PeaceRiders kick off two-week journey with powerful demonstration at Chinese Consulate in D.C.
Day One: April 10, 2004There were a lot of tears in DC today. By the time the streak marks had finished drying on the cheeks of those from the Tibetan Community and elsewhere who had come down to support the PeaceRiders, new ones had begun to form on the brows of those carrying a nationıs hope and pride firmly upon their shoulders. Fifteen riders set off from the Chinese Embassy on Connecticut Ave in DC after a morning of crying, which Larry Gerstein, President of the International Tibetan Independence Movement, proclaimed was evidence of our collective strength. He spoke about the man he formed ITIM with- Takster Rinpoche (His Holinessı eldest brother)- and his struggles during the years leading up to the Chinese Occupation of Tibet in the 50ıs. As he verbalized his thoughts, tears choked his flow exactly the same way they overwhelmed Karma Zurkhang- President of the Capital Area Tibetan Association, and Rinpo Tenzin- the Ride Leader from Minneapolis, but his message could not be misunderstood. To this day he is still very much unclear as to why he is involved at the level he is with the Tibetan struggle, but one thing he does know is that he will not rest until Tibet is Free!!!!
Jigme Norbu- President of the Tibetan Cultural Center in Bloomington, Indiana dedicated his involvement in PeaceRide04 to the legacy of his father- Takster Rinpoche- and called upon all of those in attendance to clarify their own determination in playing a proper role in the Liberation of the six million Tibetans within a Chinese Occupied Tibet. Along with his two brothers- Kunga and Lhundrup, Jigme wished for a unified force among the Tibetan community, and praised the determination of the young riders from Minneapolis who were willing to join them on the Ride.
Rinpo Tenzin, who previously made the long journey from Minneapolis to DC by bike, and had worked for over a year on making this Ride a reality, spoke for the Riders motivations. Regardless of their abilities, itıs every Tibetanıs responsibility to work towards the Liberation of their people who are suffering and dying within Tibet. Every ounce of sweat that spills forth on this trip was to this end, and it was clear from his motivational delivery that the crowd agreed with him. The release of individual political prisoners such as the Drapchi Nuns, Ngawang Choephel, and the highly fought for release of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, and His Holiness the XIth Panchen Lama- Geden Choekyi Nyima, the Worldıs Youngest Political Prisoner- will never satisfy them. The tear stained faces made it glaringly evident that none of them standing in a garden of early blooming flowers would ever be satisfied until they had their country back!!!!
Itıs not just a Tibetan issue though, as the actions of the Chinese Government has and will continue to affect the world at large. America is only beginning to realize the implications as thousands of jobs are being lost to outsourcing, but this has been an ongoing issue for people from countries like Mongolia, Taiwan, East Turkestan, and Tibet and other places where China has consistently been allowed to operate unchecked by the International Community. These blatant disregards to International Laws and Human Rights standards have yielded millions of deaths and billions of dollars in profits for a government happy to sells its own people into slavery.
Representing Bob I. Yang, Chairman of the World United Formosans for Independence, Paul Hshieh delivered a letter to the gathering expressing their support. Dear Messengers Gerstein, Norbu, and Tenzin,
On behalf of the World United Formosans for Independence-USA, I offer our support for your cause, as you are about to begin your PeaceRide for Tibetıs Independence. We stand with you in your demands that China release Genden Choekyi Nyima- The Panchen Lama, as well as all Tibetan Political Prisioners. We also believe that China needs to negotiate without preconditions with the Tibetan Government-In-Exile, and that China end its illegal occupation of Tibet. Tibet and Taiwan may be far apart geographically, however, the peoples of Tibet and Taiwan share the very same important goal: Freedom from Chinese threat and oppression. It is imperative that we join forces in order to turn back Chinaıs imperialistic designs on its neighbors.
As a token of solidarity with you, I would like to present you with a banner advocating "CHINA OUT OF TIBET". This banner is made in TAIWAN, and it symbolizes the joining of hands of Tibetan and Taiwanese peoples.
Long Live Tibet!
Tibetan Freedom chants and Anti-Chinese Government slogans, Traditional Tibetan songs, and the Tibetan National Anthem sailed through open windows in the Chinese Embassyıs upper floors and registered in the audio systems of CNN news cameras as the crowd cheered the PeaceRiderıs up Connecticut Ave. With a setting sun calling an end to the day, the group rested in a field near the junction of MD26 and MD97 in Carroll County, Maryland, and found solace in the burn of coming forty-two miles closer to Toronto. The Tibetan community gathered once more on the 10th at Karma Zurkhangıs home in Falls Church, VA to commend the group on their early efforts by showing their support spiritually, mentally, and financially.
Day 2 April 11th gets underway where they left off in Carroll County at 9am.
