Tibet, an oppressed nation
- Gerardo E. Martínez-Solanas
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Tibet, an oppressed nation
9 years 4 months ago - 9 years 4 months ago
When Palden Gyatso was released from a Chinese prison, he managed to smuggle out devices of torture to help tell the story of life in a Chinese prison (photo).
But was this Tibetan monk imprisoned by the Chinese authorities because of criminal activities? And even if it were so, is torture justified?
When Communist China invaded Tibet in 1950, it embarked on a program of land reform and "thought reform" that would eventually affect all of Tibet's citizens and nearly destroy its ancient culture. In 1967, the Chinese razed monasteries across Tibet and forced thousands of monks into labor camps and prisons. Gyatso spent the next twenty-five years of his life enduring interrogation and torture simply because of the strength of his beliefs. He is a humble survivor of Communist repression.
A more recent case is that of Golog Jigme. He is also a respected Tibetan monk, teacher and former political prisoner. The Chinese police who imprisoned Golog Jigme didn't kill him either. But it wasn't because of a benevolent attitude.
He was accused of the "crime" of interviewing several Tibetans for a documentary film and for refusing to denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama when he was detained. In order to force him to denounce publicly the Dalai Lama, Golog Jigme was ruthlessly tortured for seven months by Chinese authorities.
He bas beaten, hung for hours on end with his hands and feet shackled, and suffered fractured ribs, a dislocated shoulder and permanently damaged knees.
Tragically, these two cases are not isolated and localized incidents, but dozens of other Tibetan political prisoners have not even survived to report the horrific details of their torture at the hands of Chinese authorities in recent years.
Readers may find 28 documented incidents of Tibetan political prisoners dying in custody or shortly after their release on the pages of the International Campaign for Tibet .
And from those pages, concerned friends of democracy and human rights may take action: it is a moral obligation that we all have.
But was this Tibetan monk imprisoned by the Chinese authorities because of criminal activities? And even if it were so, is torture justified?
When Communist China invaded Tibet in 1950, it embarked on a program of land reform and "thought reform" that would eventually affect all of Tibet's citizens and nearly destroy its ancient culture. In 1967, the Chinese razed monasteries across Tibet and forced thousands of monks into labor camps and prisons. Gyatso spent the next twenty-five years of his life enduring interrogation and torture simply because of the strength of his beliefs. He is a humble survivor of Communist repression.
A more recent case is that of Golog Jigme. He is also a respected Tibetan monk, teacher and former political prisoner. The Chinese police who imprisoned Golog Jigme didn't kill him either. But it wasn't because of a benevolent attitude.
He was accused of the "crime" of interviewing several Tibetans for a documentary film and for refusing to denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama when he was detained. In order to force him to denounce publicly the Dalai Lama, Golog Jigme was ruthlessly tortured for seven months by Chinese authorities.
He bas beaten, hung for hours on end with his hands and feet shackled, and suffered fractured ribs, a dislocated shoulder and permanently damaged knees.
Tragically, these two cases are not isolated and localized incidents, but dozens of other Tibetan political prisoners have not even survived to report the horrific details of their torture at the hands of Chinese authorities in recent years.
Readers may find 28 documented incidents of Tibetan political prisoners dying in custody or shortly after their release on the pages of the International Campaign for Tibet .
And from those pages, concerned friends of democracy and human rights may take action: it is a moral obligation that we all have.
Last edit: 9 years 4 months ago by Gerardo E. Martínez-Solanas.
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