Consumer awareness essential to Tibetan cause, supporters say
By Mary Butler,
Camera Staff Writer
Showing support for Tibet can mean hanging multicolored prayer flags, displaying a “Free Tibet” bumper sticker or being educated on political events happening there.
A better option is to boycott goods made in China, says Losang Gyatso, president of the Tibetan Association of Colorado.
Buying clothes, appliances and other items manufactured in democratic nations such as the U.S. and Mexico supports freedom, he said.
“Using shopping dollars is a simple step to take and adds to a small campaign that’s happening around the world,” Gyatso said.
Gyatso, other local Tibetans and Tibet supporters are planning a vigil and march downtown Boulder on Wednesday as part of Tibetan National Day, the anniversary of a 1959 uprising against the Chinese army.
The event — which led to the massacre of 86,000 Tibetans within three days of the revolt — allowed Buddhist leader Dalai Lama to escape through Chinese lines and establish a government-in-exile in India. But to this day, Tibetans continue to live under communist Chinese domination.
Local Tibetans, some of whom were brought to Boulder as part of a resettlement project 11 years ago, observe the day as a reminder of the human and religious rights violations that have occurred in their home country.
About 200 Tibetans live in the Boulder-Denver area.
“It’s hard to get into the complexities of the Tibetan-Chinese relationship,” Gyatso said. “I think people here are relatively well informed and know something terribly wrong is going on in Tibet. A resolution needs to be found.”
Local retail shop clerk Erin Needham said she often thinks of the made in China issue. For her, it’s a problem that affects all people.
In the United States, Chinese sweatshop labor — with wages in the 25 cent an hour range — drives down wages, which in turn forces lower-income people to always be on the lookout for bargains, she said.
The China effect is only expected to worsen, as it is on course to add another 20 million low-paying, entry-level factory jobs every year through 2020, according to World Bank experts.
“People don’t want to pay much for anything” and most Americans consume too much, Needham said. She makes and designs a lot of her clothes. Even then, the fabric is often made overseas — including in China, Needham said.
Avoiding made in China goods can be nearly impossible in some situations, Needham said. Consuming less can also help, she said.
“These problems are not just the result of a terrible Chinese dictatorship,” she said.
Contact Mary Butler at butlerm@dailycamera.com or (303) 473-1390
