(<- Previous Report) March 28, 1998 (Next Report ->)

Back to start

As the walk approached Olympia on Friday we passed by a field of llamas. Some of the walkers exclaimed, "Look! Llamas. Llamas. Llamas!" Of course, Ani la heard, "Look! Lamas. Lamas. Lamas!"

That evening a presentation was given at Evergreen State College. Although this is springbreak week for the students, thanks to flyering and newspaper and radio coverage about 60 people filled the auditorium.

"I think of myself as one of the birds released from the cage. One bird free," Ani la told the audience. "One is not allowed to recite prayers or any form of religious practice or will be put in prison. At this time, Chinese government says they allow religious freedom in Tibet, but it is not real religious freedom. People are not allowed to recite mantras. The common Om Mani Padme Hung is allowed and the circumambulation of stupas, but this is an external thing that is allowed to deceive people on the outside. On the outside it looks like religious freedom but the reality is that the important teacher and student education is not allowed, Chinese government restricts the number of monks and nuns in each temple, and they are not allowed to stay at night. Must leave and come back in the morning. During day when the monks and nuns come back the Chinese government teaches Communist ideas and to be against the Tibetan Government in Exile and try to create disturbances between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people.

At this time the most sad thing among Tibetans is that the Chinese government banned His Holiness's picture to put on alters or shown in public. It is completely banned. This has been the most painful thing for the Tibetan people. For Tibetans His picture is not just a picture of His Holiness but everything that represents Tibet. The identity of Tibet. For Tibetans, their first thought is to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama physically and to hear His teaching. That is Tibetan people's first wish in the morning and they carry this wish the whole day."

Saturday morning began with a reception at the State Capitol Building and a greeting by Washington State Senator, Karen Fraser. "To the walkers, a warm welcome and I hope that you are finding this to be a very welcoming community. I think that our community is composed of so many people who really do care about the world, about people, about quality of life and freedom. In terms of Tibet, there are a lot of people from our area who have either been to Tibet or to Northern Nepal who go there for the mountains, but while there they fell in love with the people and the culture and the way of life. I have great respect for your mission here on your walk. It breaks my heart to read the accounts and hear about the horrible oppression that goes on in Tibet. I you wonder, what have the Tibetan people done to deserve this and the answer is nothing. This is not deserved and this is horrible on a world class scale. Often people wonder, the problem is so big and what can I do? Well this walk is a great example and supporting this walk is something somebody can do. This walk is important to help spread the word. Some of the most significant forces in the world are truth, love, culture and non-violence. That's what this walk is about. To spread the truth. Express love and affection from people to people. To help people understand cultural differences and above all, to do this through non-violence."

Outside the Capitol about 100 people gathered to march through town, making a stop at the First Christian Church for lunch and then on to Sylvester Park for a rally.

A large crowd gathered at the park to meet the walkers, hear some speeches and continue on the march for another five miles.

Former Washington State Congresswoman Jolene Unsoeld:

"Today's events are part of a series of events happening world wide to walk for Tibet. It's an opportunity for us to join together for Tibetan freedom. I want to acknowledge the leadership efforts of these events to Professor Thubten Jigme Norbu who has personally led many of the marches here in the United States and in other parts of the world.

I can't overestimate the importance of all of you here today.
Here's the situation: it's been almost 50 years since China invaded Tibet. It's been almost 40 years since the Dalai Lama took exile in India. And it's been almost three years since the Chinese government confined young Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama. He has been held in secret and no one outside the Chinese government can say for certain whether he is alive or dead.

The growing support among the American people for the cause of Tibet is most encouraging. It's been a long time coming, and is evident by your presence here today. You affirm our national character as a freedom loving people. It reflects the appreciation for truth and justice that we share with all humans.

Tibet is suffering through an increasingly difficult period. China continues to deny to the Tibetan people the guarantees of regional autonomy provided for in it's own constitution. China continues it's eternal quest to break Tibetan loyalty to the Dalai Lama. They thought that by now, nearly 50 years after occupation, they would have successfully out lasted the influence on Tibetans of the Dalai Lama. But the Chinese government has underestimated the spiritual leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetans everywhere and those who are here with us today.

As some sort of lame justification for cracking down on the Tibetan religion, the Chinese leadership now blames this influence as the cause of the chaos that allows Tibet to remain backward. The Tibet Daily of December 15th last year said, 'The Dalai secessonists clique use the influence of religion to spread the idea of Tibet independence, to mold public opinion in favor of secession and to stir up incidents and disturbance.' More power to stirring up incidents and disturbance!

The failure by China to implement it's own laws in Tibet including the guarantees of regional autonomy provided in it's constitution, is the critical points from which these serious problems arise. One, the Tibetan Buddhist culture is being eroded. Religion in Tibet is in peril. The Tibetan people are deeply concerned about the whereabouts of the eight year old Panchen Lama and his parents. Every effort should be made to win the release of this child from Chinese government custody. He should be given the opportunity to study in his monastery in Tibet. Monasteries, Nunneries and other legitimate religious leadership should have the authority to decide which teachings will be taught, to whom and by whom. Two, instruction of Tibetan language is being rolled back at all levels by the Chinese government. Three, harmful development trends are being pursued by the Chinese government in Tibet. These include the migration of Chinese people into Tibet and the movement of Tibetan natural resources out of Tibet with minimal peripheral benefits to Tibetans. Four, the decline of human rights in Tibet is excelerating. China, with wide support from non democratic developing nations and the international business community has promoted the notion that some humans must accept severely curtailed rights compared to others. That un-elected rulers have the right to limit the rights of others of those that they control in the name of stability, development, prosperity.

On the basis of our belief in human rights the United States should stand firmly opposed to the partitioning of humanity. So, what can we do. Our task is to keep stirring things up. So that we strengthen the hand of the Tibetan people in the world community and the United Nations and hope that such attention will also beneficially influence the role of the United States in this struggle. In Washington State, Boeing is a powerful figure, and it has long supported Most Favored Nation statues for China without any restrictions, without any sanctions. Boeing argues that by doing business with China they would be better able to influence Chinese human rights issues than if the United States government asked the Chinese government for even small improvement. You can ask Boeing what they have done for human rights in exchange for airplane contracts? What leadership have they taken for human rights in Tibet? We should all ask them.

You can ask now, candidates for our Washington State Legislature, to support a resolution for China to free the young Panchen Lama and for China to comply with it's own constitution to provide for high levels of local autonomy over matters of development. There maybe some constitutional problems with the wording, but we can no longer leave it to the State Department and the Clinton Administration to carry the message. Earlier this month, the Senate, by a vote of 95-4 and by a unanimous vote by the House of Representatives, almost unheard of proportions supported a strong U.S. effort to pass the resolution critical of China's human rights at this years annual meeting of the Human Right's Commission. And now, for shame, the Clinton Administration decision not to pursue such a resolution is a set back for human rights diplomacy. This is your government. Tell the Clinton Administration you're not satisfied with that response.

It is my sincere hope that when President Clinton visits Beijing in June he will extract from the Chinese President a commitment to a time certain for serious discussions on the future of Tibet with the Dalai Lama or His representatives. This is your government. Give Clinton your view. Politely, but firmly.

Shantideva, an eighth century Indian scholar and saint, twelve hundred years ago wrote these words, 'For as long as space endures and as long as living beings remain, until then, may I too abide to dispel the misery of the world.' Let us do our part to dispel the misery of Tibet."

ORIES FROM THE MARCH...

International Tibet Independence Movement
PO Box 592 Fishers, Indiana 46038-0592 United States
e-mail: rangzen@aol.com