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Losar Greetings to Canadians Walking for Tibet's Independence
Speech Given By Thubten Jigme Norbu
Toronto, Canada
February 15, 1997

GNAM-LO GSAR-TSHES-KYI BKRA-SHIS BDE-LEGS!

I extend my best wishes to all of you who have gathered here for this auspicious day, the day of the Tibetan New Year or Losar. From the time of our forefathers, up until the present, we have always marked our New Year's day. When our homeland was lost to us and we had to set out to wander in foreign lands, our Losar too, we might say, had to come with us and wander through foreign lands. But by gathering here together and celebrating Losar we are giving a signal that the Tibetan people remain alive. And the fact that all of you are together with me today celebrating Losar gives me intense feelings of happiness and joy.

Generally, in Tibet the manner in which Losar celebrations were carried out depended on terrain and weather conditions. As a result, we could celebrate Losar for several weeks. Relatives, friends, neighbors, and whole villages would get together, enjoying the tastiest food, wearing the finest clothes and jewelry, singing the loveliest songs and dancing the best dances. Nowadays we don't have this sort of opportunity. We don't even have a Losar holiday break. So, while we celebrate Losar on this evening we have to think about working tomorrow and about earning the necessities of life; while our voices are raised in song, deep inside we think of all the Tibetans in Tibet suffering under oppression; while our bodies move in dance, in our thoughts we yearn for our lost homeland, suffering under oppression. So far we have had to celebrate 38 Losars in foreign lands. How many more Losars must we celebrate like this? This depends on when we achieve our independence.

There is something strange about the way people speak about independence these days. Some Tibetan exiles accept that in the past Tibet was independent. But when they talk about whether Tibet should be independent in the future, they seem to be saying something which means that it would be alright with them if Tibet were no longer independent. Similarly, the constitution produced by Tibetans in-exile makes no mention of the term "independence." As a result, our people have been divided internally into two groups. One group speaks clearly about the need for independence. However, in the eyes of the other group anyone who speaks forcefully for independence is held to be creating strife and conflict within Tibetan society.

This attitude seems bizarre to me. If we don't want independence in the future, there's no need to expend so much effort on the question of whether Tibet was independent or not in the past. That Tibet was previously independent is something that history clearly states. And although China has actively worked for many decades to distort Tibetan history it has not succeeded in making pre-invasion Tibet non-independent. We say in Tibet that whatever nests the hawks might have, the small and weak birds too have their nests. In this way, anyone who just glances at our history before the Chinese invasion knows that Tibet, though neither powerful nor developed, had all that could be required of an independent country. In Tibet we had our own independent government, we had our own army, we had our own currency, and we had our own postal bureau and postage stamps. As I see it, the most important task for Tibetans in-exile and for their government is not to establish that Tibet was independent in the past; that's the historians' job. Our task is to work for the future independence of Tibet.

I too attach importance to Tibet's past independence. But I consider it far more important that Tibet be a truly independent country in the future and that it be a full member of the world community. To put it another way, Tibet's independence is a matter of life and death for the Tibetan people. We don't have to look very far to see this. Let's just look back on what has been happening over the last forty years. Tibetans are becoming a minority in their own land. In Tibet, Chinese is the language of the masters and Tibetan the language of the servants. These days it is no problem for foreign tourists to travel in Tibet without knowing Tibetan; but it is a problem for them to travel there without knowing Chinese.

The Chinese say that among the world's people they are the greatest. They say too that they are the strongest, that their culture is the rarest, and that their race is the best. By contrast, we Tibetans are a people with modest aspirations; we often say that we are satisfied simply if our country enjoys the mercy and kindness of the three precious jewels. For two such people to dwell together would be like wolves and lambs or cats and mice dwelling together: both lambs and mice would have no chance for survival. For this very reason, if the Tibetan people are to survive they must have an independent country.

The land of Tibet does not simply belong to the present generation of Tibetans. It belongs to the many generations who have preceded us, and it belongs equally to the generations who will succeed us. Standing between these generations, we carry an important and serious burden, for it is up to us to pass on both the land of Tibet and its' cultural heritage from past generations to future generations. But we have no right whatsoever to hand over our country and our culture to any other people or any other country. It is regrettable that when China invaded our country we were too timid and weak to fulfill our responsibility as we should have. But fortunately, the Tibetan government and a portion of the Tibetan population, led by His Holiness The Dalai Lama, were able to escape into exile. This shows clearly that although some of us were unable to fulfill our responsibility, we have not abandoned the right to do so.

The existence of a Tibetan society in-exile has become a phenomenon of great historical significance. Tibetans in Tibet and people throughout the world who believe in justice look hopefully to this society. This is not because we're rich; neither is it because we have so many Lamas and Monks, nor because our society sustains so many Monasteries and Temples. The one and only reason why our exile society is now so crucial and important is because we now bear the vital responsibility of passing on the country to future generations. At this time, when we are not only unable to pass on our country to the next generation, but also to give to them the task of restoring the nation, we have become like beggars who wander about in search of food and clothing. Our wanderings in foreign lands have now become worthless.

How we understand our task is extremely important. If we don't understand what our responsibility is we are in danger of becoming a generation that will only shame our history. And, a generation that adds to its own lack of capabilities by blocking such capabilities of the following generation, and preventing it from restoring the nation, is a generation of which to be ashamed. So far, we have not yet had such a generation; and I firmly believe that we don't want to see ourselves become one in the future. However, "shame" is not just the active commission of things that are implied by the meaning of the word; there is a danger too of acting shamefully simply by not shouldering responsibility and standing silently by. The time for us to shoulder our responsibilities has arrived. We must show The PRC government, the people of the world, Tibetans, and the Tibetan government that the reason we have left our country and have wandered about in foreign lands has all been for the sake of independence. We must make it clear that what we want is independence; not just in what we say, but also in what we do and how we do it.

We have said over and over that the primary reason our country was lost to us was the lack of far-sightedness on the part of earlier generations, as well as their failure to establish relations with the outside world. Today, we are different from these earlier generations: we have relations with the outside world, we understand the ways of that world, we know the languages of that world, and we also understand international law. But what is most important in all of this has been the experience, which is still ongoing, of pain and suffering that enveloped us when we lost our country's independence. The knowledge and experience that comes from this is something earlier generations never had. When you don't know something you simpy don't know it. A Tibetan saying has it that ignorance is no sin. But our generation today knows what earlier generations did not. We who were inexperienced are now experienced. Under these circumstances, if we still do not speak out clearly for independence, if we still stand by silently, then truly we we are a shameful generation. We will never be able to show our face to the next generation. We will never be able to show our face to our friends around the world who believe in justice.

Some Tibetans say independence is a goal that far outstrips our strength. They think it would take too long if we were to strive for it; they even avoid using the term "independence." I cannot agree with this manner of thinking or acting. Why not? you may ask. As I said before, independence is not a matter for one generation; it is an issue tied up with the fundamental well-being of the Tibetan people from generation to generation. Therefore, there is no reasoning that can justify making a decision about the need for independence solely on the basis of whether one generation is capable or not. If we don't have that capability, then surely another generation that does will come along. If we don't have the opportunity to grasp independence, who would dare to say that a later generation will not have the opportunity? But if we now give up on independence, later generations, even if they're capable of attaining it, will be blocked from fulfilling that capability. We would be stealing their opportunity from them. Therefore, it is out of the question for us to give up on independence. In fact, we have no right to do so.

Some non-Tibetan friends and supporters also think that independence for Tibet is unrealistic and impossible, and so they busy themselves thinking up ways for a compromise with China that doesn't mention the word "independence" and which would permit a speedy return to Tibet for Tibetan exiles. We can thank them for their concern for the Tibetan issue. But we must point out things regarding their advice. Should their ideas and advice turn out to be wrong, we would once more find ourselves victims of oppression under Chinese rule. And this suffering would continue from generation to generation. Ultimately, we would have no place for complaint similar to what we have today.

For these reasons, I for one can't wait until foreign governmental support and the views of all Tibetans are finally united around the goal of independence. Because of my age, my capacities are limited; yet whatever capabilities I have, I will direct toward the cause of independence. Let me give you an example. On March 10, 1995, I and a number of friends set out on a one-week walk from Bloomington, Indiana, to Indianapolis, for the sake of Tibetan independence. Last year, starting on March 10, we walked for 45 days from Washington D.C. to New York. And now, with much happiness and pride, I am announcing that on March 10 of this year, I and a number of friends plan to walk for approximately three months from Toronto, Canada, to New York. At the same time, I call upon all of you gathered here to support us. When I ask for your support, I don't mean that each and every one of you should leave your jobs and come walk with us for three months. Individually, according to the amount of time you have, you can walk with us for a bit and truly that would help. Individually, even if you can't afford to donate more than one dollar, that too would help us. In any case, no matter how large or how small, how extensive or how limited, we ask every one of you to extend your support to us at whatever level you're capable.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation and praise for the organizations, both Tibetan and non-Tibetan, as well as for the individuals, who have been working internationally to advance the Tibetan cause. At the same time, I would like to call upon these organizations and individuals and ask that any time you make posters and you write "Independence for Tibet," please write it as large as you can. And anytime you call out for it, say it as loudly as you can. Thank you.

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