The Tibet Express

                                                                                Written by Kunga Gyaltsen in Tibetan and translated by Tenzin Pema

In order to bring good image in the heart of World people, China wore various masks of lies and finally hosted the 29th Summer Olympic Games in 2008. China has even created every symbol and slogan especially for this Olympic Games. The concerned Chinese officials have immensely spread many messages with the Summer Olympics emblem entitled “Dancing Beijing” and some of them are: Dancing Beijing is Chinese Seal. It has been openly publicized that it is engraved with commitment made to the Olympic Movement by a country that has 56 ethnic groups and a population of 1.3 billion, but it is very vivid that the minority groups including Tibetans have not made any commitment. If the Tibetans have unanimously made any commitment to the Olympic Movement then they must have agreed to the Olympic torch relay to Tibet. But on contrary, the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay to Tibet has wounded the hearts of Tibetans and they had never welcomed the torch on the soil of Tibet. Therefore, the Dancing Beijing couldn’t fulfil that message.

Although it has been publicized that Dancing Beijing is a kind invitation. The open arms in the emblem said that China was opening its arms to welcome the rest of the world to join the Olympics, a celebration of peace, harmony and progress of  mankind. But in reality, such message has not been implemented even to Chinese people. For instance, it is known to the whole world that several numbers of Chinese students who loved Democracy were mercilessly massacred in Tiananmen Square in 1989 and even in the recent report of International Amnesty, it has been reported that human rights of many Chinese people have been violated due to this Olympic Games.  The open arms in the emblem said that China was opening its arms to welcome the rest of the world to join the Olympics, a celebration of peace, harmony and progress of mankind, that was just an impressive gesture to welcome the athletes only and it is clear to all that the common Chinese people and the minority groups continuously stay under endless suffering and pain. Chinese officials’ so-called the land of peace, harmony and progress of mankind may be found in the moon, but it is nowhere found in the mainland China and other minority groups’ land and neither these beautiful words are actually implemented among the Chinese population nor among the minority groups.

Tibetans being oppressed under Chinese rule are never given peace and human rights. Being devoid of peace and human rights for long time under Chinese rule, the Tibetans are not able to tolerate anymore and consequently from 10th  March ,2008 , they burst out with wide range of peaceful protest against Chinese government and it is being continued till date in all the three provinces of Tibet. It is certain that if any moderation is not given to the ideology of the concerned Chinese officials, then the peaceful protest from Tibetan side will continue in future too. Therefore, during the presence of H.H.The Dalai Lama among us, all the Chinese government officials including Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao must step forward to the resolution of Sino-Tibetan relationship. Otherwise, it’ll be very difficult to get such opportunity in future.

Also ‘One World One Dream 2008 Beijing Olympic’ was supposed to reflect the essence and the universal values of the Olympic spirit: Unity, Friendship, Progress, Harmony, Participation and Dream. It was also said that it would express the common wishes of people all over the world, inspired by the Olympic ideals, to strive for a bright future of Mankind. They had even said that we belong to the same world and we share the same aspirations and dreams. Even though, along with the Olympic Torch Relay, the same above slogan had also traveled throughout the world like the body and its shadow, but the message has been left unfulfilled by forgetting about the value and betterment of mankind.

The theme of Beijing Olympic was ‘Journey of Harmony’ which was said that the theme embodied the Olympic ideal of placing sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity. The Torch relay commenced from Olympia, Greece and reached China on 31st  March 2008. Since then, the Torch toured several numbers of countries in the world. But wherever the flame of torch was lit, there was the flame of discontentment and protest too. It is very clear to all whether it was really a journey of harmony or not. Although we belong to the same world but it  its also clear that we don’t share the same aspirations and dreams. There have been huge infrastructural developments in Tibet, but it has brought only destructions and no benefit to Tibetans at all. For instance, as far as railway construction in Tibet is concerned, due to huge number of Chinese influx  into Tibet through this development, it has badly affected the livelihood of Tibetan people. Additionally, it has also gave negative impact on Tibetan language and culture, so whether it is intentionally or unintentionally, there is surely a massive cultural genocide taking place in Tibet.

Although China talked boastfully about sharing same aspirations and dreams, it is clear that China has snatched all the basic rights from Tibetans to share same aspirations and dreams. Ms. Penpa Dechen, a Tibetan girl of British citizen was studying Chinese language in one Chinese university along with teaching English language in Beijing was suddenly expelled from Beijing for no clear reason, which clearly shows that the Tibetans are completely devoid of any right to cherish any dream. Even the Tibetans living in China are treated with great suspicion which has automatically created a cramped atmosphere for Tibetans to live in.

Similarly, in accordance with the Beijing Olympic Games, other NGOs like SFT with its famous slogan: ‘One World One Dream 2008 Free Tibet’ has protested against Chinese government for using the Tibetan Antelope among the five official mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Additionally, even before, during and after the Olympic Games, they have staged various peaceful demonstrations and protests for the freedom of Tibet in different places. Especially during the Olympic Games, some of its members had staged no less peaceful protests related to Tibet’s independence in different places including Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Although such slogan like “One World One Dream 2008 Resolution of Tibet Issue through Sino-Tibetan Talk” has not been made, but in actual sense, all the Tibetans and other truth and peace loving Tibet supporters have been organizing different activities and programs for Tibet Cause and the final goal is same for all to resolve the Tibet Issue peacefully.

In a nutshell, as the symbols of some slogans like related to unity and integrity are failed in practice, likewise there have been no equal in using the same slogans too. On top of that, the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games had been concluded with the end of the Torch flame on 24th  August at  8 pm Chinese standard time and more than  two weeks have been passed, but the Chinese officials have not stopped the flame of torturing Tibetans inside Tibet. This on-going notorious action of Chinese government is strictly against the principles of Olympics and their promises made before the Olympic Games was started. In this way, the Chinese government has deceived the people of the whole world as well as the International Olympic Committee too. Therefore, it is utmost important to be careful from our side not to be deceived and gulled by Chinese government in future.