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Two ordinary tourists in Tibet witness beauty and terror
Dear people,
We would like to share this video of our travel in Tibet in March 2008. Maybe it can contribute to a better support for the Tibetan people in their struggle for more freedom and human rights.
March 10 we were in Lhasa and witnessed the Chinese suppression of the Tibetan people. We dared to take some pictures and two small movies. We immediately posted them on our blog. Although they were not very special, they were amongst the first broadcasted to the world. BBC, CNN, .. and others used our pictures and movies. It was the beginning of a good amount of media attention on Tibet. Finally Tibet got the attention it needed.
But after some time there is again silence over Tibet. A silence that is very convenient for the Chinese government to get an ever firmer grip on Tibet. The results: strong restrictions, arrests, tortures, re-education camps. The old Maoist propaganda techniques are used again and the world doesn’t know about it. Fortunately China Digital Times still tries to inform us about Tibet. But the big media has lost its interest.
Recently the Tibetan case was in the news again, concerning the doubt in the nonviolent approach which the Dalai Lama defended for years and for which he got the Nobel price of peace in 1988. Fortunately the Tibetan government in exile has chosen to continue this nonviolent approach, although China, after so many years, didn’t change its position a bit.
But this nonviolent question, this simple question for more autonomy and the respecting of the most fundamental human rights, will be rejected by the Chinese government as long as they stay convinced that they can influence the world opinion by their economic pressure.
China accuses the Dalai Lama and his government in exile falsely that they want to split Tibet from China. There can be an endless discussion about whether Tibet belongs to China or not (China did have Tibet under its power, as Tibet had parts of China under its power, as Britain had India under its power), but that is not the main point. It is about cruel suppression of a nation that is fully dedicated to compassion and peace itself. It is about justice, autonomy, human rights, not about separation!
Even if Tibet is a child of the great Chinese ‘motherland’; then it is about time this mother stops abusing her child! How on earth is it possible that one of the biggest countries in the world can violently suppress so many people, not only the Tibetans, but also a lot of other minorities, without being confronted by the rest of the world?
The Dalai Lama, and all the Tibetans of the world, can not change this on their own. They need our massive support, attention and interest in their noble goal: regain human rights without using weapons.
This is why we want to ask to support Tibetans actively or less actively by at least showing positive interest. Active support doesn’t always have to mean protesting and signing petitions. We can help by talking about it, having an open point of view and urging media to inform us about Tibet and to criticize Chinese government.
We have to do this, our media have to do this, because our governments don’t have the guts. Again and again anxious they follow China’s demands. It seems that Chinese freedom restrictions reach as far as our own countries.
The question that we can ask ourselves is: Do we feel comfortable with a China that defines who we can invite to our country’s and who not? Do we feel comfortable with the fact that a nation for so many years tries to get some more freedom and respect in a non-violent manner and doesn’t seem to succeed in this? Do we feel comfortable with the fact that the Dalai Lama, who received the Nobel price of peace, is depicted as an dangerous enemy in China, a separatist, even a terrorist? Do we feel comfortable with the fact that we get no news, nothing at all, from what is happening now in Tibet? Why does China keep the international press out of Tibet? What has China to hide? When will the China, that wants to be so modern, finally grow up, become more democratic and develop respect for its diverse people?
Please openly support more freedom for Tibet, you can begin with posting a reaction on this blog and then send the link to all your contacts. You know, the more reactions there are on a blog, the more important it looks and the more it is being watched.
But don’t forget to enjoy this movie, the beautiful scenery, the nice music. Enjoy the beauty of Tibet and the loving-kindness of its people. It’s really worthwhile visiting Tibet, we hope we can visit it once again some day, but we are on the Chinese black list and by posting this video and this text we will probably not change this for the better. We post it anyway. We do it for the people of Tibet and for the hope of a better world where situations can be handled without suppression, bloodshed and terror.
http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=-9173830796950275763&hl=nl
18 min
English captions (comments and translations)
Steve and Ulrike
A Belgian couple that likes to travel and likes to dream
Yes, we know we are dreaming ;-) ... but if more people would dare to dream, maybe more dreams could become reality.
Steve and Ulrike
1/12/2008 - 20:53
A heartfelt thanks to youdear steve and ulrike,
first of all i must say that you people are so lucky to be in tibet because we,a many tibetans who were born in tibet and who escaped from tibet wanted to go back to our motherland but just couldnīt as you know the truth behind the closed tibet. and then i must thanks you two for your love and support for us and it indeed touched our soul and means a lot for us. thanks for giving us moral support. even when we donīt get any governmental support, it is truely enough to getting support from a people like you. thanks once again. good luck in everything you do. take care and have a chain of success.
pema lhatso
Pema Lhatso
3/12/2008 - 16:32
tahnks for posting video Freedom is what we tibetans lack. freedom to decide our own future. free tibet, tibet for tibetans china ffor chinese.
wangdut
28/07/2010 - 22:17
When will the Governments of the world do something for these people, we should all be asking why they are not !!!!
June Crawford
31/07/2010 - 16:48
BelgiumProud of being born in Brussels, Līunion fait la force!!!!
A wise aman
1/08/2010 - 3:27
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