By Neiloe Khunyeli,
Cue Reporter
The Dalai Lama celebrates his 69th birthday today. It has been 45 years since about 80 000 Tibetans followed him into exile in India. He now lives in Dharamsala, known as “Little Lhasa”, which is the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile. Tibet: A Photo Exhibition (Through the eyes of an exile) by Tashi Wangdu, at the Red Room in the Rhodes University journalism and drama department, is a work that depicts different aspects of Tibetan life. Pool is the most common after-hours activity in Tingri, and one photo shows Tibetans playing a game. Another shows people dancing in a nightclub to Nangma, a type of traditional Tibetan song that is now popular in clubs. The Chinese soldiers with rifles in the background of some of the photos reminds one of the cruel reality in Tibet. “I wanted to bring awareness of the Tibetan situation, the people and the culture to society,” said photographer Wangdu. “Ever since China occupied Tibet, my people are still seeking their freedom.” Wangdu works at the Office of Tibet in Pretoria. He visited Tibet in August 2003 for the first time. “At the moment there is contact between the Tibetan government in exile and the Chinese regime,” said Wangdu. “I would like South Africans to pressurise their government into doing more to resolving the Tibetan issue.” While there are similarities between the current Tibetan situation and pre-1994 South Africa, Wangdu also feels there are vast differences. “There is no opposition in Tibet and nothing to contest the Chinese constitution,” he said. While South Africa is celebrating its 10th year of democracy, Wangdu too yearns for a whisper of freedom in Tibet. “I am only looking to be free at home,” he said.
Tibet: A Photo Exhibition is at the Red Room in the Rhodes journalism and drama department.
