TO: TSG-L@VM1.McGILL.CA from: dpaljor@igc.apc.org 9/27 Public
Report on U.N. Demonstration Sept. 24/25 From Denise Lassaw
Paljor, on the scene in New York
Rally at the United Nations, initiated by The Tibetan Youth
Association and involving six Tibet-related organizations based
in New York City.
Sept. 24/ day one- General impressions
With white clouds scudding over the towers of glass and steel and a cool wind cleaning away the carbon monoxide of a hundred thousand cars, taxi's, and trucks, Peter Browns van inched up Third Ave. full of joking Tibetans, flags, masks, signs, a sound system and boxes of information on the Illegal Occupation of Tibet, Ngawang Choephel, The Panchen Lama, Students for a Free Tibet, etc. etc.. We were inching up the road in a solid mass of fuming machines, honking hopelessly because the road was closed, and the road was closed because President Clinton was going to the United Nations, where we were also going, well to be exact we were going to 47th and First Ave. With Peter's fabulous New York driving we sneaked between the cars and trucks and out maneuvered taxies until we were only a block away, then the light turned red, we stopped- doors opened and the van was unloaded and we were caring everything a block to the demonstration site before the light turned green. The police were already there setting up ba
rriers and Tibetans were arriving from all directions wearing Tibetan dress. Soon we were two hundred strong sending up a great voice into the den of the city all around us. Limo's were arriving at the UN, and I wasn't sure which one, if any I saw belonged to President Clinton.
Dozens of Tibetan flags waved in the air, banners hung from the police barriers, signs waved on sticks and about 42 masked Tibetans showed the face of primal suffering to the world. White with black and gray details, red tears of blood. We stayed at the site from am till 12 noon. The demonstration was opened with Mr. Dhondup N. Khorko announcing the days program. First dungchen and gyaling horns were blown to purify the space and declare our presence to the world; then there was a 3 min. silent meditation, followed by 15 minutes of prayers led by Mr. Thokmey.
After that Mr. Rinchen Dharlo, the Representative of His Holiness gave a speech and then we sang the National Uprising song, followed by many choruses of China Out Of Tibet and Free Tibet, Free the Panchen Lama, Free Ngawang Choephel, and other more complex slogans. Mrs. Tsering Dolma Gyalthong, former president of the Central Tibetan Woman's Association gave a talk and then the Prayers of the Words of Truth was sung. Diana Takata, national director of the Students for a Free Tibet addressed the gathering New Yorkers and we shouted Free Tibet again. Kalden Lodoe, President of the Tibetan Youth Association gave the concluding speech and we ended the days rally with the National Anthem.
All the while this was going on within the barriers our information table on the sidewalk was doing a great business of handing out flyers and Free Tibet stickers and talking to interested New Yorkers and tourists. We shared the table with a man from the Transnational Radical Party who was selling Tibetan flags and giving out literature on Tibet and the activities of the Transnational party. There was a high school teacher who happened to pass by, watched from the sidelines for awhile and then joined the crowd inside the barriers, holding a sign. Later Diana and I talked to him and he went away with inspiration and information on setting up a Students for a Free Tibet group. We were joined by a
group of young people, United Spirits, Peace Pilgrims, who looked
to me to have walked straight out of the 60's San Francisco.
They played drums to our chanting. Then as everything was winding down a group of people with large sunflowers came walking by and smiled at us, delegates from the NGO Committee on Disarmament. I talked to them and got some sunflowers. Other sights of interest: a old woman, ala Las Vegas style, with a large dog in a baby carriage who passed us by several times and then sat and chatted with other onlookers, smoking cigarettes until the demonstration ended. what can I say- this is New York!
Highlights of the first day:
The media was with us all day and included The Voice of America
who interviewed Kalden Lodoe; New York Channel One who filmed and
then gave very long and repeated coverage in the evening; and The
World Journal, - Chinese TV, and I am sorry I don't know if they
were from Taiwan or China. The President of Bolivia passed in his
limo and looked at us. A group from our side went into the UN and
delivered letters to U.N............ Sec. General Boutros Boutros
Ghali and to President Clinton which was received with " great
concern" by the Permanent Mission of the US, Mr. Walter Douglas. A
letter was also given to the Foreign Minister of the People's
Republic of China, Hon. the Qian Qichen.
The Letters:
The letter to Qian Qichen protested China's continued occupation
of Tibet and the recent campaign of repression, as well as
Tibetans lack of human rights and political rights, but the main
points were:
1. Release immediately the true Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima
and restore him to his rightful place in Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.
2. Release ALL Tibetan political prisoners, including Fulbright
scholar Ngawang Choephel.
3. Respond positively to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for a
negotiated solution to the Tibetan problem.
The letter to President Clinton informed him of the most recent
wave of repression in Tibet, very similar to the situation
prevailing during the Cultural Revolution. It reminded him that
Tibetans are determined to regain their freedom and that the
fundamental issue of Tibet is political and will not go away. Five
points were listed:
1. Reiterate forcefully the US Gov. support for His Holiness the
Dalai Lama's call for unconditional negotiations between Chinese
and Tibetan leaders to solve the problems.
2. Ask the Chinese government to release the 11th Panchen lama,
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and restore him to his rightful place in
Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.
3. Have Secretary of State Warren Christopher raise the Tibetan
issue, including American concerns over the young Panchen Lama, as
a matter of priority during his scheduled meeting with Chinese
Foreign Minister Qian Qichen.
4. Make the Tibetan issue part of the agenda during Vice President
Al Gore's proposed visit to China; and
5. Ask the Chinese government to release all Tibetan political
prisoners, etc.
The letter to Boutros Boutros Ghali informed him of the new wave
of repression in Tibet; the 1.2 million Tibetans who have already
lost their lives and the present real threat of the annihilation
of the Tibetan identity. It also reminded him that Tibetans under
the leadership of His Holiness The Dalai Lama have used only
peaceful means to call the worlds attention to the situation in
Tibet and that in 1961 and in 1965, the General Assembly passed a
resolution asking China to respect the rights of the Tibetan
people, including their right to self-determination. However the
General Assembly has yet to follow-up on these resolutions. Since
the United Nations has contributed to conflict resolution in many
areas of the world, Tibet and the Tibetan people are looking to
the U.N... to intervene in their situation also. Five points
followed:
1. Instruct the general Assembly to take up the three resolutions
on Tibet that it has passed.
2. Invite His Holiness Dalai Lama to address the U.N.. so that he
can put forth his views on world peace and the solution of the
Tibetan problem.
3. Ask the Chinese leaders to respond positively to the Dalai
Lama's offer of unconditional negotiations to solve the Tibetan
issue.
4. Ask China to free the 11th Panchen lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima
and restore him to his rightful place in Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.
5. Ask the Chinese government to release all Tibetan political
prisoners, etc.
Then we went back to the Office of Tibet and I ended up talking to
someone from NOVA who called with questions on environmental
features of Tibet. David Breshers is doing a film on Tibetan
geology, tectonic plate uplift forming the massive mountain ranges
and how Tibet affects the worlds climate.
Sept. 25, day two The scene was the Ralph Bunch park directly
across from the UN at 43 rd street and First Ave. There is a tall
metal sculpture in the small park and a stairway that goes up to
the street above. Carved into the wall above the stairway are the
words: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their
spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against
nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." Isaiah 2:4
Reflected in the mirror of the UN building was the glittering
silver point of the Chrysler building, sun from behind , park in
the shadow. am and once again we are behind the police barriers,
but under some trees and surrounded by bushes and flowers. The
dungchen and gyaling cut the city air like swords, everything
seems suspended within their raw powerful sound , and like the
days program says, they "create an atmosphere". About 150 Tibetans
and friends sit in silent meditation, with the masks representing
the 1.2 missing Tibetans and flags waving. Prayers are led by Mr.
Thokmey followed by a speech by US Tibet Committee president
Douglas Weiner, followed by the national uprising song and then
shouting slogans. After the Words of Truth are sung Mr. Sonam
Wangdu, former chairman of the US Tibet Committee gives a talk and
later Kalden Lodoe finishes the day. And the sweet sad music of
the national anthem rises over the UN.
Details: Some of the crowd of Tibetans were dressed in brilliant
costumes from the three provinces of Tibet. Flags, banners, signs,
masks, we made an unique sight calling to the UN from across the
street. Our information table was doing a great business and five
or six people had all walk ways in the park covered, handing out
Tibet information. Delegates were arriving from the street and
from the stairway. We handed out our whole inventory of flyers.
Tourist were also more numerous than the day before and we met
people from the whole world, talked with them and gave them
information.
Highlights: There were not as many media people as the day before
, however CNN arrived and stayed a long time, interviewing several
people. There was also a camera crew from Hong Kong TV, the German
Press and reporters from the Columbia Journalism school. Mrs. Liu
Shyh-Fang of the Central Standing Committee of the Democratic
Progressive Party of Taiwan spoke, offering support for Tibet.
Many dignitaries passed in their limos and others in beautiful
national dress stopped and looked at us, many left with
information. I was told we could be heard within the building. At
one point a group of trucks honked at us and gave thumps up signs.
I talked with one of our policemen and told him about how things
are in Tibet. Before we left he came back over and shook my hand
and thanked me. There was one incident- a white haired, white
bearded man in a purple Save Tibet tee-shirt who was vibrating
with intense energy got in a argument when he wasn't allowed to
address the crowd via the public address system. I learned that
he claimed to have proof that Jesus had been to Tibet. I set up a
picture with masked Tibetans holding signs and flags on the
stairway under the carved sign: "They shall beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; , nation shall
not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war
anymore." Isaiah 2:4 I hope it comes out OK, if not some of the
other photographers who took advantage of the scene will have it.
So that's the story from NYC. Denise
