Published by: World Tibet Network News, Monday, June 24, 1996

Tibetan Freedom Concert Draws 100,000; Adam ...

SAN FRANCISCO (June 20) ENTERTAINMENT WIRE -June 20, 1996--The Tibetan Freedom Concert, presented by the Milarepa Fund and Bill Graham Presents June 15th and 16th at the Polo Field in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, drew some 100,000 fans, making it the single biggest benefit concert since 1985's Live Aid. Musical performers were A Tribe Called Quest, Bea Cibo Matto, De La Soulddy Guy, Richie Havens, John Lee Hooker, Biz Markie, Yoko Ono & Ima, Hkatalites, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Sonic Youth. Guests speakers included noted Tibetan Buddhist scholar and Columbia University President Professor Robert Thurman, and Tibetan Buddhialden Gyatso, who was tortured and imprisoned for 33 years by the Chinese govern. "It went really well," said Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, whose band co-fouilarepa Fund in 1ll of us to realize how we affect human rights situations in the world everyday. Every time we go shopping, the money we spend is often fueling the corporations perpetuating these abuses. Multinational corporations mot

ivated by greed are heavily lobbying our government to de-link human rights from trade. It's already been provecan stop human rights abuses. We must demand that our government re-link human rights and trade issues. We muir business out of China unless or until the Chinese authorities give both the Tibetans and the Chinese people their human rights. We must prevent the renewal of China's Most Favored Nation trading status. We must boycott all goods made in China."

On June 17th, over 500 people -- including Yauch, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mike Watt, and Perry Farrell -- attended a nonviolent dncisco organized by the Milarepa Fund, the Tibetan Freedom Coalition and Students for a Free Tibet. The demonstration was held in protest of President Clinton's decision to renew Most Favored Nation trading status for China. The act in support of s , inclnstration, Yauch, Milarsisobedience. They sat down in the street in front of the consulatlere released later that day. No charges were filed. "When I was in the back of that police truck," Yauch said, "all I could think was that if I were a Tibet the East Han Dynasty (25-220) and was named Baoguang (divine light) Monastery in the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The monastery consists of one pagoda, five halls and 16 yards. Historical relics in the monastery include the famous Stupa (a dome-shaped Buddhist shrine), built during the Tang Dynasty, the "Eight Hundred Buddha Hall" and many works by famous painters and calligraphers from different Chinese dynasties.

The monastery receives five million domestic and overseas visitors each year. It is difficult to fireproof a monastery, as monks cook their meals and about 100,000 people visit daily.

The monastery, where 130 monks live, formed a 80-member firefighting brigade in 1989, the first and the only monk fire brigade in the country.

The monastery's "Zhike," who is in charge of propaganda and reception, said that each year the monastery spends more than 500,000 yuan from ticket sales on training firefighters and buying new firefighting equipment.

A highway connects the interior roads of the monastery with highways. It has become a must for newly-recruited monks to learn fire service knowledge, and professional firefighters are regularly invited to the monastery to give lectures on firefighting.