Students call for free Tibet

Amid a sea of flags and signs, people young and old prayed, chanted and shouted for the liberation of their beloved homeland.

One young girl in a multi-colored traditional Tibetan dress held a sign that read, "Free Tibet."

About 100 people flooded the plaza in front of the Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City on Monday morning to hold a moment of silence in honor of Tibetans killed during China's occupation of Tibet. Buddhist monks prayed for Tibet's freedom during the protest held to mark the anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising Day, when thousands of Tibetans protested China's occupation.

Attendees sang "Mimung Langlu," the Tibetan uprising song, and repeatedly shouted "long sho," or "rise up" in English. Protestors peacefully listened to a student who read a statement from the Dalai Lama commemorating the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan people's uprising against Chinese control. The crowd held signs that read, "G. Bush don't forget Tibet," "Save Tibetan culture," "Stop China's crimes in Tibet."

"I urge (the Tibetan people) to continue to work peacefully and within the law to ensure that all the minority nationalities of the People's Republic of China, including the Tibetan people, enjoy their legitimate rights and benefits," the Dalai Lama's statement said.

"It's important to protest because it's been 49 years and we've still kept our culture (and) language, but it's so hard," said Lhaksam Choedon, a junior in chemistry who read the Dalai Lama's statement. "Even though we deserve independence, being an autonomous region would allow us to hold on to our language and culture forever."

Those words echo statements from the Dalai Lama, who has asked for a "middle-way approach" so that even if Tibet cannot become independent, at least the region could exert more control of its own affairs.

After a round of prayers, speeches and chants, protestors marched to the Salt Lake City and County Building while chanting "Free Tibet" and "Shame on China."

Many U students were among the crowd that demanded Tibet's liberation.

Some protestors also expressed their discontent with the upcoming Summer Olympics in China, saying China should not host the 2008 Olympics because of its poor human rights record in Tibet.

However, in his statement, the Dalai Lama applauds China for hosting the Olympics and asks the country to "prove herself a good host by providing (freedom of speech, freedom of expression, equality and friendship)."

China first seized Tibet in 1950 with 40,000 troops in an act of "unprovoked aggression," according to the group Free Tibet. Ten years later, thousands of Tibetans left Tibet to live in exile with the Dalai Lama, Tibet's traditional ruler. Tibetans peacefully led an uprising on March 10, 1959, protesting the occupation. Many Tibetans found refuge in northern India, and the Government of Tibet in Exile is located in Dharamsala, India.

According to Free Tibet, Radio Lhasa reported the execution of 87,000 Tibetans by the Chinese. The organization also estimates that about 1.2 million Tibetans have been killed by the Chinese since the occupation began. Tibetans have also been imprisoned, put to work in labor camps and tortured.

"Being aware of what's going on (in Tibet) is the most important thing because we want people to know we want freedom for Tibet," Choedon said. "This protest would be so illegal if we were doing it in China, so we are doing it for the millions of people who can't."

e.zuniga@chronicle.utah.edu