Tibetans Bid for Freedom: Auckland protest at Chinese consulate

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tibetans Bid for Freedom

In response to the ongoing violence against demonstrators in Tibet, a protest will be held outside the Chinese Consulate, 588 Great South Road, Greenlane, Auckland, at 5pm on Friday, the 28th of March. Tibetans, monks, and concerned citizens will lie down in front of the Consulate, representing and holding a placard of each Tibetan killed in the recent riots. The Buddhist monks and nuns will lead chants and prayers for their dead and imprisoned.

The Tibetan community will have petitions and letters to be signed and handed in person to the Chinese Consulate members. These petitions will urge China to:

Stop all killing and torture of Tibetans immediately

Permit independent UN observers into Tibet

Allow for International Media Access

Begin talks with and stop denigrating the Dalai Lama

Background

Tibet was invaded and occupied by the Peoples Liberation Army of China in 1959. Since then, China began a deliberate genocide of Tibetans and performed human rights atrocities with impunity. According to Tibetan sources, 1.2 million Tibetan deaths have occurred, representing a fifth of the population. There has also been widespread and frequent torture, where many innocent, religious or political prisoners have had to endure unbelievably appalling treatments, resulting in a high number of suicides in prisons. Determination of the length of imprisonment or summary execution, are often made from baseless, forced declarations.

The unique and deeply religious Tibetan culture is being systematically erased. Policies have been created that assimilate Tibetans, with the alleged settlement of millions of Chinese into Tibet. Children are educated in Chinese culture, language and conditioned with propaganda. Religious practices are suppressed, Tibetans being forced to denounce the Dalai Lama or imprisoned and over 6,000 monasteries have been destroyed. Further inflaming the situation, is the denigration of the Dalai Lama, Nobel peace prize laureate, who is revered by the Tibetans and well respected in the international public arena.

While China reports that their “Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, by the loving and tender care of the Peoples Liberation Army of China” has improved the situation in Tibet, it does not extend to the Tibetans themselves. They have seen the wealth of Tibet, from the rich natural resources to religious treasures pilfered. They have seen the influx of tourists benefit the Chinese businesses. Yet the disparity between the poor Tibetans and rich Chinese is increasing, causing further resentment. Adding to the ethnic inequality, is the lack of opportunities due to poor education, where illiteracy rates are over 40% and about only 15% have had secondary education.

No Tibetan has been left unscathed. Their suffering has been immense, the threat of cultural annihilation very real. Many Tibetans feel the 49 years of nonviolent resistance has been an exercise in futility. We have reached a pivotal moment in history, with China in the spotlight, where Tibetans are rising up in protest around the world in their bid for freedom. This is humanities chance to clear their conscience and join with them.

Tibetan Peoples of New Zealand

Even in New Zealand, some of the Tibetans are not able to comment on Tibetan issues in their own name, as the repercussions for their relatives in Tibet can be considerable. Today many exiles are unable to even reenter their own country, having not seen their parents or other close family members since they were children. It is difficult for them to get any real information about what is going on in Tibet at present, and many of them live in fear for their families and friends. The Tibetans are a resilient people and they vow to never give up.

“Such Cultural Revolution language as “the Dalai Lama is a jackal in Buddhist monks robes and an evil spirit with a human face and heart of a beast”, used by the Chinese leadership, is of no help in easing the situation. Instead, it is a deliberate act that adds fuel to the fire of violence and brings a far worse image of China throughout the world. The only solution to settle and ease current ongoing problems in Tibet is to immediately and urgently invite HH the Dalai Lama to visit his birth country and let him talk to the Tibetans and the leaders of China.

Also, the Chinese government claims “there is sufficient evidence to prove this incident was organized, premeditated and meticulously orchestrated by the Dalai Clique”. We strongly urge and hope that the government will show proof of this. Otherwise, as well as deliberately and falsely accusing the Dalai Lama, and enraging and belittling the six million Tibetans, this is a deliberate threat to all the peace loving people on this earth who unanimously revere the Dalai Lama, the Champion of peace.” Quote from a spokesman from the Tibetan Community in Auckland.