It's Chinese New Year! I celebrated with family and relatives over the weekend. Even though I'm whitewashed, I enjoy my culture and some of the traditions. It's what I grew up with and adds a flavour to my life outside of what other people are used to. But today I am ashamed of a very heated Chinese issue ~ that is, the way China is governed and how it claims sovereignty over Tibet.
I read in the news today that police opened fire on Tibetans protesting against religious repression in China, killing at least one person and injuring more than 30 others; local monks and rights groups reported. If you are unfamiliar with the Tibetan sovereignty debate, I highly encourage you to read some of these reports and accounts in history. Upheaval continues today ~ in less than a year 16 people have set fire to themselves in protest, including four this month alone. I do not know where I stand in regards to the large territory China owns, that is Tibet, or Tibetan independence because of their stands on religion. I believe freedom of religion is as important as keeping church and state seperate. What peeves me is the lack of respect to human rights. No less than half a million Tibetans have died due to violence since 1950 as a direct result of violence from Chinese policies.
That is why this week I'm making a donation to "The Tibet Fund" ~ a non-profilt organization based in New York, NY, whose mission is to preserve the distinct cultural and national identity of the Tibetan people. Founded in 1981 under the auspices of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, The Tibet Fund is the primary funding organization for the health, education, refugee rehabilitation, religious and cultural preservation, elder care and community and economic development programs serving more than 140,000 Tibetan refugees living in India, Nepal and Bhutan. Their programs and priorities include: helping the Central Tibetan Administration to revitalize Tibetans settlements in exile, raising awareness about the Tibetan people's achievements over the past 50 years, to ensure their language, culture and national identity remain a vibrant part of our global heritage, community and economic development, among many other things.
I read in the news today that police opened fire on Tibetans protesting against religious repression in China, killing at least one person and injuring more than 30 others; local monks and rights groups reported. If you are unfamiliar with the Tibetan sovereignty debate, I highly encourage you to read some of these reports and accounts in history. Upheaval continues today ~ in less than a year 16 people have set fire to themselves in protest, including four this month alone. I do not know where I stand in regards to the large territory China owns, that is Tibet, or Tibetan independence because of their stands on religion. I believe freedom of religion is as important as keeping church and state seperate. What peeves me is the lack of respect to human rights. No less than half a million Tibetans have died due to violence since 1950 as a direct result of violence from Chinese policies.
That is why this week I'm making a donation to "The Tibet Fund" ~ a non-profilt organization based in New York, NY, whose mission is to preserve the distinct cultural and national identity of the Tibetan people. Founded in 1981 under the auspices of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, The Tibet Fund is the primary funding organization for the health, education, refugee rehabilitation, religious and cultural preservation, elder care and community and economic development programs serving more than 140,000 Tibetan refugees living in India, Nepal and Bhutan. Their programs and priorities include: helping the Central Tibetan Administration to revitalize Tibetans settlements in exile, raising awareness about the Tibetan people's achievements over the past 50 years, to ensure their language, culture and national identity remain a vibrant part of our global heritage, community and economic development, among many other things.
I challenge anyone to do more.
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