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Trailer of a documentary film by Lara Damiani about the struggle of the Tibetan people for freedom since the Chinese invasion in 1950. Watch this trailer and you will understand why China will never voluntarily loosen its tight grip on Tibet.
The Tibetan Culture is Doomed by Extinction
Sixty years of Chinese rule in Tibet have not only brought immense suffering to the Tibetan people. Today Tibetan culture is on the verge of extinction. This is what Communist China aims at. The complete erosion of everything that made the Tibetan people, religion and culture so unique in this world. The strategy is twofold - by massive immigration of Han Chinese on the one hand and by brutal oppression of any resistance and demand for cultural, religious and political freedom on the other hand.
Does the Tibetan People Have a Chance of Survival?
China has never shown any serious attempts to negotiate even a real autonomy for Tibet. And I am convinced it will not make any concessions under the current political and economic conditions in the worldwide political arena. The only chance that I see for the Tibetans for an improvement of their situation is by pressure from the people of the world's leading nations.
By 'people' I do not mean national governments but the citizens themselves. If more and more people in America, Europe, Australia and Asia show solidarity with the Tibetan people, the Chinese administration might come to a point at which they recognize that it will be more advantageous for them to make substantial concessions. The ruling leaders in China are very sensitive to what is advantageous and what is damaging for their economy. And that is where the Chinese administration is vulnerable in my view.
Show Solidarity with the Tibetan People
There is a world-wide pro-Tibetan movement for the cause of the Tibetans. The movement is actively supported by many celebrities like Richard Gere. The only hope is that this world-wide support becomes stronger and stronger. Individuals can show their support by such simple things like bumper stickers 'Save Tibet' or by raising prayer flags and the Tibetan flag in your garden, which makes by the way a nice decoration.
You think this is ridiculous? Bumper stickers against Chinese tanks? I am German, and I remember when the Berlin wall came down. This was something that my generation considered for decades for outright impossible. And the wall was not torn down by politicians, but by the people who expressed their anger in peaceful protests over months. And in the end the wall was down. And we were asking ourselves 'How did it happen?'.
Reference - Tibet's Cry for Freedom
Dieter Wanczura, July 2010.
