PLEASE HELP ME HELP TIBET
March 26th 2008 11:10
AVAAZ (means voice) has a petition online urging China to stop the violence against the Tibetan people. Their goal is to get one million names online and present this petition to Chinese officials. PLEASE consider this most worthy petition and ask your friends to as well.
LINK: TIBET PETITION
If we consider ourselves 'civilised', then we must prove this, from time to time, by our actions and statements. Otherwise we risk appearing hypocritical. Most people know that the people of Tibet are usually a peaceful, charming race, who also are highly spiritual and moral. Most people also know that the Chinese hands on control of Tibet, since 1951, has been brutal and murderous.
For the people of Tibet to finally strike out with violence and demonstrations to the level we see at the present time, shows the degree of desperation they must feel, and the hopelessness of their situation. The incredible integrity of the Tibetans was shown the other day, when the Chinese government demanded the demonstrators give themselves in, or there would be further, and much more severe, repercussions. 100 people then gave themselves freely to the occupying Chinese army.
How many Westerners would have done this? Would you, knowing that would probably mean torture, long term imprisonment, or even execution? The Tibetans did, so what are we going to do?
Photo Credit LINK: studentsforafreetibet.org
Students staged this protest (shown in the photo above) on Mount Everest! Visit their site (LINK) to see their other photos and what they have to say.
More and more Western people are starting to object to China's treatment of the Tibetan people, but very few Western governments have voiced strong objection, even fewer have taken some steps to punish China economically.
Our own Foreign Minister uttered a barely audible, benign rebuke, and sadly this was to be expected, for our country's iron ore contract is weighing heavily across the mind of our government, smothering its conscience.
So, we must do it for them! We must use our voices to help those who live in this land of suffering, to help those who have had their sovereign exiled, their sense of self-determination usurped, their personal safety and their human rights ripped from them.
Remember, thousands of Chinese nationals have flooded their country and more still stream in each day via a railway the Chinese government built to facilitate the process, an unsubtle form of cultural genocide.
We Westerners have seen some our cherished and hard won rights taken away from us, under the guise of 'terror laws', so we should all be sympathetic with Tibet's situation, and use the power of our combined voices to let China and our own governments know we demand proper civil rights, we demand peace, we demand mutual respect between all peoples of Earth!
(Photo by Insignifica: whose views are not necessarily the same as expressed on in this post)LINK: creative commons license
Please, if you have never signed a petition before, then this particular petition is probably the most worthy one to consider supporting.
If enough people of the Western world speak out, Chinese President Hu Jintao may very well listen, for he is known to consider the feelings of the West about China as important, as he highly regards the growing economic and social position China now enjoys in the international community.
China has an ancient, magnificent and proud history. The West owes a great deal to the Chinese culture, in fact, China by its inventions, creations and discoveries, actually helped civilise the West, for instance;
paper, paper making, printing, porcelain, the postal system, scissors, the toothbrush, toilet paper, matches, the wheelbarrow, the blast furnace, cast iron, the iron plough, the suspension bridge, the propellar, the mechanical belt drive, the differential gear and natural gas as a fuel, to name but a few!
These incredible inventions helped to civilise the West!
Now it is our turn, to return the favour!
Just by putting your name to a simple petition, may very well change the course of Tibet's history, end their suffering and save many more lives.
I thank you for your kind consideration and your time.
Please note, the statue of the Mahayana Buddha has lost its hands....
LINK photo credit: rosemanios
Please leave your name in support of the protest for Tibet by following this link:
LINK: TIBET PETITION
fog
PHOTO CREDITS: WIKIPEDIA, PRODUCED UNDER WIKIMEDIA COMMONS LICENSE LINK: wikimedia commons
ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF WIKIPEDIA OR THE PHOTOGRAPHERS WHOSE PHOTOS APPEAR HERE
National Flag of Tibet
If we consider ourselves 'civilised', then we must prove this, from time to time, by our actions and statements. Otherwise we risk appearing hypocritical. Most people know that the people of Tibet are usually a peaceful, charming race, who also are highly spiritual and moral. Most people also know that the Chinese hands on control of Tibet, since 1951, has been brutal and murderous.
For the people of Tibet to finally strike out with violence and demonstrations to the level we see at the present time, shows the degree of desperation they must feel, and the hopelessness of their situation. The incredible integrity of the Tibetans was shown the other day, when the Chinese government demanded the demonstrators give themselves in, or there would be further, and much more severe, repercussions. 100 people then gave themselves freely to the occupying Chinese army.
How many Westerners would have done this? Would you, knowing that would probably mean torture, long term imprisonment, or even execution? The Tibetans did, so what are we going to do?
Protest for Tibet
Photo Credit LINK: studentsforafreetibet.org
Students staged this protest (shown in the photo above) on Mount Everest! Visit their site (LINK) to see their other photos and what they have to say.
More and more Western people are starting to object to China's treatment of the Tibetan people, but very few Western governments have voiced strong objection, even fewer have taken some steps to punish China economically.
Our own Foreign Minister uttered a barely audible, benign rebuke, and sadly this was to be expected, for our country's iron ore contract is weighing heavily across the mind of our government, smothering its conscience.
Tibetan Coat of Arms
So, we must do it for them! We must use our voices to help those who live in this land of suffering, to help those who have had their sovereign exiled, their sense of self-determination usurped, their personal safety and their human rights ripped from them.
A Tibetan Monk child is not safe today!
Remember, thousands of Chinese nationals have flooded their country and more still stream in each day via a railway the Chinese government built to facilitate the process, an unsubtle form of cultural genocide.
Republic of China's train to Tibet
We Westerners have seen some our cherished and hard won rights taken away from us, under the guise of 'terror laws', so we should all be sympathetic with Tibet's situation, and use the power of our combined voices to let China and our own governments know we demand proper civil rights, we demand peace, we demand mutual respect between all peoples of Earth!
Chinese Military Police in Lhasa, Tibet
(Photo by Insignifica: whose views are not necessarily the same as expressed on in this post)LINK: creative commons license
Please, if you have never signed a petition before, then this particular petition is probably the most worthy one to consider supporting.
President of China Hu Jintao
If enough people of the Western world speak out, Chinese President Hu Jintao may very well listen, for he is known to consider the feelings of the West about China as important, as he highly regards the growing economic and social position China now enjoys in the international community.
China has an ancient, magnificent and proud history. The West owes a great deal to the Chinese culture, in fact, China by its inventions, creations and discoveries, actually helped civilise the West, for instance;
paper, paper making, printing, porcelain, the postal system, scissors, the toothbrush, toilet paper, matches, the wheelbarrow, the blast furnace, cast iron, the iron plough, the suspension bridge, the propellar, the mechanical belt drive, the differential gear and natural gas as a fuel, to name but a few!
These incredible inventions helped to civilise the West!
Now it is our turn, to return the favour!
Just by putting your name to a simple petition, may very well change the course of Tibet's history, end their suffering and save many more lives.
His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama
I thank you for your kind consideration and your time.
The Mahayana Buddha
Please note, the statue of the Mahayana Buddha has lost its hands....
LINK photo credit: rosemanios
Please leave your name in support of the protest for Tibet by following this link:
LINK: TIBET PETITION
fog
PHOTO CREDITS: WIKIPEDIA, PRODUCED UNDER WIKIMEDIA COMMONS LICENSE LINK: wikimedia commons
ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF WIKIPEDIA OR THE PHOTOGRAPHERS WHOSE PHOTOS APPEAR HERE
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Comment by The wonderful Peter Yang
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Taiwan and Japan are already talking about what sort of active measure are they going to take against it.
At least three country through out the world have declare that, they are refusing to let China's olympic tourch light pass through their country. I recogn Australia should do so as well.
China is recieving more and more preasure from the modern countries throughout the world. The only question is, whether what the modern couuntries are doing right now is enough, to stop China's barbaricness.
Comment by Damo
It looks to like International Pressure is mounting.
Comment by Cibbuano
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What are we asking for? China to improve their human rights record? I'm all for that.
China to stop the violence against the Tibetans? It's the Tibetans that are rioting in Lhasa, setting fire to Chinese shops and Hui minority shops!
And the government stepped into disperse the crowd, yes.
How did the English deal with the race riots in 2003? What about the French last year?
How about petitioning the American government to stop the violence against Tibetan protesters? This video shows Tibetans being beaten by NYC cops.
I guess I'm interested to know why China is being demonized for their struggles with the Tibetans, while the Xinjiang Uyghurs, who have the same issues, are readily ignored.
And why the injustices against indigenous people in Canada, the US and Australia are easily overlooked? Man, in Canada, we destroyed their lives, in some ways.
I'm all for compassion and seeking equality, but I wonder if Tibet gets so much press because Hollywood stars support it?
Unless you know something that I don't know? I'm all ears.
Comment by KylieW
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I'd still like to see the Chinese government clean up their act though!
Comment by Cibbuano
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Also, we should remember that they're still developing as a country. They've still got huge numbers of rural farmers living in poverty. Sometimes I feel that we're being arrogant by judging developing countries by our own standards, when we've had years of struggle to build to our current standard of living.
Comment by Damo
Without independent media it is extremely hard to determine what is happening and who did what.
So we are left with file film and news from the official Chinese Government Sources. Much of it using loaded language and unsubstantiated accusations. One thing I do not trust in any conflict is official government statements about anything.
That being said this is still an issue that has been burning for a long time. Since the 1950's, all the way through the purges of the Cultural revolution to today. The question is how you see the Chinese government role in Tibet. Is it an occupying force or is it just trying to control a separatist movement?
The next issue is one of solving the current crisis bases upon what we know.
Do we blindly trust everything to the Chinese Central Party and say well it is really only an internal Chinese matter?
Or do we have a wider responsibility to say something regardless of borders?
Can something be done?
If so what?
My view is that confrontation and the hard line has done little but pass the problem onto another generation. The Tibetan previous generation was committed to listening to the Dalai Lama's non-violent message, the current generation are wavering and the next generation who knows, but my prognosis is not positive.
My other concern is that without the gaze of media how will the Chinese put down what they see as Reactionaries. Will they just punish the guilty or will they make a bloody example of an entire populations as they have in the past?
I favour the idea of putting pressure on China to hold direct talks with the Dalai Lama to talk about the issue. The British Empire was forced to talk to Gandhi, Russia was forced to talk to Lech Walensa.
I see no difference here.
Comment by Mountain Fog
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I would be very interested to read what you know about the other countries and cultures that have suffered by the hand of China and its policies, also, which countires that you know have objected to China's policies in some way, such as refusing the Olympic Torch procession for example.
Please Peter, do a post on this subject so we may get a better perspective, for as Damo quite rightly suggests, our media has become increasingly biased and also, that any news which is conveyed without independant varification, could easily be propaganda and subtefuge of the entire truth.
cheers
fog
Comment by Mountain Fog
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thanks for your comments,
you said;
I guess I'm interested to know why China is being demonized for their struggles with the Tibetans, while the Xinjiang Uyghurs, who have the same issues, are readily ignored.
Well, the obvious answer to that is, Tibet has a religious world leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, who has long time supporters and followers all over the world, for Tibetan Buddhism has spread throughout Western cultures.
However, I agree in principle, that we should be standing up for everyones' rights, which I indicated in my post, but you may have not realized this due to the way I clumsily expressed it.
On one other point you make; Australia has in fact done a great deal for its indigenous population, and is now doing a lot more thanks to the new Federal Labor Government, much more than any other country that you mention, to address the past atrocities and their current plight.
But this matter regarding Tibet has significant repercussions in a global spiritual sense, for Tibet is home to Tibetan Buddhism, and its leader, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, is also their country's leader.
Although Tibetan Buddhism does not regard itself as a religion, as such, but a philosophy, its message is as worthy of respect as any other world religion, in fact, Tibetan Buddhism probably is the only belief system that is not hypocritical, for its message of peace for one and all, acceptance of one another as equals, is taken seriously.
I remind you that His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama has asked his countrymen to not use violence, or he will step down as leader in exile. How many western leaders do you know would have offered that, while their countrymen were being slaughtered. Do not think that severe oppression has not been happening in Tibet! Do I have to remind you of Tienamin Square?
How does Tibetan Buddhism compare to the other world religions?
Look at Christanity; how many wars has that religion both started and supported? How many cultures is it responsible for suppressing? And it says it is the only true religion.
Look at Islam; another world religion that also used to wield world secular domination through organized violence, and some say is trying to do that again today. And it says it is the only true religion, the rest are "infidels".
Look at Judaism; the religion that has suffered the most, at the hands of the other two, and abhorrent perverted leaders like Hitler, yet they today are a powerful political world presence, and are also oppressing people, the Palestinians, and the Lebanese at times. And it says it is the only true religion. Certainly, it is older than the other two!
Only Buddhism stands up to say, NO TO ALL OPPRESSION! Accepts the right of others to express their beliefs without condemnation, and lives by its word!
Maybe Cibby, the reason why the West is not making a stronger stand regarding the persecution of the Tibetans (excluding France I believe), is because they see the Tibetan Buddhist ideology, of peaceful co-existance and mutual respect, as a 'threat' to their own national agendas, because they rely too heavily on arms sales economically, and general trade with China.
It is also for this reason that I see the plight of Tibet as extremely important, for we live in VERY dangerous times, and the leaders in the West are allowing our lives to be once again enslaved, through global economic control.
So no, I totally reject your standpoint, for Tibet is a bigger can of worms than all the rest, but I agree, this does not mean, we as a community, should be silent about exposing the continued oppression of other cultures.
cheers
fog
Comment by Mountain Fog
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thanks for your comments,
and yes, China needs to act positively in all regards, if it wants to avoid a total melt down, which, if all the differing disgruntled groups revolted at one time, would surely bring down its government.
Also, see my long winded reply to Cibby.
cheers
fog
Comment by Anne Tootill
Comment by Mountain Fog
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thanks for commenting.
You make some very valid points!
The media today is much more selective in its reporting and criticisms; much less analytical, much less balanced and more one sided depending on its own vested interests, so much more beholden to big corporation international interests, and worst of all, extremely slovenly with its own editing, letting spell check do it, even if the syntax, meaning, grammar etc etc etc, are all up the crapper..hate that..
I was taught to read with a newspaper, among other things. If you did that today, you would produce the sort of moron big business and big government really want!
cheers
fog
Comment by Mountain Fog
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THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!.
YOU GET TEN MILLION KARMA POINTS IN "HEAVEN'...
cheers
fog
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Hugs, Tammy
Comment by Mountain Fog
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had to be signed by the 31st!
But, it is the thought that counts!
cheers and thanks.
fog
Comment by Cibbuano
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Sorry, fog, I'm not attacking your belief. I'm just curious as to why Tibet is the most important cause at the moment?
Comment by Mountain Fog
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I think, because it has been important to a rather large and unconnected group around the world, that being people who come into contact with the Tibetan form of Buddhism, the people who get to know their monks, they in particular, feel quite deeply about the plight of Tibet. It involves both caring about the way their culture and belief system is being eliminated and controlled by the Chinese.
Also, their leader, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, does not preach revolt, hatred, revenge, nothing negative, yet the Chinese have murdered many of his people, and continue to do so. This causes people to admire His Holiness and to admire, and feel great compassion for, the Tibetans themselves.
Governments, like ours in OZ, are prepared to choke on their morals, while they fill their pockets with Chinese currency. It is a hard gig being government, I admit, balancing the books against the morality.
However, Tibet is popular because of its connection to faith, and the way its diaspora have interacted with Westerners; humbly and with great compassion for everyone.
Other suppressed cultures do not have this advantage and, as it is the Olympics in China this year, the local Tibetans probably feel this is a last ditch attempt at getting the international community to do something constructive to stop China eliminating their culture altogether.
cheers
fog