Photo by: Gurinder Osan/Associated Press
Protesters are uniting today for a global day of action in support of improving human rights in Tibet, which falls on the same day as the Olympic flame's arrival in Bejing, a symbolic day on the Olympic calendar.
Tension in Tibet has been ongoing since the outbreak of violence on March 10. This day has been described by many as the worst violence seen in Tibet since 1989. It fell on the forty-ninth anniversary of the failed uprising against communist rule. Beijing said 22 people have died in the clashes.
The Tibetan tensions have also hit close to home.
Following four days of protests in over 20 major cities around the world, local Tibetans and supporters gathered at Pulaski Park in Northampton to hold a protest in solidarity on March 18, beginning in morning and ending with an evening vigil in support of the continued uprising in Tibet. The protests continued into Sunday, March 23.
"Every day, we hear more disturbing news from the revolts inside Tibet," said Tenzin Dolkar, New England regional coordinator for Students for a Free Tibet in a statement. "We demand that the United Nations send a fact-finding delegation to Tibet to investigate the status of detained protestors and confirm the number of deaths caused by Chinese forces. We heard of school children being arrested and beaten in the revolts in Eastern Tibet as well as house-to-house searches, arbitrary arrests and killings."
Students in Tibet are also speaking up. On March 17, Tibetan students staged a sit-in at the National Minorities University.This is the biggest kind of event staged by students since the 1989 protests.
The students sat in a circle on the campus and made their presence clear in a peaceful manner: sitting with their heads bowed, surrounded by candles.
In a similar public display on March 24, protestors tried to block the torch runner carrying the Olympic flame into the Athens stadium as a sign of protest to China's involvement with Tibet.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has also voiced his opinion and recently called for China to open a dialogue with the Dalai Lama over the protests.
"Our Chinese friends must understand the worldwide concern that there is about the question of Tibet," he said to the media.
When asked whether he supported a boycott of the Olympic opening ceremony, Sarkozy said he would "not close the door to any possibility."
The Olympic Games is expected to attract 500,000 tourists this summer. China is eager to cap negative coverage and restore the confidence of major political figures like Sarkozy.
However, on March 26 through 28, Chinese authorities arranged a trip to Tibet for a selected range of international media outlets. This trip was intended to show journalists that calm had been restored.
It did not turn out that way. When taken to the temple, 30 monks started screaming about the injustices under which they felt trapped.
Emily Connell, a student majoring in sociology, thinks it will be interesting to keep an eye on the political movement in Tibet.
"I think it is only a matter of time before this issue will have to be addressed. The recent protests have shown a deep unrest among many Tibetan people."
With the lead up to the Olympic Games in full swing, journalists are setting up base in China. Faced with restrictions, many are aggravated by their lack of access to Tibet and have begun documenting their anxiety.
"None of us can enter Tibet, which is off limits to foreign reporters without a permit," wrote Tim Johnson, the Beijing bureau chief for McClatchy Newspapers. "I know of only one foreign journalist, James Miles of The Economist, who had the good fortune to be in Lhasa as events unfolded over the past few days."
"The Chinese government must allow independent media access to all areas of Tibet," said Kunsang Kelden, a member of Students for a Free Tibet's International Board of Directors in a statement. "Tibetans and people of conscience worldwide will continue actions supporting the global Tibetan Uprising until the Chinese authorities withdraw military forces from all cities in revolt."
Boston is holding two events for "global day of action." One is on Park Street, and the other in Harvard Square. These marches are taking place worldwide, with 15 occurring in the U.S. alone.
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