Tibetan author addresses Chinese oppression
By Rachanee Srisavasdi
Daily Bruin Contributor
In film and literature, Tibet is often portrayed as an escape
from western civilization – an exotic land of medieval wisdom.
Yet behind these romanticized images is a country oppressed and
a culture forgotten, Tibetans activists argue.
Author and scholar Jamyang Norbu – who will give a lecture
titled "Beyond the Lost Horizon: Demythologizing Tibet" tonight at
UCLA – maintained that these "Shangri-La" stereotypes may
contribute to the political exploitation of Tibet.
"Tibet gets sympathy from the West, but it never translates into
actual political support," Norbu said. "Tibet is oppressed by a
brutal system of communist troops, and China imprisons its
dissidents. People need to be informed of this reality."
Tibet, whose culture spans more than 1,300 years, was invaded by
People’s Republic of China in 1950. For decades, Tibetan activists
and organizations have advocated Tibetan independence.
The Tibetan people have demonstrated mostly nonviolently for
independence. In response to their efforts, the Dalai Lama, the
leader of the Tibetan people, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in
1989.
Yet without recognition by the international community, some
predicted that Tibet cannot gain independence alone.
"The Tibetans are a forgotten people in their own country," said
Donald Erlenkotter, a professor at the Anderson School and a board
director of the Los Angeles Friends of Tibet, a group that promotes
education about Tibet. "The world doesn’t realize what is going
on."
Activists accused China of pursuing an aggressive policy against
Tibet. They maintained that hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have
been killed as a result of torture, starvation or aggression. More
than 6,000 Tibetan monasteries and temples have been destroyed by
the Chinese to eradicate Tibetan Buddhism and culture, some
claimed.
"The political situation in Tibet is not taken that seriously,"
said Jennifer Manriquez, also board director of the Los Angeles
Friends of Tibet. "People are more fascinated by the "Shangri-La"
myth than the fact that Tibetans no longer have independence."
Tibetans’ passive role against China’s invasion may be due to
their religious theology, Norbu said.
Tibetan Buddhism emphasizes karma, the idea that one has to
accept fate and focus simply on faith and prayer. If Tibetans learn
to accept a more modern ideology, they might be able to overcome
Chinese oppression, Norbu argued.
While the Dalai Lama supports only nonviolent means of protest,
Norbu suggested that Tibetans consider more options.
"We are trying to dig Tibetan society out of its traditional
thinking mode," Norbu said. "Tibetans should not limit themselves
into an ideological viewpoint, such as that of a pacifist."
Norbu is a refugee from Tibet himself and he left the country
with his parents at age 3. He joined a Tibetan guerrilla force on
the Nepal-Tibet border until the group was disbanded.
"We are regarded as counter-revolutionaries," he said. "It’s sad
that we cannot go back. The country is in a police state, there are
no rights, no lawyers."
Norbu has been involved in several cultural organizations,
including the Tibetan Youth Congress and the Tibetan Institute of
Performing Arts. He was also the co-founder of the Tibetan Center
for Advanced Studies in Dharamsala, India which recently won the
Danish Freedom Award.
Norbu’s books include "Warriors of Tibet," the biography of a
Tibetan warrior who fought against Chinese troops; and "Illusion
and Reality," a collection of political essays.
"In the end it is human ideas that make big changes," Norbu
said. "We have to find new solutions to the problems Tibet faces,
and then there may be a window of opportunity for Tibetans."
Jamyang Norbu will speak tonight at 7 p.m. at Griffin Commons.
Seating is limited, but tickets are still available at $5 for
students or $7 for non-students. He will also be signing his book
Friday at Borders Books & Music on the Third Street Promenade
beginning at 7 p.m.Comments to webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu