By Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, April 22 – Over 1,100 Australians, including federal politicians of all major political parties of Australia, have signed a letter to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd urging him to support an appeal by survivors of last week’s devastating earthquake to invite the Dalai Lama to visit the quake affected area.
Survivors of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Yushu (Tib: Kyegudo in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham) wrote to China’s President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao urging them to allow their leader the Dalai Lama to visit the predominantly Tibetan region and provide comfort to those affected.
The Dalai Lama, whom Beijing reviles as a “separatist”, told reporters here Saturday that he was eager to visit the area to comfort the survivors and pray for the victims like he was invited to do in the aftermath of the Typhoon in Taiwan. The Tibetan leader, however, said he was not aware of any letter from the Tibetan people in Kyegudo but that he had heard people wished he could visit.
Michael Danby MP, Hon. Peter Slipper MP, Senator Bob Brown and Senator Nick Xenophon are among ten federal politicians who have signed the letter, requesting the Prime Minister to raise the matter personally with the Chinese leadership.
Australia Tibet Council also called on the Prime Minister to extend condolences to the Tibetan community.
“This is a Tibetan area and a Tibetan tragedy,” said a spokesperson for the Australia Tibet Council in a press release today, adding that Australia is home to a large Tibetan community, many members of which have family or friends among the deceased and among the many more left injured and homeless.
According to official Chinese statistics, Tibetans account for over 97% of the population in the affected area, one of several Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures that lie outside of today’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
Australia Tibet Council said it is concerned that “consistent references to ‘China’s earthquake’ in media coverage and statements of condolence from world leaders have masked the fact that the earthquake hit area is ethnically, culturally and historically Tibetan.” There are fears, ATC believes, that this may lead to a “failure to prioritise Tibetan needs when immediate rescue and relief efforts make way for long-term reconstruction and bolster efforts by the Chinese Government to further consolidate control over the region in the wake of the tragedy.”
