A Tibetan-American who was in Lhasa During the Protests. Interviewed by Radio Free Asia’s Tibetan service.
April 7, 2008
Source: RFA
There were Tibetan protests in Lhasa and in several other areas. The Chinese government isdescribing these protests as the work of the Dalai Lama and his clique. As a Tibetan living inside Tibet, I want to make very clear that the Dalai Lama has no connection to these protests. Chinese government officials and Tibetan officials in the Tibet Autonomous Region are blaming the Dalai Lama for the protests that took place in different parts of Tibet. False accusations like these will not heal the wounds in the hearts of Tibetans like me and others but only make them worse. I am sure that Chinese and Tibetan officials are listening to your programs, so I would like to send them a message that false accusations and condemnation of the Dalai Lama will not bring stability. It will only cause further unrest.
We are not allowed to move around, so your radio is our only source of information. Your radio is the most important way of knowing what is happening. It is so useful. These days, your programs are jammed by Chinese music, and we cannot get a clear reception. If you can find ways to make your broadcasts clearer, we will be greatly benefited.
RFA’s programs are very helpful. I am a Tibetan youth who was mainly brought up in the remote countryside. Our knowledge of politics is very limited and backward. Our educational facilities are poor, and we didn’t know much about the freedom that is enjoyed in free countries. So when we listen to your programs, we are greatly benefited. Who actually sponsors RFA? Oh, the U.S. Congress sponsors your programs? Though I am an ordinary Tibetan youth, I would like to thank–on my own behalf and on behalf of all Tibetans inside Tibet–Congress for providing this benefit for us.
Since we cannot move freely and our lines of communication are cut, it is very difficult for me to give you any details or comprehensive information. However, in our area, the Chinese crackdown and restrictions on monks and Tibetan youths and students have been shockingly rigid and ruthless. Monks are being ostracized, and the police look on them as objects of hatred. The situation is extremely tense. All Tibetan monks and students, regardless of their participation or non-involvement in the protests, are being treated as suspects.
While I was in Lhasa, I had the opportunity to speak with many Tibetans. What they told me is that they have no knowledge of any outside organization or individual who planned the protests. What they do know is that Tibetans in the Lhasa area were talking for many months before March 10 and saying that they should do something. It appears that Tibetans inside Tibet were greatly motivated when the U.S. Congress awarded His Holiness [the Dalai Lama] with the Congressional Gold Medal. They had great hopes of winning Tibetan independence. So the Tibetans themselves were talking about rising against Chinese rule … This was not the work of a small group of individuals. There was widespread involvement by Tibetans. The protests and riots affected not just the major streets of Lhasa, but almost every small street. Most of the protesters were young Tibetans under the age of 25.
While I was in Lhasa, I had the opportunity to speak with many Tibetans. What they told me is that they have no knowledge of any outside organization or individual who planned the protests. What they do know is that Tibetans in the Lhasa area were talking for many months before March 10 and saying that they should do something. It appears that Tibetans inside Tibet were greatly motivated when the U.S. Congress awarded His Holiness [the Dalai Lama] with the Congressional Gold Medal. They had great hopes of winning Tibetan independence. So the Tibetans themselves were talking about rising against Chinese rule … This was not the work of a small group of individuals. There was widespread involvement by Tibetans. The protests and riots affected not just the major streets of Lhasa, but almost every small street. Most of the protesters were young Tibetans under the age of 25.