It is now forty-eight years since that momentous day when the people of Tibet rose up against the Chinese oppression to protect our most precious asset in His Holiness the Dalai Lama from falling into the hands of communist China and to re-assert our right as well as demand for complete independence. Thousands of brave men and women of Tibet, through the sacrifices they made and continue to make have kept not only the issue of Tibet alive but more so have kindled the flame of freedom struggle ablaze; on the mountain tops of Tibet and inside the belly of each Tibetan. On this day of National Uprising TYC remembers the untold sacrifices of our brethrens and pledges to your blood that we shall redeem from the dungeons of hell the glory of our Free Tibet. And when that day comes of returning to our land of fathers with our heads held high, children will be taught the stories of your courage and men and women shall realise that we have our country and freedom back because you, the brave citizens of Tibet, were willing to suffer and sacrifice for the sake of freedom and justice.
It is now fifty-seven years since the invasion of our country after which China ominously colonised Tibet meeting pockets of resistance and bagfuls of unfounded hope and imprudent diplomacy. The destruction of our monasteries, places of learning and traditional homes have long taken place but today, with far greater urgency we see China employing the tools of ethnic cleansing aimed at demographically assimilating the people of Tibet. Monks and nuns in Tibet are taught communist ideology, Tibetans with government jobs are told to denunciate His Holiness the Dalai Lama verbally and through writing, generations of Tibetan children have grown-up without having the opportunity to study their mother tongue, young Tibetans are subjected to growing racial, economic and job discrimination and carrying a photo of His Holiness the Dalai Lama is still a crime inside Tibet. Railway tracks are penetrating deeper into the Tibetan inlands to bring in unwanted Chinese and take out the rich mineral reserves of Tibet. Since the first railway from China reached Lhasa in June 2006, thousands of Chinese immigrants have been resettled the flow intact to meet China’s initial plan of resettling 20 million Chinese in Tibet within the coming decade. With the worsening of the law and order situation inside Tibet, the Chinese police and military have donned the mantle of state owned rogues. Apart from the apathy of arrests and detention of Tibetans guilty of the crime of ‘undermining state security’ an exceedingly large number of patriotic Tibetans these days disappear under the cover of night to be found murdered in the morning. The cold blooded and criminal killings of innocent Tibetans at Nangpa pass carried out with deliberate casualness by the Chinese military speaks for itself in clear resounding words the hideous human rights situation inside Tibet and why a growing number of Tibetans risk their lives trying to escape from Tibet. And more importantly this gruesome incident of September 2006 which was beamed across the civilised states, reminds us of the ageless fact that unless we Tibetans are unable to give our supporters enough reasons to rally behind us and unless our leaders can demonstrate their capacity and show promising results, the world will soon forget our struggle at our own expense.
It is now five years since the latest round of dialogue between Dharamshala and Beijing made an ambiguous beginning and after the latest meeting in February, 2006 when the special envoys concluded that there are ‘major differences even in the approach in addressing the issue’ serious question marks are raised on the usefulness and success of the current dialogue process. Communist China has seen the rise and survival of only the hardliners including President Hu Jintao who was responsible for imposing martial law in Tibet and with him at the helm the chances of a negotiated solution and compromise on behalf of China, we believe, is non-existent. TYC, while striving for complete independence of Tibet does fully appreciate the fact that we are living in an interdependent world but at the same time fail to realise the reasons why, with the present appeasement policy of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile should anyone powerful nation depend on us and what for. TYC does not believe in the idea of being able to ‘harmoniously co-exist’ within a country that is embroiled in her own internal conflicts and has no social, economic and political harmony. And as the Kalon Tripa rightly outlined in the Kashag’s official statement on His Holiness’ 71 st Birthday ceremony that the ‘separation of mind is the most serious form of separation’ – Tibetans and Chinese minds are in factual innately separate proved to its extent by the millions of dead Tibetans, the increasing number of Tibetans fleeing Tibet and thence exceedingly proven by our existence here in exile. We beseech our leaders not to believe in survivalism and never to sit on the dialogue table out of fear. TYC earnestly requests all Tibetans to be forward looking – to look into the possibility of a free Tibet and not to rotate around the hinges of pessimism. Right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.
The glorious Tibetan empires of the great Kings and the Dalai Lamas of Tibet were not built by the miracles of religion but by steel and blood. Since our country was founded, generation after generation of Tibetans have given testimony with their lives to our integrity and independence. Let us remind ourselves that we are the sons and daughters and this great land and her great people. Let the word go forth, to our friends and foes alike, that we Tibetans are not bogged down by the failures of our prayers and petitions, that we Tibetans are willing to overcome every adversity, that we Tibetans are ready to pay any price and that we Tibetans are prepared to bear any burden in order to regain out country and freedom.
If China wants the struggle of the Tibetans to be a ‘fight till death’ – TYC welcomes it. TYC welcomes it with the faith that if and when required Tibetans everywhere are willing to face death in the struggle for our nation. TYC welcomes it with the strong conviction that there is not death to truth, that truth of Tibetan independence will triumph.
Bhod Rangtsen!!
Kalsang Phuntsok Godrukpa
President
Tibetan Youth Congress
