Tibet Today
After losing their independence in 1949 to China's newly
formed Communist government, the Tibetan people have
suffered immensely. The ruthlessly crushed uprising in
1959 (which led to the flight of H.H. Dalai Lama into
exile), the devastation of the
decade-long Cultural Revolution, and the disastrous Chinese-enforced
agricultural and environmental policies have
resulted in the loss of over 1.2 million Tibetan lives
since 1950. Unfortunately, the suffering of Tibetans
living in their homeland has not ended and seems certain
to continue under the implementation of current Chinese
government policies. Today, Tibetans face a far more
insidious threat, one that threatens to drown
their culture and make their own language obsolete.
Due to government encouraged and orchestrated immigration
projects, a flood of Han Chinese have swelled the Chinese
population beyond that of Tibetans. Tibetans have become
a minority in their own country. Besides being dominated
by the newcomers economically and politically, Tibetans
also face an educational system that is geared for the
immigrants, one that compromises their culture while
levying discriminatory and prohibitive fees and providing
little or no facilities in rural areas.
In tandem with immigration policies, Chinese social
campaigns continue to persecute the religious and cultural
identity of the Tibetan people. In 1996, a new campaign
was introduced called "Strike Hard," that specifically
targeted Tibetans and other minorities in China. "Re-education" programs were
instituted as part of the campaign in monasteries and
nunneries to forcibly alter political and religious views.
As a result, hundreds of monks and nuns were arrested, and
thousands more were expelled permanently monasteries and
nunneries. As of 1998, over 1000 Tibetans were languishing
in Chinese jails due to their religious or political views,
and almost 25% were women or children.
A look at China's environmental record in Tibet may
reveal the motivation behind these oppressive campaigns.
China's economic gains from lumber, mining and nuclear
waste disposal present a profit of many many billions
of dollars. The suppression of the Tibetan people also
works to suppress the environmental opposition to policies
that are resulting in mass deforestation, severe flooding
and erosion, rampant mining, extinction of wildlife,
and nuclear waste pollution.
One of VolunteerTibet's primary goals is to help raise awareness
of the grave situation in Tibet by empowering media-related organizations operating in exile in India with skilled
volunteer assistance.
Tibetans In Exile
Over 130,000 Tibetans live in exile in India,
Nepal, Bhutan, and other countries around the world.
The majority currently live in India, with 20% in Nepal
and the remaining 5% in Bhutan and other countries such
as Switzerland and the US. While they are now free
to practice their religion and rebuild their cultural
heritage, they face many challenges as newcomers in Tibet's
neighboring countries, especially in India.
Many exiles endured the treacherous conditions of the
Himalayan mountains to escape the oppression of the Chinese
Government and arrive in India and Nepal with little to
support themselves and minimal education. This steady
stream of newly arrived refugees depend upon existing
projects and programs supported by government offices and
NGOs in exile for education and basic sustenance.
Led by H.H. The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Government in
Exile faces the formidable task of raising awareness
of its country's situation and exerting what little
diplomatic pressure they have to improve conditions for
their people in Tibet while also creating programs to
sustain and develop Tibetan settlements.
Education for Tibetans has been a high priority for the
government in exile. Primary education schools (called
Tibetan Children's Villages) were quickly set up by the
Dalai Lama's sister soon after going into exile, and many
more were soon to follow. Currently, there are a host of
different schools catering to all ages of Tibetan children,
including special institutions to educate and support
newly arrived refugees.
A wide range of non-profit organisations have been
established over the years that have evolved to meet
the growing needs of the Tibetan communities. The Tibet
Woman's Association draws attention to women's issues in
Tibet and their own communities, the Tibetan Center for
Human Rights and Democracy monitors human rights violations
in Tibet and publishes reports to raise awareness about
the conditions of Chinese occupation, the Tibet Welfare
Office promotes the general welfare of residents in Tibetan
communities and oversees various environmental programs,
and many new schools have developed to teach language
instruction and computer classes to those that wish to
continue their education.
The mass exile of the Tibetan people has also resulted in
the construction of many new monasteries and nunneries
to preserve the monastic tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
These institutions support religious practitioners in
their studies and provide schooling in not only Buddhist
philosophy and practice but also for other topics such as
English and computers. VolunteerTibet hopes to connect
all of these organisations with the skilled volunteers they
need to help them evolve and grow to meet the formidable
challenges of the future.
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