Due to the violent repression of the Tibetans living in Tibet, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has asked countries around the world to resettle Tibetan refugees so the Tibetan culture and language will be preserved.
Recently Australia undertook to resettle more Tibetans and we now have about one thousand Tibetans who have resettled in Australia. A few of these families have settled in Tasmania.
One of the families who moved to Tasmania is Dhondup, his wife Chodon and their young son Tashi. They first came to Hobart to see the Dalai Lama when he was here on December 8, 2009 and they fell in love with Hobart and Tasmania – the clean air and having a view of a mountain reminded them of home.
Young Tashi, dressed in traditional Tibetan costume, watched as the Dalai Lama climbed out of his car at the University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay campus. A photo of this scene taken on 8/12/2009 was featured on the front page of The Mercury the day after the Dalai Lama’s visit to Hobart… (9/12/2009 ).
Over the past year there have been many violent crackdowns by the Chinese authorities in Tibetan regions in China. Tibetans have been killed and they are not allowed to demonstrate their resistance to the Chinese Government’s repression. The Tibetan people want freedom to practice their Buddhist religion, they want to speak Tibetan and they want their children’s education to include Tibetan culture. They want their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to be able to return to Tibet – or at least to be allowed to have a photo of him in their homes. None of this is allowed.
The international community has been asked to stand with the Tibetan people living in Tibet.
In solidarity with the Tibetans in Tibet a silent vigil will be held from 5pm to 6pm in the park at the corner of Elizabeth and Swan Streets, North Hobart
This action is in accordance with the request of the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile, the Kalon Tripa Dr. Lobsang Sangay… ” To demonstrate our solidarity with Tibetans in Tibet, I urge Tibetans and our friends around the world, to participate in a worldwide vigil on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. Let’s send a loud and clear message to the Chinese government that violence and killing of innocent Tibetans is unacceptable! I request everyone to conduct these vigils peacefully, in accordance with the laws of your country, and with dignity.”
These vigils are to draw attention to the violent repression taking place in Tibetan regions within China where Tibetan people have felt so repressed and without a voice, up to 19 of them they have used self-immolation as their only way to draw the attention of the world to their plight and to ask them to help stop the violent repression of Tibetans and Tibetan culture by the Chinese Government.
A February 6, 2012 press release from the Tibetan Government in Exile …. “reports of build-up of security forces and police in and around the city of Lhasa, and its key monasteries, Ganden, Sera, and Drepung. Furthermore, draconian measures to restrict movement of Tibetans in the capital could further aggravate the tense situation in Tibet. With Tibetan New Year on February 22nd and the March 10th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising coming up, we fear there will be further bloodshed and loss of lives. The Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan community’s democratically-elected representative, urges the international community to directly and immediately engage the Central Chinese leadership to assert its control over local authorities and forbid police violence and shooting of unarmed citizens.”
Full message from DIIR Kalon Dicki Chhoyang: http://tibetoffice.com.au/kalon-dicki-chhoyang-issues-statement-regarding-critical-situation-in-tibet/
China must listen to the voice of the Tibetans and the international community in resolving the issue of Tibet. Please check http://tibet.net/ official webiste of the Tibetan Administration and www.savetibet.org website of International Campaign for Tibet on the latest information on Tibet.
Web site: http://www.atc.org.au/
Berry Dunston Australia Tibet Council Convenor, Tasmania
