Sunday, May 04, 2008 Gueco: Free Tibet By Malu Gueco
FLYING prayer flags sweep across the rooftop of our world in this land of mystery -- Tibet.
Famous for their Tibetan Buddhism, renowned for centuries old lamaseries and/or monasteries and distinctive for their spirituality, their people are said to be among the gentle persons on earth.
Henceforth, a question you and I might raise is the location of this sacred place.
Where is Tibet?
Research in the cyberspace reveals the following:
Tibet lies at the center of Asia, with an area of 2.5 million square kilometers. The earth's highest mountains, a vast arid plateau and great river valleys make up the physical homeland of six million Tibetans. It has an average altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level.
Tibet is comprised of the three provinces of Amdo (now split by China into the provinces of Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan), Kham (largely incorporated into the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Qinghai), and U-Tsang (which, together with western Kham, is today referred to by China as the Tibet Autonomous Region).
The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) comprises less than half of historic Tibet and was created by China in 1965 for administrative reasons. It is important to note that when Chinese officials and publications use the term "Tibet" they mean only the TAR.
Tibetans use the term Tibet to mean the three provinces described above, i.e., the area traditionally known as Tibet before the 1949-50 invasion.
Despite over 40 years of Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Tibetan people refuse to be conquered and subjugated by China. The present Chinese policy, a combination of demographic and economic manipulation, and discrimination, aims to suppress the Tibetan issue by changing the very character and the identity of Tibet and its people.
Today, Tibetans are outnumbered by Han Chinese population in their own homeland.
2008
The brutality of the Red Chinese subjugation had smashed the homes and hearth of many Tibetans; despite this repression, their spirits blaze across the world. Wherever they might be found, they only raise this line.
Free Tibet... Free Tibet... Free Tibet.
Update
Herein is the latest story filed on their dissent:
"Tibetan unrest began with demonstrations on March 10, 2008 (Tibetan Uprising Day), the 49th anniversary of the failed 1959 Tibetan uprising against Beijing's rule. The protests and subsequent riots began when 300 monks demanded the release of other monks detained since last fall, but soon after, political demands surfaced and the protest turned violent. [1] Tibetans attacked non-Tibetan ethnic groups. Rioting, burning and looting began on March 14. [2]
Information is scarce because Chinese authorities have restricted the ability of foreign and Hong Kong media to enter and freely report on the region, [11] with the exception of James Miles, a correspondent from The Economist, who gained approval for a weeklong trip, which happened to coincide with the increase in tensions. [12] On March 27, following a promise by premier Wen Jiabao to allow the media back in as soon as practicable, the Chinese authorities organized a controlled tour of Lhasa by foreign media. [13] Chinese authorities have also reportedly attempted to block access to several major internet media outlets by Chinese citizens during the turmoil."
Finale
I protest against the Chinese domination over Tibet.
Enough of torture, killings and imprisonment of Tibetan monks/nuns/citizens. Together with human rights advocates, I call for the restoration of their freedom.
Fly high snow lions printed on your Tibetan flag...Fight on for your rights...Free Tibet forever!
