By Topden Tsering
December 19 – Amid reports from Chinese sources of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s execution sentence being revoked and changed to life-imprisonment, Downtown Berkeley resounded with slogans and music for a Free Tibet as over a hundred Tibetans and supporters gathered for another evening of candle light vigil and inspirational music.
Their mouths gagged with black cloths to symbolize China’s continued repression of Tibetan rights; their hands holding burning candles, placards, banners and Tibetan flags; the protestors weaved their way through weekend revellers, Christmas shoppers, university students, movie-goers, homeless bums and others thronging the downtown streets. “Free Tibet!” every so often an onlooker chimed in. Passing cars honked in encouragement; an occasional fist, a V-sign or a Thumbs Up appearing through the window.
“The news that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s execution sentence has been revoked is a cause for celebration, a small victory for the ongoing international campaign for the incarcerated monk’s release. Moreso because it renders absolutely hollow China’s current drive to legitimize its suppression of Tibetan freedom aspirations as “anti-terrorism” measures,” said Topden Tsering, President of the regional Tibetan Youth Congress. “But our goal is yet to be achieved. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and hundreds of other Tibetan political prisoners are still in Chinese jails. And Tibet is still under China’s brutal occupation.”
“Pundha Tso! Chikdil Gyi!”, local Tibetan performers, from groups as varied as Chaksampa and Semshug Pundha, belted out one inspirational song after another. “Ye Compatriots. Stand United. We are all but the citizens of the three provinces of Tibet. In your hearts, bring up your love, for your country. Lend your thoughts to your land. How we have been killed and maimed by the enemy of our faith (China). Lest we forget it all! Ye Compatriots. Stand United.”
An elderly Tibetan lady, a regular at all such events, clasped her chest, and, with the black piece of cloth in her other hand, dabbed her eyes. A toddler, perhaps five or six years old, until now hobbling around with her two other little friends, stopped and pulled on at the lady’s sweater, confused.
“We come here in Peace. The struggle for Free Tibet is a movement in peace,” said Tashi Tsering from Tibet Justice Center. “And China can not be more wrong in its estimation if it takes our conviction in compassion to be an act of weakness. Time has come for China and its fourth generation of leaders to rise up to the occasion and listen to the call of Tibet’s freedom.”
Seth, a local musician/activist who had been in Dharamsalal several times, regaled the crowd with an odd rap and blues fusion. “I woke up this morning, and the telephone started ringing. Turns out I was talking to the Chairman Mao and I said: Hey Mao, you have earned yourself a pretty bad name out here, what with your genocide of Tibetan people, your kicking and flogging of monks and nuns. To hell with your revolution and to hell with your liberation, you better get your act together, or else I might just have to come visit you!”
Julie Larson and Lars Erin respectively sang popular freedom songs, strumming on their guitars and interspersing their performances with thoughts on Tibet and Tibetans. “Thank you for your love, Berkeleyen Tibetans. Thank you for bringing us your cause for freedom and Justice too. We are enriched,”
remarked Julie.
Tashi Choedron from Bay Area Friends of Tibet said: “Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was sentenced to execution for crimes he didn’t commit. Lobsang Dhondup was killed for crimes which were completely fabricated by the Chinese authorities. Tibet’s situation today is no different from 1959 when Chinese tanks rumbled through Lhasa streets.”
A group of sauve-looking men in dapper suits; a bunch of black men and women, attired in their Rastafari caps and scarves; students with “Cal” knapsacks strapped around their shoulders; girls all dressed up for a Saturday night party somewhere; family shoppers lugging around their bags, children in tow: the onlookers were all from diverse backgrounds. Uniting them together was their enthusiastic support for the Tibetan cause. “America should bomb Beijing,” shouted a girl, her friends joining in: “Yeahhh!”, all of them dressed in black, glistening chains dangling from their waists, hair all spiked up and colored; the Goths. “F**K the Chinese Government,” someone else shouted.
Stopping by on his heavily-loaded bicycle, Rasputin Sr., a homeless bum with a flowing white beard and a bandana around his head, provided his own little insight, jokingly: “Maybe Tibet should not be free. If all the Tibetans went back, where will we get to eat the delicious Tibetan food.” Surprisingly well-read on Tibet, Rasputin can on other days be found, if not rummaging through garbage cans, talking about Tibetan history and Tibetan Buddhism with any Tibetan willing to lend an ear, and a Quarter.
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This campaign was spearheaded by San Francisco Tibetan Youth Congress. Co-sponsors are Tibetan Association of Northern California, Bay Area Friends of Tibet, Students for a Free Tibet and Tibet Justice Center. A big thank you to Students for a Free Tibet chapters and Tibetan Youth Congress chapters around the world for your great work!
