By: Hillary Feeney,
The Olympic torch was extinguished in Beijing, China, on August 24 at the end of the Games, along with an important chance to expose the repression of the Tibetan Buddhists to the world.
When the International Olympic Committee chose communist China as the host country in 2001, citizens and government officials expressed concerns ranging from the poor air quality for athletes to human rights. Protestors claimed the Beijing Olympics as a platform upon which they could expose the world to the movement to free Tibet.
Abuse of the peaceful Tibetan Buddhists is often downplayed as an internal struggle of China yet these issues became more apparent as protestors barricaded the path of the Olympic torch and flashed banners on international television.
Buddhism, an ancient Eastern religion, thrives in many countries including Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. Before the rise of the Chinese Communist Party, China recognized Buddhism as its official religion. In 1950, China invaded Tibet, the last stronghold of Buddhism within its borders, after denouncing the practice of religion within the nation. Tenzin Gyatso, Tibet’s 14th Dalai Lama and spiritual leader, fled to India because of the repeated repressions.
In the face of persecution by his home country, the Dalai Lama maintained a peaceful outlook and continued to support Buddhism. Gyatso received a Nobel Peace Prize for his 5-Point Peace plan in 1989.
The fifth point of the Dalai Lama’s plan called for “commencement of earnest negations on the future of Tibet and of relations between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples.”
The Chinese government’s uncompromising oppression of the Tibetan Buddhists often goes unnoticed. The Dalai Lama’s pleas for peace have fallen upon deaf ears in the majority of the international community.
When the International Olympic Committee announced that the Games would be hosted in Beijing, it represented an opportunity to spread knowledge about the trouble in Tibet. Protestors seized this chance; from the detention of 8 American demonstrators holding Free Tibet banners in China to French police having to extinguish the torch as it traveled through tumultuous crowds in Paris.
These protests have helped bring the Tibetan problem to light. However, I have heard many people complain that it was an inappropriate time for such demonstrations. They tell me that I should have blindly supported the Olympic Games and embraced China as the host. My concern with the Tibetan Buddhist conflict and skepticism of the Olympic host relegates me to an unpatriotic American.
Undoubtedly, China exerted concentrated efforts to host the games well. China successfully lived up to the Olympic dream by building new facilities, improving air quality and providing entertainment for the ceremonies.
However, an outwardly impressive show does not equate to peace in Tibet. By supporting protests about the injustices in Tibet, I do not feel that I have sacrificed my patriotism. Unfortunately, the Chinese government is bloodily suppressing a peaceful religious minority. Unrest was necessary during the Olympics and should continue until the victimization of Tibetan Buddhists ends.
Hillary Feeney is a senior exchanging to Rhode Island College from California State University, Chico. She is pursuing a major in journalism with an option in public relations and a minor in religious studies. She hopes that by spreading information about different religious traditions, she will increase students’ awareness.
