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unplug magazine asks you to unplug from your current modes of thought and look at life in a new way, whether this means unplugging from our toxic consumer culture, mainstream society, the tv, or a limiting mindset. author megan prusynski explores life's alternatives and discusses activism, progressive thinking, and moving towards a "green" & sustainable life.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Tibet Needs Our Support
I have been following the recent events in Tibet, growing increasingly worried as China cracks down on what began as peaceful protests started by monks to commemorate the anniversary of China's takeover of Tibet (and the Dalai Lama's subsequent exile) in 1959. I have posted on Tibet and the Dalai Lama before, and it's an issue dear to my heart. The protests in Tibet have turned into violent riots, with the Chinese using their full might against Tibetans who want their freedom.
With the coming 2008 Summer Olympics, the communist Chinese government wants to silence the Tibetan uprising in their usual fashion - with brutality, brainwashing, and violence. China has long been involved in human rights violations and cultural genocide in Tibet, and now the people of Tibet are crying out for their voices to be heard. They need the world to know what is going on there, but China is trying to silence them. Foreigners and journalists have been kicked out of Tibet, so eyewitness reports are hard to come by. The Dalai Lama continues to urge non-violence on both sides, even threatening to resign as leader of Tibet in exile if violence continues. His position is one of compromise with China, autonomy for Tibet but not complete independence. And yet China accuses him of "masterminding" this violent uprising.
How can we help? The most important thing we can do is learn about the situation in Tibet and urge China to negotiate with the Dalai Lama and Tibet instead of silencing them with violence. What follows is a list of articles for more information, organizations you can support to help Tibet and Tibetans, and petitions to the Chinese government.
- Beijing Wide Open: the blog of a Tibetan activist living in Beijing. Lots of great information and updated coverage of the events in Lhasa and elsewhere.
- Stand With Tibet: a petition to the Chinese President calling for restraint and respect for human rights, from Avaaz.org. Sign to help them reach one million signatures!
- International Campaign for Tibet: this organization works with Tibetans inside and outside of Tibet, bringing coverage of the situation and offering many ways to get involved in the movement. One of their campaigns is Race for Tibet, protesting holding the olympics in China. They are holding a series of events in San Francisco, April 7-9, when the Olympic Torch passes through.
- Alternet has a collection of stories about Tibet and the current events there.
So, stay informed, get involved, and help the voice of Tibetans be heard. I am hoping for the best possible outcome and an end to the violence. China is hardly deserving of the Olympic Games if they fail to uphold basic human rights, so time is certainly of the essence.
Labels: human rights, peace, politics
brutality, brainwashing, and violence...
The exact form of your so called "peaceful protests" employed and the western media.
Tibet was NEVER a free country ruled by Dalai Lama. Reality check!
Tibet has long been disputed territory, but functioned as an independent entity until China forcefully took it over in 1959.
The Dalai Lama isn't even asking for Tibet to be a free country - the people of Tibet simply don't want their traditions wiped out and their religion made illegal by China. They'd like some degree of autonomy, but they're not asking to be a sovereign nation.
I'm not condoning violence on either side. I wish that it didn't have to come to violence and I wish the Tibetans had remained non-violent in their protests. They did start peacefully, sadly they continue to escalate with violence on both sides. But China is obviously doing more harm here than the protesters by trying to silence the issue, arresting anyone they can, opening fire on civilians, and not allowing any independent investigation or coverage of the events.
The western media has been kicked out of Tibet, along with all other foreigners. I fear that Tibetans are now going to be punished severely now that China has made sure the world can't watch. It's pretty well known (well, perhaps not inside China) that Chinese media is censored and government sponsored, so that is why I mentioned brainwashing.
Now, this definitely doesn't excuse any human rights abuses that the US is guilty of, and has been for a very long time. I'm not proud of my government either, but at least they haven't censored the internet (yet) and there is still freedom of speech and information in some form here.