(<- Previous Report) April 19, 1998 (Next Report ->)

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I'm finding it hard to believe that I haven't done an update in over a week. I don't know what happened to the time. It feels like only moments ago we were in Seattle and now we are in Bellingham, two days away from the Canadian border and six days away from the end of the walk. In someways it feels like we just left Portland. In other ways it's like we've been walking forever. Time is funny that way...

So, anyway, during the past week Ann(left) has been teaching Ani la to sing 'Amazing Grace.' Ani la's got 'We Shall Overcome' down pat, so now as we walk we are hearing her new song line by line, over and over, repeat, repeat, repeat. Finally, before we ate dinner last night, a pot-luck hosted by the local Bellingham community and attended by over 30 people, Ani la led us in the first verse of 'Amazing Grace.' Everyone stood in a circle, held hands and sang along with Ani la. Very nice.

Tenpa Lektsog from Lindsay, Ontario and a veteran from last years 600 mile walk from Toronto to New York City, joined us this week. Tenpa walked the whole route last year and intended to do the same this year, but unfortunately he became ill and had to stay home to recuperate. We are all happy that he has made it to the walk at last!

Others who have recently joined us and will walk to Vancouver are Ningje, a Western Tibetan monk from Vancouver, Dekey from Seattle and Larry Gerstein, President of ITIM.

A few days ago Ani Wangmo to spoke on Voice of America. The night before, Dorjee Seten of VOA let us know what time to call the studio in Washington, DC, so at the appropriate time we found a phone along the route and Ani sent these words to the Tibetans listening in Tibet:

"Peace and compassion is the most important part of what we are doing right now. The difference between here and Tibet, though, is that if the Tibetan people in Tibet do a non-violent peace march, and only walk three steps they are in prison. Chinese don't like peace and compassion. They always try to stop whatever the Tibetan people do non-violently in Tibet. Here, the USA is a very independent country and peace loving country.

Tibetan people, where ever we travel to different places they organize rallies, talks and presentations. They never forget about Tibet at all. They join the march sometimes along the way.

Also, China occupies not just Tibet but several other countries like Eastern Turkistan and Inner Mongolia and I also want to help the other countries that are occupied by Chinese Communist government.

His Holiness always teaches Tibetans to be peaceful, non-violent and compassionate. When we talk at schools and churches we always talk about compassion and peace to other people.

I joined this march for the Panchen Lama and all political prisoners in Tibet. For these people I came to join the march. In Tibet a lot of people give their lives for their country and I want to pray for these people and we will continue doing everything we can for our country. Also, the marchers send a message through the Voice of America in Tibet not to feel sad and not to worry. We are working hard for our country and we are positive that what we are doing right now we will get our country back soon.

We started the march on March 10 from Portland and the six people who are fasting they started on March 10 also. It's now been 32 days we¹ve been walking and they have been fasting. On the way I fasted for 24 hours and I get a lot of pain. I was wondering how these people survive 32 days. Also some of the walkers they gave up their hair, and some walkers are fasting one day a week and I'd especially like to thank the six hunger strikers for what they are doing for their country."

So far, our only major miscalculation happened the day before yesterday when we absentmindedly ended the day's walk three miles too soon. How do you forget to walk three miles? That's hard to explain, but it did happen. So, yesterday a small delegation of walkers headed out extra early to make up the three miles in time to meet the rest of the walkers at the proper starting point. Thanks Dekey, Lakpa, Aaron, Ani la, Togsoo and Ningje la.

This evening three members of the San Francisco-based Tibetan dance group Chaksam-pa came to Bellingham to perform, spend the night with the walkers and walk the next day. The performance was great and attended by more than 200 people. Techung (center), a veteran marcher of the '96 walk from Washington, DC to New York City, spoke to the crowd between songs explaining Chaksam-pa's mission to learn and preserve Tibet's musical culture. "Many people when they think about Tibet and Tibetans think that we are all only monks and nuns. Well, of course, there are many lay people in Tibet, and we like to sing and dance and have fun. We three are Tibetans who grew up in India and were taught traditional song and dance by our elders." Referring to an article about Tibet and the march printed in the local paper Techung said, "You read in the paper today that in Tibet it is a grim situation and people there cannot do what they want. Here in America people have freedom of speech, movement and expression. That is why we dance here, and that is why the walkers are marching here."

With the help of Techung's translation, Ani Wangmo la spoke to the audience also, "When I was growing up in Tibet I could not hear these songs or dance. People in Tibet are detained and interrogated for singing and dancing. They are told it is wrong to try to revive Tibetan culture. When I was young and I went to Chinese school in Tibet only a small part did I learn something useful. The rest of it was only about how great communism is and the new system and how bad the Dalai Lama is and the old ways. In school they only taught us songs and dances about communism. When I go home and sing and dance for my parents they get tears in their eyes. I asked them why they cried and they said 'you are unfortunate children not knowing what is happening.'"

ORIES FROM THE MARCH...

International Tibet Independence Movement
PO Box 592 Fishers, Indiana 46038-0592 United States
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