SOLIDARITY: Drizzle and high humidity were no match for the determination of Tibetans and their supporters, who held prayers and spoke about the plight of a people
By Jewel Huang
STAFF REPORTER
Taipei: June 03: Hundreds of Tibetans, monks and supporters of Tibetan independence braved drizzly weather yesterday afternoon to recite Tibetan sutras and pray for world peace and the rights of Tibetans.
The prayers, organized by the Taiwan-Tibet Exchange Foundation and the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission, were held yesterday at the Taipei 228 Peace Park.
Several Buddhist monks from Tibet, Thailand, Cambodia and Japan also participated in the event.
collective call
The group called on China yesterday to stop killing Tibetans and suppressing the rights of the Tibetan diaspora.
Tibet was invaded by the People’s Republic of China in 1950.
On March 10, 1959, frustration with the Chinese occupation led to an uprising that triggered violent repression by Chinese soldiers, during which tens of thousands of Tibetans were killed.
The crackdown also forced the flight of the spiritual and political leader, the Dalai Lama and his government.
China has ruled Tibet since 1951 and has violently suppressed a number of uprisings since then.
support
Despite the rain yesterday, many supporters wore T-shirts bearing the imprint “I am Taiwanese, I support Tibet’s independence” and voiced their support for the Tibetan independence movement.
After the prayers and music, chief of the Dalai Lama Foundation Sonam Dorjee criticized Beijing for tramping on the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its continued repression of Tibetans.
He urged the UN to sanction China for these violations so that the suffering of Tibetans could end as quickly as possible.
“Because of the leadership of the Dalai Lama, Tibetans do not fear the Chinese Communist Party’s oppression,” said former parliament member of the Tibetan government-in-exile Khedroob Thondup.
shared experience
Secretary-general of the Taiwan-Tibet Exchange Foundation, Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳), who is also former deputy Presidential Office secretary-general, said Taiwan was willing to share its experiences in fighting for freedom and provide assistance to Tibet.
Chou Mei-li (周美里), chairwoman of Taiwan’s Friends of Tibet, said this year marked the 18th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
China, which relentlessly interferes in the affairs of its neighbors and persecutes their people, nevertheless claims it seeks to create a “harmonious world,” she said.
proof
Footage last year exposing Chinese soldiers shooting Tibetans as they were attempting to flee shocked the world and demonstrated that China’s outrages against innocent Tibetans continued, she said.
Chou also criticized the railway linking Qinghai and Tibet, opened last year, saying that it deepened Beijing’s involvement in and plundering of every aspect of Tibetan life.
“How would you feel if China built a bridge that leads to Taiwan?” Chou asked, urging Taiwanese to empathize with the pain of exiled Tibetans.
After prayer, a movie about Tibet was screened at the Majestic Theater to help people gain a better understanding of Tibetan history.
