The Walk to Freedom

Jessica Krippendorf

Tenzin Gatzon walked up to the microphone and closed his eyes. The crowd was immediately silenced by the deep emotion on his face. He stood like that, in silence, his rosary sliding gently through his weathered fingers, for what seemed like forever. He was praying. His lips moved slightly as he spoke internally for strength to tell his story. After a moment, he opened his eyes and addressed the crowd with a nervous grin. In broken English he spoke.

"I am here today because I know you all like stories."

Nervous laughter danced through the expectant crowd.

"I have a story that I wish to tell. I intend only to take a moment of your time and I promise I will not be here all day."

Again the crowd lightly stirred. Little did Tenzin know that we, the people he was addressing that day, would have sat in the cold on the Parliament steps for days to hear him speak.

Tenzin is a Buddhist monk, native to Tibet, who currently resides in Victoria BC. He was speaking before a crowd of concerned citizens who had just marched passively through the streets of Victoria in order to create awareness about the devastation of the illegal Chinese occupation in Tibet.

The march is an annual event that takes place internationally on March 10 to mark the anniversary of the spontaneous uprising of the Tibetan people against the Chinese army in 1959. Organized by grassroots organizations like Students for a Free Tibet, which has over 600 chapters in universities across the world, and the Canada Tibet Committee, the event has created mass publicity and has brought thousands of people together to show their support for this cause. The Victoria march began at Centennial Square and ended at the Parliament buildings where a Tibetan flag was unfurled and a rally took place. Speakers included Sue Williams, the President of the University of Victoria chapter of Students for Tibet, Vice-President of the Canada Tibet Committee Judy Tethong and Tenzin Gatzon who gave a ceremonial prayer and then told his story. He began:

"When my family realized that we had no choice but to leave our home, we set out towards India. We were five, with my brother, sister and parents. Somewhere along the way my father realized we hadn't enough food and decided to go back for more. My mother begged him not to go but he was very stubborn. So he went, and my little brother followed. We waited for over three hours before we realized they were not coming back and we continued along, alone and scared."

Tibet is located in central Asia, with an area of 2.5 million square kilometers, and makes up the physical homeland of 6 million Tibetans. Despite over 50 years of Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Tibetan people have remained strong in the face of violent oppression.

"The present Chinese policy, a combination of demographic and economic manipulation, and discrimination, aims to suppress the Tibetan issue by changing the very character and the identity of Tibet and its people," says the Official Government in Exile. "Today Tibetans are outnumbered by Han Chinese population in their own homeland."

Since 1950, the Chinese government has occupied Tibet, and the occupants of that country have suffered religious and political persecution at the hands of the Chinese army. Spiritual and political leader Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet was appointed in 1950, at the tender age of 15 to his place in government. He appealed to the Canadian, American and British governments for help against the Chinese occupation but help was denied. Due to the presence of strong Buddhist beliefs in Tibet, the residents were unwilling to fight the army with violence, and incapable of it. They lived in passive repression until finally, out of desperation, the people of Lhasa--the religious capital of Tibet--rose up against the Chinese army on March 10, 1959 and were defeated. Twenty days later, the Dalai Lama had a dream that his life was in danger and so he, along with a few appointed officials, walked out of Tibet and into Dharsalama, India where he has remained in exile ever since.

Tenzin Gatzon paused again and closed his eyes. His face reflected great pain as he struggled to continue his story. Many people in the crowd were shedding tears for the monk who was reliving the worst experience of his life in front of 200 strangers.

Tenzin Gatzon and his wife in ceremonial prayer

"We kept on and the journey was hard. We were very cold and very confused. My mother stopped often to check on us and make us warm. She was so strong and did not let us see her cry. I do not know a stronger woman. We walked in the night and hid in the day. It was very long. One night we stopped in the night to rest. We had been going for so long that we slept which was bad because of the cold. When we awoke my sister did not."

Tenzin's story is much like that of thousands of Tibetan refugees who have been forced to walk out of their native land in order to live in religious and political freedom. Some of those who have remained have faced a worse fate. Thousands of Tibetan monks, nuns and civilians have been imprisoned, tortured and murdered because of their religious beliefs. These men and women have been beaten, burned, urinated on, and otherwise tortured due to the belief by the Communist Chinese government that "religion is poison."

According to the Government in Exile:

"Tibet, (previously a unified nation), is now comprised of the three provinces of Amdo (now split by China into the provinces of Qinghai, Gansu & Sichuan), Kham (largely incorporated into the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Qinghai), and U-Tsang (which, together with western Kham, is today referred to by China as the Tibet Autonomous Region).

The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) comprises less than half of historic Tibet and was created by China in 1965 for administrative reasons. It is important to note that when Chinese officials and publications use the term "Tibet" they mean only the TAR.

Tibetans use the term Tibet to mean the three provinces described above, i.e., the area traditionally known as Tibet before the 1949-50 invasion."

Out of the three recognized provinces in Tibet, only one (TBA) is left in which Buddhism may be practiced, and even there having religious artifacts can prompt a late night visit by the troops. In an attempt to assimilate the culture, Tibetans are routinely sterilized and forced into abortions. Some say this entire practice is somewhat reminiscent of the Nazi movement, except in there is no war going on to justify it. At times, it seems that there is no hope for this peaceful country, which suffers in the light of their anti-violence religion.

But Tenzin Gatzon refuses to give up. Standing before the protesters at the Victoria Freedom Walk, he made this request:

"I thank you all for coming today and hearing my story. There are so many of you out there, it is so beautiful."

He began to cry.

"Please understand that in the words of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet, individuals can make a difference. In the interest of freedom for the people of my country, keep on what you are doing. Remain peaceful in your actions and do not give up on the idea that we will one day be free. Thank you."

As Tenzin stepped away from the podium, the entire crowd applauded the monk's courage.

Shortly after, the rally ended and the crowd began to disperse. The people who gathered there on that day walked away slowly, some arm-in-arm, others in quiet solitude. The faces of each and every person who witnessed Tenzin's speech reflected a desperate appreciation for their own personal freedom and a solid determination to help make a difference to the people of Tibet.

Speaking with some of the protesters afterwards, I realized the diversity of the crowd and that everyone there had a different reason for attending. Some were Buddhists, like myself, interested in helping others retain their religious freedom. Others were political activists who wish to see the previously existing international boundary between China and Tibet reinstated and respected. Others were purely believers in freedom and the right to choose one's own destiny, a right that the people of Tibet have not enjoyed for over 50 years.

Join us! June 9 2001 for Everything Zen, an electronic music event to be held outdoors with 6 tag-team Dj pairs, Free Henna Tattoos, Herbal Tea, Fire Dancers, Morning Grilled Cheese Bonanza and Much More...

ALL PROCEEDS TO GO TO "STUDENTS FOR A FREE TIBET (SFT)," VICTORIA

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