2008 Woodie Awards
Tibetans protest Chinese abuse
Mark Bell
Issue date: 3/31/08 Section: News
A crowd of approximately 200 Nashvillians, Tibetans and Burmans rallied for Tibetan freedom and global human rights Sunday outside of the Metro Courthouse.
The protesters, including robed monks and a Tibetan exile, demanded that the abuses by the Chinese government on Tibet and Burma stop immediately, and called for all American citizens to boycott the 2008 Olympic Games set to take place in Beijing Aug. 8 through Aug. 24.
One monk held a sign which read, "Torture is not an Olympic sport!"
The event, called "One Human Race Justice" was sponsored by the International Campaign for Tibet, and Students for a Free Tibet.
The rally follows an incident, which took place outside of Jokhang Temple last week when government-escorted journalists were allowed into Lhasa, according to Ngawang Losel, a Tibetan exile now living in Nashville. All other journalists have been expelled from the country.
"On Thursday, monks in Jokhang Temple pushed through security lines to tell journalists that the cadres [military personnel qualified to train other units] and the army killed more than 100 Tibetans, to tell them more than 1,000 Tibetans have been arrested, and to decry Tibetans have no freedom," Losel said. "The free must now speak for the unfree and the silenced."
"Due to government policy encouraging migration to Tibet, Han Chinese now outnumber Tibetans in many areas," Losel said. "And Tibetans are often treated as second-class citizens in their own land."
"Monks, nuns and school children are routinely forced to publicly denounce their exiled spiritual leader," said Losel, referring to the Dalai Lama. "His photo, as well as the Tibetan flag are illegal in Tibet and possessing one can lead to imprisonment, and even torture."
Losel also spoke briefly of his family, who he hasn't seen or heard from since leaving Tibet, before telling the audience about a Burman friend who feared the Chinese government too much to speak out.
The protesters, including robed monks and a Tibetan exile, demanded that the abuses by the Chinese government on Tibet and Burma stop immediately, and called for all American citizens to boycott the 2008 Olympic Games set to take place in Beijing Aug. 8 through Aug. 24.
One monk held a sign which read, "Torture is not an Olympic sport!"
The event, called "One Human Race Justice" was sponsored by the International Campaign for Tibet, and Students for a Free Tibet.
The rally follows an incident, which took place outside of Jokhang Temple last week when government-escorted journalists were allowed into Lhasa, according to Ngawang Losel, a Tibetan exile now living in Nashville. All other journalists have been expelled from the country.
"On Thursday, monks in Jokhang Temple pushed through security lines to tell journalists that the cadres [military personnel qualified to train other units] and the army killed more than 100 Tibetans, to tell them more than 1,000 Tibetans have been arrested, and to decry Tibetans have no freedom," Losel said. "The free must now speak for the unfree and the silenced."
"Due to government policy encouraging migration to Tibet, Han Chinese now outnumber Tibetans in many areas," Losel said. "And Tibetans are often treated as second-class citizens in their own land."
"Monks, nuns and school children are routinely forced to publicly denounce their exiled spiritual leader," said Losel, referring to the Dalai Lama. "His photo, as well as the Tibetan flag are illegal in Tibet and possessing one can lead to imprisonment, and even torture."
Losel also spoke briefly of his family, who he hasn't seen or heard from since leaving Tibet, before telling the audience about a Burman friend who feared the Chinese government too much to speak out.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jay-man
posted 3/31/08 @ 1:54 PM CST
The tragedies happening in Tibet are terrible. The poor monks and nuns cant even practice their religion. In Tibetan classrooms there are photos of every communist leader, from Stalin, Linen and Trotsky to the now incumbant Hu Jintao. (Continued…)
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