New York, May 25 – Over 800 Tibetans and supporters gathered at Union Square Park for a mass prayer for those affected by the devastating earthquake in the border lands of Tibet-China and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). The four organizations coordinating this event were the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey, Regional Tibetan Women’s Association of NY & NJ, US Tibet Committee, and Students for a Free Tibet.
People of Myanmar, China and Tibet have recently suffered calamitous natural disasters which have resulted in massive loss of life and suffering from the emotional and physical impact of the disasters. The earthquake left more than 60,000 people dead, 30,000 missing, nearly 300,000 injured, and five million homeless. Similarly, Cyclone Nargis has left nearly 130,000 people dead and 2.4 million destitute in its wake.
Union Square Park is the busiest park in New York. Tibetans and supporters were naturally joined by passer-bys who were pleased by such an undertaking by the Tibetan Community. Various New Yorkers sat along with the Tibetans and demonstrated their solidarity not only to the victims of recent natural calamities, however, but also for the Tibetan cause and struggle. The onlookers by the hundreds, if not more, uncharacteristically took flyers being distributed by the organizing committees and commended the Tibetan community.
Speaking to the gathering, Mr. Ngawang Palden, General Secretary of the Tibetan Community said, “Tibetans are gathered here to pray and pay homage to the victims of the recent natural disaster in China and Myanmar. This is also a clear indication that the Tibetans are not against the Chinese people, but against the Chinese government’s brutal regime.” The crowd applauded Mr. Palden’s gesture of Tibetans’ feelings for the suffering of all sentient beings, irrespective of their nationality. “Since March 14, 2008 hundreds and hundreds of Tibetans are being killed by the Chinese police for simply voicing for their basic human rights, and for that, we are demonstrating everyday in front of the Chinese Consulates. Our demonstration will continue until the issue of Tibet is resolved” he reiterated.
Mr. Kalsang Tsering, Joint Secretary of the Tibetan Community briefed the crowd about the prayer service in Tibetan. “Tibetans in Tibet and around the world have been deeply saddened by the scale of the destructions caused by the two incidents and offer sincere prayers and condolences to the people who are impacted by the tragedies.”
It is quite encouraging to see the inconceivable rescue efforts and open media reporting taking place in China. However, no such openness can be noticed inside the Tibetan areas. Foreign tourists and media persons are still banned from the Tibetan plateau, which makes it harder to know the real situation of the Tibetan people. Tibetans all over the world call upon the leadership in Beijing to allow foreign media and relief workers in the Tibetan areas so that Tibetans impacted by the disaster can receive equal attention.
Report by Regional Tibetan Women’s Association of NY &NJ, Inc.
