Over a hundred Bay area Tibetans and supporters staged a candle light vigil on December 11 through the bustling Downtown Berkeley, carrying banners, placards and candles, their mouths gagged with black cloths. Later a group of Tibetan musicians as well as an American singer, Julie Larson, performed for the crowd, belting out such inspirational songs as “Pundha Tso” and John Lennon’s “Imagine!”
“As we speak, we do not know for sure whether China has already executed Tenzin Delek Rinpoche or if his two years’ reprieve ends sometimes in the last month of December. But what is most striking about the circumstances surrounding Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is the way in which China has appropriated today’s legitimate concern over terrorism as a method with which to intensify its repression of Tibetan people. Right before our eyes, what China is doing is it is abusing our concerns over the safety of innocent people’s lives and making of it a tool with which to take innocent people’s lives, the lives of Tibetan people, like that of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche,” said Topden Tsering, president of San Francisco Regional Tibetan Youth Congress.
“And lest we forget, this is not about the release of one individual. This is not even about the release of all the political prisoners inside Tibet. Sometimes the danger is that on their own, “release” campaigns pressuposes a government that is legitimate, sending out a signal that if all the prisoners were released, then that would be the end of our grievances. The issue really is working for the end of China’s occupation of Tibet, the issue really is independence,” he said. “And we need to be really clear about that.”
Giovanni Vassallo of Bay Area Friends of Tibet talked about the rapidly deteriorating human rights situations inside Tibet. He recited a prayer in English to reflect our growing concerns for the safety of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche.
Jessica of Students for a Free Tibet talked about the personal life of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, remarking on the social services that the Tibetan monk espoused in his native Lithang region. “The person that China has framed for bomb blasts is actually a monk popular amongst his people for his selfless service to the community, for actively working for environmental protection of the region and Tibet in general,” she said.
Tseten Tashi from Tibetan Association of Northern California called upon the international community to pressure China to release Tenzin Delek rinpoche.
Topden Tsering summarized the evening’s vigil in following words, “I cherish a day when we can demonstrate in tens of thousand, when our voices will deafen the Chinese consulates everywhere. If you look closely, unlike five years ago, today a campaign like Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s is a cause that spreads like a wildfire throughout the world, all on the click of one action alert, from Warsaw to Chicago, from New York to Tokyo, from Dharamsala to Kathmandu, thanks to growing number of Tibetans in the West and to the excellent leadership by organizations like Students for a Free Tibet and Tibetan Youth Congress.”
“Now we need to make sure that we do not let up on this rumble we have begun on. It can only end when the Communist regime in Beijing is shaken out of power, when Tibet has finally become free!”
The month-long campaign that begun on November 14 saw two protests outside the Chinese consulate, one whole day sit-in at Downtown Berkeley, and this candle light vigil and music performances. There is another candle light vigil next Saturday. In between, activists have been collecting petition signatures at various venues.
The campaign is locally being spearheaded by San Francisco Tibetan Youth Congress. The co-organizers are Tibetan Association of Northern California, Bay Area Friends of Tibet and Students for a Free Tibet.
