Gino Troiani
In 1949 the peaceful nation of Tibet, which is located northeast of Nepal and India, was invaded by the Chinese military and exploited for its rich natural resources. After ten years of war and conflict, the Dalai Lama along with Tibetan governmental leaders were forced to leave the country and flee to Dharamsola, which is a city in northern India where they have resided in exile ever since.
For over fifty years the Tibetan people have lived under oppression. They are imprisoned, beaten, tortured, raped, and even killed for voicing opinions against the Chinese government or expressing any form of nationalism for Tibet. A Buddhist monk reportedly spent 49 years in a Chinese jail for leading a simple Tibetan rights protest. It is reported that over 1.2 million Tibetans have died as a direct result of China’s occupation.
My reason for writing this piece is to raise awareness about the genocide and oppression that is being inflicted on the Tibetan people by the Chinese government. This year, the 2008 summer Olympics are scheduled to be held in Beijing, China, beginning August 8.
Traditionally the Olympics have represented friendship, humanity, teamwork, freedom, achievement, and most importantly nationalism. It is a tradition passed on from the ancient Greeks that has found its way into our modern day society. If you take a close look, the equation doesn’t add up. If the Olympic games represent the basic values expressed above, than why are they being in a country that does not? To me, the whole thing is one big oxymoron.
All around the world activists have been uniting to fight for Tibetan rights and protest the Beijing Olympics. According to Giovanni Vacallo, President of Committee 100 for Tibet, “China is advertising the fact that they want to bring the Olympic torch to a piece of Tibetan territory, the top of Mt. Everest…By doing that, we believe that China is using the Olympics to help legitimize this illegal occupation.”
If you want to become active in the protest against the 2008 Olympics, and support Tibetan rights, make sure to check out “Freetibet.org.” There you will find information about upcoming campaigns, news on Tibet, and learn how to make a donation for the Tibetan people.
And remember, as the famous political theorist and philosopher, Edmund Burke once wisely said, “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.”
