By YISHEY CHODEN
Toronto — For the past half-century, the global community has time and again swept the issue of Tibet and the violation of the human rights of Tibetans under the rug. Meanwhile, my culture, my heritage and my people are slowly but surely being wiped off the face of the Earth.
Even today, in the supposed modern, progressive China, the brutality and oppression faced by the Tibetans has not lessened, as was recently brought to light by the Western climbers of Cho Oyu. Try as it might, the Chinese government cannot deny what happened. Its propaganda about patrolmen shooting in self-defence has been torn to shreds by the video recording of the Romanian climber, which can be seen on the Internet.
What is now of concern is the fate of those children who were marched back into China by the murderous border guards. One can only imagine, knowing that such a fate might befall their children, what horrors the parents must have suffered to be willing to send their children on foot across the mountains, risking life and limb, to find someone they have only heard stories of, the Dalai Lama.
I believe this is not only China’s shame but our own as a global community to have allowed these atrocities to continue in favour of allowing big business to deal with China. I strongly urge all Canadians to write to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to let them know that we are not willing to trade the fate of an ancient civilization of peace-loving people for a few dollars.
