At 10.00am on 10 March 2007, a peace rally left Sydney Opera House. Tibetans and their supporters walked through the busy city centre of Sydney into Chinatown and on to the Chinese consulate.
The Tibetan National Anthem was sung continually during the peace march, interspersed with shouts of “Long Live the Dalai Lama”, “Free Tibet”, “Shame China Shame”, “What Do We Want? Justice”.
Tibetan flags and banners were carried with slogans of “Out of Exile, Into the Streets, Save Tibet, B4 its 2 L8, Long Live the Dalai Lama, Support Non-Violence, Support Tibet.
The march was to acknowledge the passing of 48 years since the Chinese invasion into Tibet and the atrocities committed at that time, which are still being committed today.
EVEN AS YOU READ THESE LINES, ANOTHER TIBETAN IS ARRESTED, TORTURED OR EXECUTED IN TIBET
Under the Chinese:
- 1.2 Million Tibetans have perished.
- More than 6,000 monasteries were destroyed.
- Having picture of the Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, is still illegal – a crime punishable by prison sentence and torture in Tibet.
- Mandarin Chinese the official language, making it impossible for Tibetan speaking Tibetans to find good jobs. The Tibetan language is in danger of extinction.
- Han Chinese are relocating into the region in even higher numbers since the opening of the Beijing-Lhasa railway.
- Chinese armed militia are on constant vigil ready to arrest and imprison Tibetans practicing their cultural beliefs or in any way admitting to any dislike of the constant Chinese repression.
- Those Tibetans who try to escape from the country are arrested or shot.
- Any independent financial progress made by the Tibetan community goes into the coffers of their oppressors, thus strengthening the communist finances, as financial, political or spiritual autonomy does not exist within Tibet.
- 1996 environment reported 41.2 Million tons of liquid waste was discharged into the Lhasa [capital city of Tibet] River.
- China’s Xinhua News Agency admitted in 1995 that radioactive pollutants had been discharged near the shore of Lake Kokonor in a 20m sq. dump.
- 47% of the world’s population depends on Tibet’s watersheds and rivers.
- Between 1950-85 Tibet’s forest cover from 25.2 million hectares to 13.7 million hectares, market value of US$ 54 billion.
- Logging still continues today, along with intense commercial exploitation of Tibetan mineral deposits.
This march was a public platform for those wishing voice their concern within a democratic society, in the hope that it will listen and respond.
Upon arrival at the Chinese Consulate, the 10 March 2007 address from His Holiness the Dalai Lama was read out to the crowd in both English and Tibetan.
Much political Western lip service is paid to wanting to avert wars, finding non-violent solutions, protecting human rights and decrying violence. This was an opportunity to stand up and be counted for those who really believe in non-violence as a viable means of conflict resolution.
The alternative has to be bloodshed. Where do you stand?
The Tibetans resolutely stand by their belief, even under these dire circumstances.
They need our support, Western support, political support, before their culture is wiped off the face of the earth. This would be an incredible loss to all of us, a loss of an ancient, deeply spiritual and philosophical knowledge which is an essential resource in today’s ignorant world. An equally critical factor is that geographically, Tibet is a unique ecologically sensitive area. It’s destruction would have devastating consequences across the whole ecosystem of the planet.
This is why we say, “Support Tibet, support yourself”. The ramifications are obvious.
If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito.
Ask yourself if you agree with non-violence. Ask yourself if you disagree with criminal abuse of human rights. Ask yourself if you want to stand up and be counted.
If you missed the march, there is more to be done.
Join the Voice of Tibet Inc. For $15 per year.
“Voice of Tibet” is a registered NGO whose aim is to lead the Tibetan people’s struggle based on the “Middle-Way Approach” of His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
Contact voice_tibet@yahoo.com.au for further info.
