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SANTA BARBARA FRIENDS OF TIBET
JULY 2002 NEWSLETTER
JULY 22, 2002
The mission of Santa Barbara Friends of Tibet is to encourage a
community in Santa Barbara that actively supports Tibetans and
autonomy for Tibet. Our objectives are to:
- Enhance public awareness through education and events
-Aid Tibetan refugees both here and abroad
-Contact political leaders
-Support other national and international Tibet organizations
INFO BELOW:
MARCH FOR TIBET OCTOBER 26
TIBETAN ART SHOW JULY 27
STUDENTS FOR A FREE TIBET ACTION CAMP AUGUST 1-7
UCSB STUDENTS FOR A FREE TIBET SUMMER MEETINGS
CLEAR LIGHT SANGHA
DRAPCHI NUNS
ONLINE PETITION
NEW UCSB SFT PLAN TO GET UC TO DIVEST FROM BP/ARCO/PETROCHINA
VISIT THESE WEB SITES
MORE TIBETAN MONASTERIES DESTROYED BY CHINESE GOVERNMENT
BIOGRAPHY OF PALDEN GYATSO WHO SBFOT AND UCSBSFT ARE HOSTING IN OCTOBER
RECENT DALAI LAMA INTERVIEW
Mark your calendars for the March for Tibet October 26, 2002, Noon, De la
Guerra Plaza, led by Palden Gyatso who spent 30 years in Chinese prisons
in
Tibet.
TIBETAN ART SHOWING Saturday Afternoon July 27 4:30PM to 6:30PM at 1515
State Street Courtyard, hosted by the Shanelecs. Tibetan Tankas and other
art pieces, silk brocade, mineral pigments. More info
Suzanne@sbdentist.com
or 965-0039. Please RSVP
SB FRIENDS OF TIBET is proud to support Students for a Free Tibet Action
Camp to the tune of $200 for 2 scholarships:
Tashi Delek -
Students for a Free Tibet is preparing for our third annual Free Tibet!
Action Camp, set for August 1-7 in Needmore, Indiana. As you may have
seen in Larry Gerstein's previous msg, ITIM is co-hosting this year's
Camp. I am writing to encourage you to help us make sure the best young
Tibetan and inji activists you know and work with join us for a week of
intensive training in the skills and tactics of grassroots organizing and
the strategic use of nonviolent direct action for a free Tibet.
There are three things you can do!
First, you can simply encourage students and young people you know to
join us. You can ask them to write to us for more information at
sft@igc.org or call 212 358-0071 (in New York).
Second, you can also help financially - either by making a contribution
towards SFT's expenses or by giving support directly to a student you
know who would like to come. We ask students to pay $100 and cover their
own travel expenses to Indiana, and from there SFT covers their food,
lodging (in a tent!) and local transportation. (You can make credit card
donations online at www.studentsforafreetibet.org/donate.htm or by mail
to SFT, 602 E. 14 Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10009 USA.)
Finally, you or your organization can become a co-sponsor of this year's
Action Camp. We are cutting a lot of corners this year, and getting as
much of our supplies donated as possible, but it's still pretty expensive
to bring in leading trainers and provide a unique learning experience for
100 students. This year's Camp budget is just over $25,000. If you or
your organization would like to consider co-sponsorship, please let me
know.
I hope you can help! Our past Action Camp participants make up the
strongest pool of freedom fighters SFT has. When we want to organize
actions at Chinese Consulates, BP corporate offices, or cities hosting
visits from Chinese officials, we call up Action Camp graduates in those
areas and know that they are going to help us get the job done
effectively and safely. Eventually, we hope to help organize Action
Camps in Europe, India, and other regions.
UCSB STUDENTS FOR A FREE TIBET HOSTING SUMMER MEETINGS
CONTACT LERON KATTAN FOR SCHEDULE tibetpeace@yahoo.com
Location: 411 W. De la Guerra
Santa Barbara, Ca. 93101
Peace and Infinite love,
Leron Kattan President UCSB SFT
C l e a r L i g h t S a n g h a
Clear Light Sangha · P.O. Box 91415 · Santa Barbara, CA · 93190-1415
To catch up on the latest Santa Barbara Dharma news,
To find out what Alan Wallace is up to now,
Check out:
http://www.snowcrest.net/ksnow/events.htm.
Great news! Your efforts on behalf of the Drapchi 14 -- the group of
Tibetan nuns who remain in prison in Tibet serving especially long
sentences and singled out for abuse for singing and recording freedom
songs -- are having an impact! We've just heard that Tenzin Thubten
(age 32) and Ngawang Choekyi (age 33), two of the Drapchi 14, have been
released from prison. Congratulations to everyone who helped bring this
about!
Tenzin Thubten was detained in August 1990 and her sentence would have
ended in August of this year. Ngawang Choekyi was detained in March 1992
and was not due to be released until March 2005. Both nuns were
imprisoned for peaceful protests, and both suffered severe maltreatment
following the May 1998 prison protests at Drapchi.
We have also heard that the sentences of Ngawang Sangdrol and Phuntsog
Nyidron, also of the Drapchi 14, have been marginally reduced.
The Chinese Government is hearing our cries from around the world to
free these brave young freedom fighters. If we continue this pressure,
we can secure the release of the eight remaining members of the Drapchi
14 - Ngawang Choezom, Ngawang Sangdrol, Ngawang Tsamdrol, Namdrol Lhamo,
Jigme
Yangchen, Phuntsog Nyidron, Lhundrub Zangmo and Rigzin Choekyi.
This week (June 17th) marks the 10th anniversary of the imprisonment of
Ngawang Sangdrol. Ngawang was first jailed in 1990 when she was 13
years old, and has been in Drapchi prison since she was 15. She
received the longest sentence extension of all the Drapchi 14 for her
part in recording the audio tape of freedom songs that was smuggled out
of prison and disseminated throughout Tibet. According to reports from
prisoners who have been released from Drapchi recently, Ngawang Sangdrol
is physically very weak and ill and fears that she will not live to see
the end of her
prison sentence.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION TODAY to secure the immediate release of Ngawang
Sangdrol on medical parole!
CONTACT INFO and SAMPLE LETTER
Clark T. Randt
American Ambassador to China
American Embassy
3 Xiu Shui Bei Jie, Beijing 100600
People's Republic of China
Secretary of State Colin Powell
US State Department
Washington, DC 20520
Fax: 202-647-2283
secretary@state.gov
Dear _______________;
Please use your leadership to urge the Chinese government to immediately
release Ngawang Sangdrol on medical parole. Ngawang Sangdrol is a young
Tibetan nun who was imprisoned at age 15 on June 17, 1992 for taking
part in a nonviolent demonstration for Tibetan freedom. She is due for
release in 2011, at which point she will have spent more than half her
life enduring torture, beatings and abuse in prison.
Ngawang Sangdrol is one of a group of nuns in Lhasa's notorious Drapchi
prison known as the Drapchi 14. Their sentences were extended, and they
are singled out for particularly harsh abuse, for secretly wrote and
recorded freedom songs and messages to their families while in prison.
Ngawang Sangdrol received the longest sentence extension.
Drapchi prison in Lhasa is notorious for its poor living conditions and
harsh treatment of political prisoners. Nuns who have been released
from Drapchi prison in recent years have described unimaginable cruelty
and abuse by the Chinese prison authorities, such as beatings with
wooden clubs, deprivation of food, beatings and rape with electric
batons, being suspended upside down for hours, having to stand barefoot
on ice for hours without moving, and much more.
According to reports, Ngawang Sangdrol is currently in very poor
physical condition and is afflicted by multiple, chronic ailments,
including recurrent severe headaches, stomach and intestinal illness and
acute stress-related heart disorder. According to one of her former
cell mates, Ngawang Sangdrol does not believe she will survive her
detention, as she is frequently singled out for especially severe
treatment.
Ngawang must be released immediately on medical parole.
Ngawang Sangdrol has been a courageous freedom fighter since the young
age of 13, when she was first jailed for participating in a peaceful
protest. Despite years of violent torture and abuse, she has not given
up her struggle for freedom. If Ngawang Sangdrol dies in jail, the
world will loose a beacon of light and truth.
Please pressure the Chinese government to immediately release this young
woman so that she can receive adequate medical attention and live to
experience adulthood outside prison walls.
In addition, please continue efforts to secure the release of the
remaining Drapchi 14, and all Tibetan political prisoners.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your
positive response.
Sincerely,
(your name & address)
ONLINE PETITION
Please visit the following site to sign a petition to help support
religious
freedom and end use of torture in China! The petition is targeted to Hu
Jintao and was part of a vigil at the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco
on
May 18.
After an evening with two Tibetan nuns, Chuye Kunsang and Pasang Llamo,
activists headed to the Consulate for a vigil to stop torture and respect
religious freedom in China, Tibet, Xinjiang. The letter was read aloud in
front of the Consulate and then tape to the doors.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/478605205
Dear fellow heroes of the Tibetan cause,
A new plan has been devised to urge UC to divest from their destructive
investments in Tibet. The plan is to have the Student Governments pass
this
resolution at UCSB, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC Santa Cruz, and UC San
Diego (all these schools have SFT chapters). After this resolution (or a
revised one worked on by all the chapters) is passed we will have Nobel
Laureates write an open letter to the regents telling them that they
support
this resolution.
This type of action is what won the campaign for the University of
Virginia
in their struggle to get the University out of Burma. Though the
situations
are different there are profound similarities explained in the letter I
have
attached to this email.
Here is the web address of the Open Letter to the University of Virginia
by
Nobel Laureates
http://www.jca.apc.org/burmainfo/fbc/uva-unocal20011002_en.pdf As you will
see one of the signers was His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We have three
Nobel
Laureates here at UCSB, one of them being Dr. Walter Kohn a Holocaust
survivor and human rights activists who is personal friends with the Dalai
Lama, that will help us in this endeavor.
The second attachment is an article that was published in the Santa
Barbara
City College paper explaining the importance of getting UC to divest from
Tibet.
I am on summer vacation and would like to travel up north and down south
to
meet with all of you. I think together we can win this campaign and
profoundly help our brothers and sisters suffering in Tibet.
Peace and infinite love,
Leron Kattan
President
University of California Santa Barbara Students for a Free Tibet
Phone: (805) 963-3021
Adress: 411 W. De la Guerra
Santa Barbara, Ca. 93101
Email: tibetpeace@yahoo.com
VISIT THESE WEB SITES
U.S. Tibet Committee Students for a Free Tibet
241 East 32nd Street 602 East 14th Street
New York, New York 10016 New York, New York 10009
Ph. 212-481-3569 Ph. 212-358-0071
Fx. 212-213-2623 Fx. 212-358-1771
ustc@igc.org / www.ustibet.org sft@igc.org / www.tibet.org/sft
MORE TIBETAN MONASTERIES DESTROYED BY CHINESE GOVERNMENT
Update on Serthar Buddhist Institute
According to the latest update emanating from Serthar Buddhist Institute,
demolitions and evictions have still not ceased. Confirmed reports
indicate
a total of 18 dwellings demolished on three different dates between late
April and early May 2002.
On 29 April 2002, five dwellings of monks were razed to the ground,
followed
by four more monks' dwellings on 30 April. Nine of the nuns' dwellings
were
demolished on 7 May 2002. Reports indicate that 'work team' members are
still stationed in the International Religious Committee division of the
Institute.
The summer and autumn of 2001 saw the demolition of the leading centre for
Buddhist scholarship and practice on the Tibetan plateau. Over 8000
students
were evicted and approximately 2000 of their homes were demolished under
the
supervision of teams of military and armed police personnel. Khenpo Jigme
Phuntsok and his niece Jetsunma Muntso continues to be held incommunicado
in
Chengdu.
Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok founded Serthar Institute in Larung valley near
Serthar Town, Karze Prefecture, Sichuan Province in 1980 to meet the
pressing need for renewal of meditation and scholarship all over Tibet in
the wake of China's Cultural Revolution. In the 21 years of its existence,
Serthar Institute (known locally as Larung Gar) had expanded from a
solitary
mountain hermitage to spiritual oasis for over 9000 monks, nuns and lay
students.
--------Biography of Palden Gyatso---------
In 1959 Palden Gyatso, an ordained Buddhist monk, was
jailed along with thousands of other Tibetan monks and
nuns. The Chinese under its leader
Mao then undertook the Cultural Revolution, which was
aimed at destroying Tibetan culture and producing
"thought reform" among the Tibetan people.
Palden endured his suffering and remained in prisons
and labor camps for the next thirty-three years, where
he was a victim of severe religious and class
oppression. He was exposed to various forms of
indoctrination and torture aimed at trying to make him
change his ways and accept the Chinese communist
ideology. Throughout his imprisonment, Palden resisted
the Chinese repression and served as an inspiration to
his fellowinmates.
Released on August 25, 1992, from Drapchi prison in
Lhasa, Palden
Gyatso had served more years behind bars than any
other surviving Tibetan that has reached the West.
Prior to his flight out of Tibet into India, at great
personal risk, Palden procured instruments of torture
like the ones used on him in order to show the outside
world. With the torture implements spread before him,
his testimony brings to life the inhuman acts
committed against prisoners in Tibet.
Since 1992 Palden has devoted his life to exposing the
atrocities of the Chinese occupiers, especially among
the political prisoners. He has traveled and spoken
extensively around the world. In 1995 he gave evidence
at the United Nations' Commission on Human Rights in
Geneva. He also testified before the United Nations
and the U.S. Congress about the human rights abuses he
had suffered, fulfilling his dream to tell the world
about China's torture techniques and prison conditions
in Tibet. In 1996 Palden co-led a 300-mile walk for
Tibetan freedom from the Chinese Consulate in
Washington, DC to the United Nations in New York City.
More recently, in 2000, Palden co-led two additional
marches, one from San Diego to Los Angeles and the
other through the Alps from France to Switzerland.
In 1997 Palden's story, "The Autobiography of a
Tibetan Monk," was translated by Tsering Shakya and
published by Grove Press. In his testimony, Palden
describes China's penal system in Tibet and the
ruthless torture he experienced. He says, "A prison
official poked me with an electric cattle prod and
poured boiling water over me because he said he did
not like my attitude. No medical treatment was given
after that."
Palden's story, like many of the stories of his fellow
Tibetans, shows the strength of the human spirit in
the face of tremendous suffering.
Biographical information on Palden Gyatso provided
courtesy of the International Tibet Movement
Dalai Lama Says Tibet-China Contact in New Phase
May 22, 2002
(ICT) Washington, D.C. - The Dalai Lama said in a lengthy interview with
Radio Australia today that Tibetan-Chinese contact has entered a new
phase,
revealing that there has recently been some movement in the process.
During
the interview the Dalai Lama also talked about the current situation in
Tibet, his vision for Tibet's future, and his views on the current Chinese
leaders.
Talking to Radio Australia's Tricia Fitzgerald, the Dalai Lama said that
although there has been no formal contact with the Chinese leaders since
1993, there have been some informal channels of communication. He said
that
>
he believes there are elements within the Chinese leadership that feel
that
it is better to talk with him.
The Dalai Lama said that around 1998 there was some informal contact with
the Chinese leadership but that the contact stopped abruptly.
"And very recently [we entered a] new phase," he said. "Some Chinese
businessmen, some intellectuals are now showing some movement," he said.
Talking about the future of the Tibetan people the Dalai Lama said his
desire was that the entire Tibetan people -- not just Tibetans in the
Tibet
Autonomous Region, but also those presently located in Qinghai, Yunnan,
Sichuan and Gansu -- should be under one genuine autonomous entity. He
said
the previous Panchen Lama had the same desire.
Full text of the interview follows below:
Interview transcript
Radio Australia, May 22, 2002.
FITZGERALD: What is the current status of communications between the
Tibetan
government in exile and Beijing?
DALAI LAMA: The formal contact is no longer there. Actually since 1993,
(there's been) no sort of formal contact, but some informal channels. Now
at
the moment, there is some contact, but no meaningful sort of dialogue. Not
yet.
So it seems, I think, some Chinese government leaders have the feeling the
better to have talk with Dalai Lama or outside Tibet. But some are
reluctant. But basically I feel that China is changing. Now the leadership
also now changing. Of course although the leadership has different sort of
views from the public or from the intellectual people, but certainly the
intellectual sort of views eventually I think will be reflected in the
regime's mind. This is my feeling.
So amongst Chinese intellectuals and some writers, some artists, now begin
to realize the Tibetan culture is something good, something worthwhile to
preserve and even some Chinese are very eager to learn and eager to follow
the Tibetan Buddhism.
And then, among the intellectuals there are more signs who possibly
realize
in past that the government attitude towards Tibet is not as good as
Chinese
propaganda says! So these things certainly I think are positive signs.
FITZGERALD: And you said there are informal negotiations. What sort of
level
and at what sort of delegates are you sending?
DALAI LAMA: Now at the moment, no officials. Sometime back, I think '98,
we
eventually developed contact with some semi-officials, but that somehow
stopped. And very recently [we entered a] new phase. Some Chinese
businessmen, some intellectuals are now showing some movement.
FITZGERALD: So are they coming to meet with you in exile in India or are
you
sending representatives to meet with them in China?
DALAI LAMA: Mainly my representative meet in some different places. Not in
China, not recently.
FITZGERALD: And you have dropped your initial call for Tibetan
independence,
what is your current desire for your homeland, cultural autonomy? I know
there's been a five point plan which lists demilitarization, caring for
the
environment, human rights, what is your current desire?
DALAI LAMA: Now in early 1950, after some different attempts we finally
dealt with the Chinese government directly, then the seventeen point
agreement which was signed - although it was not like a general agreement,
I
mean [it was] signed under duress. Since then I feel our basic approach is
dialogue.
Then in 1959, of course things completely changed, over the next 20 years
there was no serious sort of thing about how to deal with China because,
you
see, China [was going through] the Cultural Revolution and in [exile in]
India our main effort is resettlement, especially education - things like
that.
Then 1973, we begin to think how to deal with China. We decided the best
thing, almost the only thing, is dialogue with Chinese government. So the
question of independence is out of the question. So we considered a middle
approach, autonomy, general autonomy [which would] also includes the other
Tibetan territory.
Actually the Chinese constitution provided some form of autonomy; because
they said officially they recognize these are Tibetan ethnic area, so
therefore in 1973, you see, we made up in our mind, a middle...
FITZGERALD: A middle road?
DALAI LAMA: No, a middle of approach. So then '79 when we received some
sort
of indication from Chinese government that they wanted to meet with us,
then
we immediately responded. So the middle approach is actually since '73.
At the beginning I publicly express the maximum happiness. I'm not saying,
[wasn't] talking independence or autonomy during those years I just used
to
talk the maximum happiness, maximum benefit to local people. The meaning
was
autonomy.
[In the last] few decades, to my way of thinking [there has been]no
change.
I am still fully committed to the middle road approach, in spite of some
sort of failure to materialize some meaningful dialogue, but still I am
fully committed [to a middle approach].
FITZGERALD: So the fact that some of those regions are not included in the
current autonomy area is a problem. Which regions are they, would they be,
for example, where you were born, Amdo, and which other areas are not
included that would need to be?
DALAI LAMA: I think the Tibetan population is around six million, the
entire
population. But in the so-called autonomy region of Tibet, the population
is
around two million. So that means the rest, about four million, are in the
other four Chinese provinces - that means Yunnan, Sichuan Province, Gansu
Province and Qinghai Province. So actually the Tibetan population is
bigger
outside the Tibet autonomous region.
So I think my desire is the same as the [10th] Panchen Lama [who was] also
very, very serious about the whole Tibet should have genuine autonomy as a
one sort of entity.
FITZGERALD: About the region's such as?
DALAI LAMA: So you see my approach, genuine autonomy should cover all the
Tibetan territory, all Tibetan ethnic groups' areas.
You see I receive many supportive messages, [including] written messages.
Since I'm not seeking separation, within the People's Republic of China
boundaries can [be] changed easily.
Then other hand, our top most concern is preservation of Tibetan culture,
Tibetan spirituality and Tibetan involvement.
So Tibetan spirituality and culture is also facing a similar threat in the
areas outside the autonomous region, in some cases, it's even worse.
Therefore they are also very much concerned about the preservation of
Tibetan culture, environment and religious belief. Therefore it is much
better you see to have one body in the whole Tibetan area and that give
genuine satisfaction to Tibetan masses. Result, general unity, general
stability - which the Chinese government is most concerned [about].
Unfortunately, up to now, they are mostly concerned about stability and
unity [which they have tried] to achieve under gun. That's a very
short-term
temporary, short sighted policy isn't it?
Actually this is a very much counterproductive.
FITZGERALD: And what about the conditions for your own return. Is there
any
progress in that area? What is your thinking in that area?
DALAI LAMA: It's a question of my return is related with the basic Tibet
situation.
If the basis of the situation improves, the Chinese [are] ready to look at
the Tibetan issue and then of course the time for my return. I can make
some
contribution.
But I already made very clear now I'm getting older and the younger
generation should take more responsibility. Therefore even we outside
Tibet,
we already have our political leadership through election. We elected
political leadership. It's already there. So now that there is an elected
leadership there, my responsibility now becoming less. So now this is very
appropriate, I'm now getting older and now [it is] time for preparation
for
next life.
FITZGERALD: But as the leading role you have played, why do you believe
that
the talks foundered and have in fact almost stopped? Where does the blame
lie, the international community, United Nations with China's
intransigence,
where does the problem lie? We've seen other smaller countries like East
Timor for example get their independence, why not Tibet?
DALAI LAMA: Of course there are so many I think factors, so many...
FITZGERALD: But, perhaps, the most important?
DALAI LAMA: But one I feel is fear on the Chinese side. Fear and also
ignorance and I think that today they already make a lot of mistakes in
the
past 50 years, particularly the last 40 years, a lot of mistakes.
So therefore they find it very difficult to change that and I think they
actually there are some indication they completely lost faith towards
Tibet.
And similarly on the Tibetan side also, even those party members now very
much resentful of the Chinese rule, Chinese leaders, so that's the
problem.
Now, my feeling is we need political will and some kind of bold decision
from the Chinese government side. I think [they have a] wrong policy
without
knowing the proper condition and also I think some policies are based on
their own propaganda.
Den Xiaoping's slogan, seeking truth from fact, that's very correct.
That's
very scientific. But the fact must be genuine fact. What they are doing is
seeking truth from false facts. This is difficult.
In China proper, in the economy, the amount of production estimates is
always exaggerated as you know. So therefore you see the fact is not a
genuine fact, just artificially made, and then some kind of policy is made
according to that fact. So that I think it is a disaster.
Now for example, one small example, in 1954 I went to China. At that time
Tibetan people - the intellectuals [were] supporters of my decision to
visit
to China, but the masses were very much against. But Chinese newspapers in
China presented the Tibetan masses [as being] very happy at the Dalai
Lama's
visit to China. This always happen. That's I think very unfortunate.
FITZGERALD: Do you think the fear is based on religion? We've seen the
persecution of, say, Christian, unauthorized Christian groups and
Falungong
(members). How much do you identify with persecution on that level or is
it
more of a territorial-nationhood issue for example as we've seen with
Taiwan
and some of the Western states of China? What's that fear really based on
do
you think?
DALAI LAMA: I think both. After all you see in a few years ago they said
that one Chinese local leader in Tibet - their party member - publicly
mentioned the ultimate source of threat of separation is Tibetan culture,
Tibetan Buddhism.
After all Tibetans, we have our own culture, heritage and long history.
Now
we need some kind of open or broad policy and for the two different
cultures
and peoples - for the common interest - to come together, live together,
work together. Now that is what we need.
I think in the early '50's under the leadership of Chairman Mao, when I
met
him personally you see he clearly indicated he recognized the Tibet as a
separate identity. And then, you see, they the Chinese Central Government
formally or publicly considered Tibet case as something very unique,
something very special. In 1956 Zhou Enlai came to India. He also
mentioned
to the Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, that the Chinese
government
considered the Tibetan case as something very unique, something special.
Now
today, really unique means poorest, suppressed - that is now unique this
thing of Tibet now today.
FITZGERALD: And of that the fears about the cultural denigration of
Tibetan
culture. What's the most worrying aspect? We've got say 260 political
prisoners, physical changes being made in Lhasa and you mentioned also out
in the countryside. What's the most worrying aspect of that cultural
denigration at the moment?
DALAI LAMA: Tibetan studies. [There have been] some restrictions now for
the
last I think two decades, you've seen little sometimes a little leniency
about Tibetan studies and sometimes you see more restrictions.
Nowadays, I've heard in some areas the study of Tibetan is growing, so
that's a positive sign. But in some areas, there are more restrictions. It
seem [that in the] autonomous region [there are] more restrictions.
The main thing is, I feel the main thing is [that in] the overall
population
now, like Lhasa, the Tibetan is become a minority. The majority of the
population are Chinese, so their lifestyle is now changing, including food
habit and the mentality also now changing. Less and less are singing
Tibetan
songs but more and more Chinese [songs]. And the young Tibetan are
compelled
to speak Chinese rather than Tibetan.
So there's overall - whether intentionally or unintentionally - some kind
of
culture genocide is taking place. This is serious.
Now the railway link. The one Tibetan fear is if this is used properly,
then
[it's] good. Easier communication, it helps economy in other fields. But
if
you see this as a easier communication used for different purpose then
this
is a very, very serious matter. You may see millions of Chinese come to
Tibet and settle and the damage for environment will be very serious. So
those are I feel in the long run the most serious threats to the
traditional
Tibetan culture.
International Campaign for Tibet
1825 K Street NW, Suite 520
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202.785.1515
Fax: 202.785.4343
E-mail: info@savetibet.org