— Initiatives for China (@CitizenPowerIFC) March 10, 2019
Both
Cubans and Tibetans looked to 1959 as an opportunity for democratic
restoration and liberation. Instead tyranny entrenched itself. The Cuban
nightmare began amidst the hope on January 1, 1959 that the departure
of Fulgencio Batista into exile would mean a democratic restoration and
an end to authoritarian tyranny instead it was the beginning of a new
totalitarian communist tyranny headed by Fidel Castro.
Free Tibet!
Tibetan's hoped that a national
uprising that erupted in Lhasa on March 10, 1959 would drive the Chinese
occupiers out of their homeland. Instead His Holiness the Dalai Lama
had to flee to India to avoid imprisonment or assassination as the
Chinese communists crushed the uprising.
Six decades later we share something in common with the year 1959: a year of dashed hopes. A terrible year, when communism came to our countries, and even worse for Tibet - it is the year Communist China's occupation was consolidated and His Holiness the Dalai Lama went into exile.
We Free Cubans remain in solidarity with Tibetans and the cause of a Free Tibet. We will stand with you. For China to get out of Tibet and for human rights and liberty to return to Tibet.
Today my thoughts and prayers are with the brave people of Tibet who
have spent decades resisting the occupation of Communist China over
their homeland. While at the same time showing their solidarity with
other captive peoples, including Cubans and for that I will be eternally
grateful and in solidarity with their freedom struggle. Today I also joined with Free Tibetans in protest to demand an end to the occupation of their homeland.
60 years ago today
a rebellion began in Tibet against the Chinese communist occupation of
their homeland. Tens of thousands were slaughtered and this tragic episode is now recognized as
Tibetan National Uprising Day. Below is
today's statement by Tibet's President.
Statement of the President of the Central Tibetan Administration on the 60th Anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day
When the People’s Liberation Army
(PLA) of China first marched into Tibet, they promised to build “One
Road” which would bring “peace and prosperity” for the Tibetan
people. However, once the Road was completed, the PLA’s tanks, guns and
more soldiers came and occupied the entire Tibetan Plateau.
Sixty years ago, on this very day in
1959, the Tibetan people rose up against the occupying Chinese army.
With their fists raised in the air, our brothers and sisters marched
together to make it clear that the Land of Snow is a Tibetan territory.
“Tibet belongs to Tibetans,” they shouted. Standing steadfast in unity,
they protected and ensured the safety of our root guru, our tsawai lama, His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama.
Over the last six decades, the
government in Beijing has brutally repressed the Tibetan people, denied
us our basic rights and has consistently pursued systematic policies to
crackdown on Tibetan language, culture, unique identity, and spiritual
practices. In essence, China has deliberately aimed to eradicate Tibet’s
civilization from the face of this earth.
In this year’s annual report, Human
Rights Watch states that the Chinese authorities have used a “nationwide
anti-crime campaign to encourage people to denounce members of their
communities on the slightestsuspicion of sympathy” for His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Furthermore, crackdown on human
rights defenders has intensified in recent years. Language advocate
Tashi Wangchuk is currently serving an arbitrary five-year jail
sentence. His only crime was advocating for the Tibetan people’s
cultural and linguistic rights as enshrined in the PRC’s own
Constitution. Recently, China has also banned Tibetan children from
attending informal language classes held at their local monasteries.
As a prelude to its ambition to
control the global surveillance network, China uses Tibet as a testing
ground for high-tech surveillance methods. Using a “grid system of
social management,” the Communist Party strengthens its Orwellian
control over both the electronic and physical surveillance of Tibet.
Additionally, since 2008, road blocks and check points have increasingly
dotted all major roads in urban areas as well as in remote areas of the
Tibetan Plateau. Chinese authorities have assigned at least one officer
for every 20 Tibetans in the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).
In a dystopian world it has created, often a son is pitted against his
father, a daughter against her mother, and sibling against sibling.
Commonly known as the “Third Pole”,
the Tibetan Plateau holds the world’s largest reservoir of glaciers
apart from the two poles. Tibet, therefore, is the source of some of the
largest rivers in Asia with over one billion people depending on these
waters. Consequently, rising temperatures on the high plateau endangers
the livelihood of hundreds of millions of people in Asia and also
negatively amplifies global climate change. China’s deeply flawed
environmental policies have already turned the Tibetan Plateau into
destructive mining hubs, and the unbridled damming of rivers makes the
situation even more dangerous.
The assaults on Tibet and her people
have always been multi-pronged. Over two million Tibetans, particularly
nomads, have been forcibly removed from their ancestral land and
relocated into large-scale ghettos without any alternative opportunities
to lead a dignified and traditional life.
As a resentment to these harsh and
repressive policies, 153 Tibetans have self-immolated since 2009 with
the most recent one committed by a 23-year-old man named Dopo on
November 4, 2018. While committing self-immolation, the protestors have
called to restore freedom for Tibetans and the return of His Holiness to
Tibet.
Freedom House has listed Tibet as the
world’s second least free region for the last four consecutive years.
Likewise, Reporters Without Borders expressed “outrage over the
systematic violation of press freedom” and has stated that it is harder
for journalists to get access to Tibet than to North Korea.
My Tibetan brothers and sisters
around the world, in spite of living through the darkest period in our
history, we have stood together in unity and achieved a great many
things against all odds. Our journey over the past six decades has also
been that of hope, resilience, and resistance.
Beginning in the early 1950s in
Eastern Tibet, each of China’s tyrannical policy has been met with
resolute defiance. The Tibetan National Uprising in March 1959; brave
resistance in prisons and concentration camps in the 1960s and 1970s;
and the large-scale demonstrations in the 1980s have all shown that the
Tibetan people have consistently and collectively fought for their
rights, freedom, and justice.
In 2008, the whole world witnessed a
new generation of Tibetans in a nationwide uprising against the Chinese
occupation and ignited a spark of unwavering courage to assert for their
identity and dignity. They declared: “Our voices will not
be suppressed; our commitment will not falter.” This resolute resistance
continues.
Similarly, in exile, we have not only
rebuilt ourselves but also become a successful and thriving community.
When our grandfathers and grandmothers first arrived in India 60 years
ago, their fate was uncertain and their future unknown. But under the
guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, they re-established themselves.
Shovel by shovel and brick by brick, they built schools, monasteries,
nunneries, and settlements. Families formed communities to sow seeds of
hope in their corn fields. Men and women renewed their skills to weave
carpets and pave a better future for their children.
Through these institutions and
communities, we have managed to restore and revive our language, culture
and most importantly, our identity. The depth of our history,
traditions, spirituality and determination enabled us to transform our
narrative from that of victims to survivors. The strength of our cause
and our ability to efficiently implement development programmes over the
decades have won us continued support and admiration from our friends,
supporters, and aid groups around the globe.
Under His Holiness’ leadership, the
Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has evolved into a robust democracy
in exile based on the rule of law, gender equality and universal
suffrage. In 2011, His Holiness devolved his political authority to a
democratically-elected leader. The CTA today represents the aspirations
of Tibetans inside Tibet and Tibetans-in-exile scattered over 40
countries around the world. It oversees 71 Tibetan settlements; 276
monasteries and nunneries, 68 schools – having a literacy rate higher
than many countries in South-and Southeast Asia – hospitals, clinics,
and old age homes. All of these institutions and centres cater to the
needs of Tibetan refugees in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Our thirteen
Offices of Tibet serve as official liaison channels in as many
countries.
However, our success is not confined
to our communities alone. The Tibetan freedom movement has garnered
insurmountable international support with Tibet Support Groups (TSGs) in
54 different countries and 40 countries hosting Parliamentary Support
Groups. Today, Japan hosts the largest All-Party Parliamentary TSG
comprising of 90 members. Similarly, the Czech Parliamentary Group for
Tibet is the largest in Europe with over 50 representatives from both
the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
In 2018, some of the most powerful
Member States at the UN Human Rights Council called upon China to stop
the gross human rights violations in Tibet. We are both inspired and
encouraged by support for Tibet from countries like Australia, Austria,
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden,
Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States at China’s Third
Cycle of Universal Periodic Review.
Just as importantly, in December last year the United States took an unprecedented step by passing the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act. This bi-partisan law denies
entry to America to Chinese officials deemed responsible for
restricting American officials’ and journalists’ access to Tibet. The
President of the United States further strengthened support for Tibet
with the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act, which
secures special economic support to promote and preserve Tibetan
culture, education, and environmental conservation as well as
sustainable development.
We are aware that the
Chinese government pays only lip service to words like “co-operation”
and “dialogue”. If indeed it earnestly believes that “co-operation can
bring world peace,” it should renew its dialogues
with the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. As we have stated
repeatedly, the envoys are ready to talk and peacefully resolve the
issue of Tibet through the Middle Way Approach.
Instead of looking to end the 60
years of repression in Tibet, the Chinese government has come out with a
“Zero and 100 strategy.” Under
this new strategy, zero news from international media and exile Tibetans
will be allowed into Tibet and projects 100 percent official propaganda
about Tibet to the outside world and the Tibetan community in exile.
Hence, we must remain vigilant.
The Chinese government assumes that
the issue of Tibet will fade with time. But our experience of over
half-a-century makes us believe otherwise. The young Tibetans in Tibet
experience repression and resistance, whereas, young Tibetans live in
exile and learn about freedom and democracy.
Together, the young
generation in Tibet and in exile are determined in seeking truth and
justice. This new generation of Tibetans is committed to preserving
their unique identity and pursuing their dignity. They are prepared to
carry forward the baton of the struggle until the Tibet issue is
resolved.
Ultimately, it is for the Tibetan people to decide their own
destiny and that of Tibet.
To honour and offer our deep
gratitude for the support we have received for the last 60 years, the
Kashag dedicated 2018 as the “Year of Gratitude.” Accordingly, we began
with “Thank You, India” and ended with “Thank You, America” with
programmes in many other countries in between to express our profound
appreciation to old and new friends of Tibet. I once again want to
convey our sincere thank you to our dear friends in India and all around
the world.
My friends, the tragic case of Tibet
is a stark reminder of how much work is left to be done. Sixty years of
the occupation of Tibet and the repression of Tibetans is far too long.
To ensure that Tibet’s freedom
struggle marches forward, the Kashag today officially declares 2019 as
the “Year of Commitment.” I want to call upon freedom-loving people of
the world to commit to end oppression in Tibet and to commit to fight
against impunity. To Tibetan people everywhere, let us continue our
commitment to struggle for justice. Let us continue to strengthen our
resilience so we can be united with our brothers and sisters in Tibet in
freedom. Let us commit to the return of His Holiness the Great 14th
Dalai Lama to the Potala Palace in Lhasa – where he rightfully belongs.
"Since I am a Tibetan, I have always been sincere and devoted to the
interests and well-being of Tibetan people. That is the real reason why
the Chinese do not like me and framed me. That is why they are going to
take my precious life even though I am innocent."
Tenzin's cousin Geshe Nyima in a statement following news of his death placed his passing in context and called for the monk's body to be released to his family:
"Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was
an innocent monk who suffered over 13 years of unjust imprisonment,
torture and abuse in a Chinese prison for simply advocating for the
rights and well-being of his people and for expressing his devotion to
His Holiness the Dalai Lama. ... "The Chinese government must immediately release his body so that our
family and community may perform the last Buddhist religious rites".
1. Demand a public inquiry into the circumstances
of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's death. He was a political prisoner at the
top of the priority listing for a number of countries and his passing
must be officially acknowledged and the causes investigated.
2.
Appeal to your Chinese counterparts that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's body is
returned to his family so that they can carry out final Tibetan
Buddhist religious rites.
3. Express strong condemnation at the passing of
Tenzin Delek Rinpoche; and convey to China its concern that he was
sentenced in secrecy for a crime he did not commit, and China's failure
to respond to the application for medical parole.
Take action here and petition your government to demand that the Chinese dictatorship do the right thing then share this link with others. The international community must speak out or risk being morally complicit by its silence.
The Free Cuba Foundation adds its voice to the demand that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's remains be returned to his family and that a public inquiry be made into the circumstances surrounding the Tibetan Lama's untimely death.
Two years ago we gathered together at the University of Miami to remember. Today we repost this here on our blog in tribute to the men and women who lost their lives in June of 1989 in China for freedom and justice.
June 4, 2009
The Free Cuba Foundation FIU, FIU Students for a Free Tibet, and UM CAUSA: Students United for a Free Cuba, Falun Gong, and Miami Friends of Tibet presented the documentary "Tank Man" holding a discussion ending in a candlelight vigil reading off a partial list of victims on June 3, 2009 and a moment of silence that ended at 10:31pm. A minute after the tanks entered the square and shooting began.
Videoexcerpts
Julio Menache, co-president of the Free Cuba Foundation served as the moderator and began the event reading the 20th ANNIVERSARY OF THE TIANANMEN SQUARE MASSACRE STATEMENT which is reproduced below along with signatories.
Following the documentary Sherwood Liu of the Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida, a university student in China at the time of the massacre gave a gripping presentation of what took place on June 3-4, 1989 and outlining two decades of repression and its impact on the Chinese people and their resigning from the Chinese Communist party.
Pt. 1
Pt. 2
Silvia Sarasua, Miami Friends of Tibet, analyzed US policy from George HW. Bush to the present and highlighted how US administrations had disengaged human rights from Most Favored Nation status and has been disastrous for human rights in China. She raised the question of what we as activists could effectively do raising the question of economic boycotts.
Tenzin Gayden, Students for a Free Tibet expressed his "solidarity and understand your feeling for the Chinese brothers and sisters who went through all this trouble twenty years ago. I am third generation Tibetan and I speak freely in front of you, but in Tibet there voices are being suppressed - they do not have the right to speak they do not have any human rights."
A representative of UM Causa recognized "the Cubans on the island that last year showed solidarity for the victims in China and wanted to show that we them support them also."
June 3, 2009
STATEMENT ON 20th ANNIVERSARY OF TIANANMEN SQUARE CRACKDOWN
We honor the victims, many of them students, who sacrificed their lives for freedom, democracy, and reform twenty years ago in China.
We join with our Cuban brothers and sisters who one year ago paid tribute to the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre at the monument to the Chinese fallen in the Cuban War of Independence in Havana on June 4, 2008.
Like our counterparts on the island as students we feel a connection to those Chinese students who exercised their fundamental rights to associate and speak freely in defense of democracy and human rights. Many paid the highest price for freedom with their very lives.
On June 3-4, 1989 the Chinese military extrajudicially executed thousands of unarmed students and workers violently crushing the non-violent student initiated mass demonstrations. We will never forget this heinous crime.
Twenty years later China remains one of the most repressive regimes on the planet. Christians, Tibetans, Falun Gong practitioners and people of other faiths are systematically persecuted. Freedom of expression and association are systematically denied and censorship is ever present.
We repudiate the brutal actions of the government of communist China and call on the civilized world to hold accountable all those responsible for this atrocity, that a full investigation with the participation of international human rights organizations be carried out, and that justice be provided for the Chinese people slaughtered twenty years ago inside and outside of Tiananmen Square and their families.
We call on the democracies of the world to stand with the Chinese people in their desire to be free and have their human rights respected recognizing that the advancement of Chinese relations with the democracies of the world depends on the advancement of human rights in China.
Finally, we call for the immediate release of all Chinese prisoners of conscience and in particular those still imprisoned for taking part in the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations that remain imprisoned twenty years later such as Li Yujun, Zhu Gengsheng, Shi Xuezhi, Li Zhixin, Chang Jingqiang, Wu Chunqi, Yang Pu and Miao Deshun.
Miami, Florida June 3, 2009
1. Julio A. Menache, Free Cuba Foundation, Florida International University 11
2. Juan Carlos Sanchez, Free Cuba Foundation, Florida International University 11
3. Pedro Ross, Free Cuba Foundation, Florida International University 09
4. Susana Navajas, Free Cuba Foundation, Florida International University 10
5. Jennifer Grau, Free Cuba Foundation, Florida International University 09
6. John Suarez, Free Cuba Foundation, Florida International University 96
7. Neri Ann Martinez, Free Cuba Foundation, Florida International University 05
8. Rebecca Martinez-Arguello, Free Cuba Foundation, Florida International University 07
9. Isaac Martinez, Free Cuba Foundation, Florida International University 06
10. CAUSA: Students United for a Free Cuba, University of Miami
11. Silvia Sarasua, Miami Friends of Tibet
12. Jian Hu, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
13. Sherwood Liu, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
14. Linda Li, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
15. Nancy Xia, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
16. Victoria Wu, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
17. Yanling Zhang , Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
18. Edie Bassen, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
19. Regina Finnegan, PhD, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
20. Marcus Green, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
21. Kay Harmon, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
22. Diana Crouch, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
23. Kent McKinney, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
24. David W. Lee, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
25. Paulene Jasurek, Falun Dafa Practitioners Association of Florida
26. Sebastian Arcos, Cuban Committee for Human Rights, Florida International University 99, 08
27. Prof. Antonio Romero Piriz Red Uruguaya por Democracia para Cuba
28. Aramis L. Perez, Young Cubans in Action
29. Belkis Landa-Gonzalez, Ed.D, OTR/L Miami, FL
30. Tina Giamei-Valera Florida Tech University
At the end of the event the activists gathered around a main fountain on campus and held a vigil reading the names of some known to have been killed that day and listened to the unofficial anthem of the Tiananmen protests "I Have No Name" by Chinese rocker Cui Jian who had gone to the square and sang to the students days before.
