The Voice of Tibetan Refugees
Ed Wong wrote a piece printed in the Sunday New York Times about three Tibetan monks who recently arrived at the Tibetan Refugee Reception Center in Dharamsala. The monks had fled after utilizing a rare visit by foreign journalists to Labrang monastery to air their grievances against Chinese rule in Tibet. Like nearly all Tibetan refugees who arrive in India, their journey was daring and dangerous, and their expectation is that life in freedom will be significantly better than a life constrained by Chinese policies. As a frequent visitor to India and Nepal with an interest in U.S. Government-funded programs for Tibetan refugees, I see the enormity of the challenge that the Central Tibetan Administration faces in delivering on this expectation. No matter the institutional assistance provided, life as a refugee is a difficult struggle. Those who do well channel the same strength and self-reliance that made possible their decision to leave and their dangerous crossing through Tibet and over the Himalayas. Once in India, these Tibetans forge new bonds but somehow stay connected to home, and they continue to find relevance and inspiration in the circumstances that forced them to flee Tibet.
The international Tibet movement seeks to amplify the voices of Tibetan refugees, an essential effort given the pervasive checks on freedom of speech in Tibet. The popular slogan, “Life is easier if you don’t speak up,” aptly describes the experience in Tibet of many Tibetans, like the three monks from Labrang, but is conversely applicable to life in exile. The fresh perspective of new arrivals from Tibet is the most valuable asset we have for understanding the situation in Tibet today. For their benefit and ours, we should help their voices be heard.
For more information:
Watch video by Edward Wong and Brent Foster, “Exiled in Dharamsala: Tibetan Monks Escape Chinese Persecution.”
Read ICT’s report, “Dangerous Crossing: Conditions Impacting the Flight of Tibetan Refugees.”
(Photo Caption: The Tibetan Refugee Reception Center in Kathmandu, Nepal – Jonathan Green)
5 Responses to “The Voice of Tibetan Refugees”
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Visit ICT's website to find out more about Tibet and Tibetan issues.
Yeaa for the NY Times for getting the info out to their readers who would NOT ordinarily know about Tibet. China has got to let up… WE must all help Tibet in their struggle.
WONDERFUL to see the NYT paying attention to this important issue!
I support Freedom in all of its aspects for all people.
Bravo for Ed Wong.
Edward Wong is the Beijing correspondent for the New York Times. It is welcome to see him travel to Dharamsala to report on the experiences of Tibetans who have fled Chinese rule. (He also was there last November to report on the special meeting of exiles.) Earlier this year, Mr. Wong also tried to get onto the plateau to report on the Tibetans in Tibet, but was detained and expelled by Chinese authorities. He documents his experience at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/weekinreview/15WONG.html?hp.
We should commend Mr. Wong for his efforts to report the full Tibet issue, especially at a time when the Chinese government is engaged in a global PR offensive to tell their story of Tibet while they deny foreigners the ability to see for themselves.