tibet. Upon her releae, she spoke of the conditions she faced in prison. Chinese officials used different torture instruments on me to break my spirit. I was subjected to both physical & mental torture. Fellow political prisoners and I were sunjected to electric shocks. We were beaten with pipes, canes and sticks of different sizes, thick leather belts with heavy buckles, and by the hands and feet of prison guards who were trained in martial arts.

Do the people of Tibet need help and a voice from the global community~ is there any doubt the answer is Yes?

Updates:
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Aggressive anti-Dalai Lama campaign in Kham; imminent food shortages feared as result of security sweep (International Campaign for Tibet, April 17th, 2008)

An aggressive anti-Dalai Lama campaign has been stepped up in the Kardze (Chinese: Ganzi) area of Sichuan province (the Tibetan area of Kham) and further reports have reached ICT of the crackdown and suppression of protests there. In some rural areas of Kham, there are fears for the year’s harvest as the security sweep has left farming land untended, endangering the year’s crop. The authorities have threatened to destroy Tongkor monastery near Kardze town unless local monks return after protests on April 3, in which more than ten Tibetans were shot dead.

Raid on Labrang monastery: monks taken away as climate of fear prevails; (International Campaign for Tibet, April 17th, 2008)
On April 14-15, just days after a protest by monks in front of a group of Western journalists, a large number of armed police arrived at Labrang monastery in Sangchu (Chinese: Xiahe) county in Gannan, Gansu and took an unknown number of monks into custody.

Authorities acknowledge 4,000 detentions: thousands ‘disappear’ in ongoing Lhasa crackdown; Unrest at Drepung follows new patriotic education campaign (International Campaign for Tibet, April 14th, 2008)
Raids on people’s houses and ‘disappearances’ are continuing every day during the ongoing crackdown in Lhasa, and there are new fears for monks at Drepung monastery after more troops were deployed following unrest there over the past few days.

Labrang monks stage protest during official media tour (International Campaign for Tibet, April 9th, 2008)
Monks from Labrang Monastery (Chinese: Xiahe) in Gansu province staged a protest in front of a state-organized media tour for foreign and Chinese journalists today. A group of 15 monks burst into the courtyard where around 20 Chinese and foreign journalists were assembled and spoke about having no human rights, and about the Dalai Lama returning to Tibet. Several of the monks carried large paper Tibetan flags. One of the journalists who spoke to the monks told ICT: “The monks were very emotional, and one of them was crying. They said that they were not asking for Tibetan independence, but for human rights, and that they had no human rights now. They spoke mostly in Tibetan although then switched to Chinese and also some words of English to communicate. When some of them saw the photographers they threw their robes over their heads so we couldn’t see their faces, but kept talking.”

I want to encourage us all to find a way to be a voice for the people of Tibet. Fly the flag. Keep the pressure on China to release the prisoners who have committed no crimes.
Whatever creative way you are inspired to support the people and culture who simply want to live their lives.

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