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Support for Tibet
must continue in free Taiwan
By Chou Mei-li 周美里
On Friday last week, the Liberty Times, the Chinese-language sister publication
of the Taipei Times, quoted Radio Free Asia (自由亞洲電台) as saying that the number
of Tibetans who had self-immolated in China has now exceeded 100.
In a commentary, Stephanie Brigden, director of the London-based organization
Free Tibet, said: “This grim milestone should be a source of shame to the
Chinese authorities who are responsible and to the world leaders who have yet to
show any leadership in response to the ongoing crisis in Tibet.”
According to the traditional Tibetan calendar, New Year’s Day fell on Feb. 11
this year. For Tibetans, it meant yet another sad new year.
Since 2009, many Tibetans have canceled their New Year’s celebrations in order
to commemorate the thousands of Tibetans who were either killed or arrested in a
large protest that took place in March 2008.
In addition to canceling New Year celebrations this year, two Tibetans also
chose to self-immolate in different places on Wednesday last week — the third
day of the Tibetan New Year — to protest Chinese rule over Tibet.
A total of 107 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009, with 103
self-immolations occurring in Tibet and the other four taking place overseas.
Some of them were monks and nuns, others were ordinary men and women, ranging in
age from teenagers to those in their 30s or 40s. When they burned themselves,
many of them shouted: “Let the Dalai Lama return,” “Tibet wants freedom,”
“Tibetan independence” and “ethnic equality.”
This series of self-immolations could be seen as an unprecedented collective
protest in the history of China, and it shows that Chinese rule in Tibet is
meeting with serious opposition.
The protests are a brave manifestation of people’s spirit and a forceful
challenge to the legitimacy of nearly 60 years of Chinese rule over the region.
In the face of this challenge China has often resorted to outdated slogans and
propaganda about the feudal system which it says existed in Tibetan society in
an attempt to strengthen the legitimacy of its military invasion of the region
more than half a century ago.
It is also employing tighter military controls over Tibet to try to prevent
further self-immolations in the region.
These controls include arresting or persecuting family members of the victims
and confiscating satellite television receivers owned by nomadic households.
Will this propaganda and the increased oppression succeed in suppressing the
Tibetan people’s pursuit of freedom?
This will be one of the greatest challenges facing China’s next leader, current
Vice President Xi Jinping (習近平).
Living in a free country, the Taiwanese conscience is strongly challenged by the
series of self-immolations by Tibetans. The 54th anniversary of Tibetan Uprising
Day is on March 10 this year and on that day those who care about the hardships
of Tibetans will once again take to the streets to show their support.
Hopefully, anyone who loves and cherishes freedom will join them as they tell
the Chinese regime loudly and clearly that a free Tibet is supported.
Chou Mei-li is chairwoman of Taiwan Friends of Tibet.
Translated by Eddy Changa
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