Tibet Protests at Golden Gate Bridge (3)

This Tibetan family, pictured above left, living in the Bay Area took part in a peaceful protest walk across the Golden Gate Bridge today as China celebrated the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics....see first reports and pics in earlier blogs

Life as a third generation refugee is hard, says mum Tashi pictured far right.

'The hope and the effort to gain our own country, I feel it more strongly than my mother feels it,' she said.

She has never seen her homeland. 'I would love to see it,' she said.

Tibet is still her home country even though her family have not lived there for so many years. Her grandfather was the first refugee in her family. He fled to India, his wife - Tashi's grandmother - having died in Tibet.

Tashi is pictured with her mother, Yangkar, sister Jampa, daughters ten-year-old twins Kunsang and Lhamo, and 11-year-old Yiga, and ten-year-old nephew Tsepal.

She was born in India but left the country in 1988 at the age of 19 years to come to the States to do a nursing degree.

Today she has no direct contact with anyone in Tibet, but has friends whose parents still live there. Communication is difficult, she said. As a member of the Tibetan Association of Northern California, she is in touch with fellow countrymen.

'People are so excited about the 2008 Games but the thing is, people in Tibet are so afraid to practice their religion or to keep a picture of His Holiness the Dalai Llama in their home,' she said.

'They don't have the freedom to pray or express their pain. We know that Tibet was a free country. China is so big and powerful people think we should give up. We don't want to give up,' she said.

Pictured are from left to right, back: grandmother Yangkar, nephew Tsepal (10), sister Jampa, mum Tashi; in front: twins Kunsang and Lhamo (10), Yiga (11)

Free Tibet Protests at GG Bridge and Chinese Embassy

As celebrations of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games took place in Beijing today, several hundred Tibetan people from around the Bay Area staged a peaceful protest at the Golden Gate Bridge....for first report see earlier blog...

The rope holding the protester rappelling down the side of the Chinese Embassy on Wednesday WAS cut by embassy officials, a leader of the Students for a Free Tibet said today.

Seldon, Regional Coordinator for the protest group, said one of the two girls on the embassy roof had pleaded with officials, 'please don't cut the rope because my friend could be in danger.'

But instead, officials cut the rope allowing 26-year-old Brihnnala Morgan to fall breaking a wrist and bruising her back. They then hustled 22-year-old Nyendak Wangden into the embassy. Nyendak is also claiming that staff beat her up. Certainly she has bruises, said Seldon today.

She was speaking by the Golden Gate Bridge after a peaceful Free Tibet protest walk across the bridge and back had finished.

On Wednesday the two girls on behalf of Students for a Free Tibet had scaled the embassy wall in San Francisco. Brinhnnala had then rappelled down from the roof as a black robed and hooded figure in a hanging scene to symbolise Tibetans who have died at the hands of China.

But then embassy officials ran onto the roof. Nyendak had been ready to comply with the officials' requests and pull Brihnnala back up to end the protest but despite her warnings of the danger the rope was cut, Seldon said.

Seldon witnessed some of the event. 'I was there. I saw her (Brihnnala) fall down,' she said.

A video film of part of the event was shot by chance by someone who overlooked the roof from a nearby building. Screened by NBC11 in their news broadcast, it shows embassy staff hustling Nydendak off the roof. But by then the rope had already been cut and there is no film of that. There is, however, news film of Nydendak shouting out as she got into a police car that the rope had been cut.

There has been some query as to whether the rope could have snapped.

Seldon says the rope could not have snapped because it was 'extremely strong and sturdy.'

If the rope had snapped, she said, it would have had to have been because Brihnnala had mishandled it and 'that is not possible because Brihnnala is an extremely trained professional who has done many acts of civil disobedience.'

It was somehow fitting that she was talking at the Golden Gate Bridge, for Brihnnala's last spectacular act was when she scaled the stanchions of the bridge in April. With two other protesters she hung 'One World, One Dream' and 'Free Tibet 08' banners between the cables prior to the Olympic Torch run in San Francisco.

On that occasion, though, there had been a problem with a rope when according to the report in the San Fran Chronicle a rope had become entangled.

Neither girl took part in today's protest. Nyendak was recovering from her injuries and Brihnnala from the experience of having been held in police custody until yesterday.

According to the San Fran Chronicle....http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/08/BA76127JRO.DTL&hw=chinese+embassy+protest&sn=008&sc=448...... the girls have been charged with 'forcibly thrusting' themselves onto a building used for diplomatic purposes to 'intimidate, coerce, threaten or harass.' They have been released on $25,000 bail each and have been ordered to stay away from the embassy and its staff. Their next hearing is on August 20 and if convicted they face up to six months in prison or a $5,000 fine.

There are no reported comments so far from either the embassy or police who are investigating.

Another protester at the bridge yesterday, Gurmey, who was standing with a group of fellow supporters, megaphone in hand, said of the girls, 'It is good that they sacrificed themselves for the good of Tibet.

They just want to put the Olympic light on Tibet.'

Seldon was also excited about the Students For a Free Tibet protest that occurred earlier today at the Opening Ceremony of the Games in Beijing. Three protesters, Kaalayan, Jonathan and Caesar had unwound their tee-shirts and pulled out a Tibetan flag which they were able to wave for 40 seconds, she said, before they were pounced on by Chinese Olympic officials.

'It is an achievement to be able to do that!' she said

She and many of the Tibetans at the Golden Gate Bridge then moved on to the Chinese embassy to join other protesters mid-afternoon for a repeat protest.

Tonight a prayer vigil at the BART station across the bay in Berkeley is being held.

Other protests are planned including a rally that will be held at the end of the Olympic Games, said Tenzin Tethong, protest leader.

***Seldon has posted her own report of the embassy incident on the Students for a Free Tibet website.

Pics show Seldon, Regional Coordinator of Students for a Free Tibet, and Gurmey, (far left) with fellow supporters.

For an album pics click here. Click on pics to enlarge.

Free Tibet Protest at Golden Gate Bridge

As celebrations of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games took place in Beijing today, several hundred Tibetan people from around the Bay Area staged a peaceful protest at the Golden Gate Bridge.

They gathered at the bridge at midday and, led by Bhuddist monks, walked across it, circled the viewing area on the opposite end and then returned.

Some were draped in the bright Tibetan flag, some wore national costume, many wore sloganed yellow tunics...'One World, One Dream, Free Tibet'... or the black sweatshirts of Team Tibet.

Tenzin Tethong, one of the protest leaders, said there were only about 1,200 Tibetan people in the Bay Area, so to see about half of them there was a significant percentage for a small community.

'I really feel very strongly that everyone needs to come out and show their feelings for Tibet,' he said.

'The intensity of China's harshness and crackdown in Tibet is considerable. Thousands of people have been arrested recently in Tibet and about 200 killed, although the Chinese say officially about a dozen died.

It's always like this. They put out propaganda and unfortunately it works,' he said.

China, he added were accusing Tibetan people of causing the deaths of Chinese people in Tibet. 'Even if that's true, countered Tenzin as we walked across the bridge at the back of the line, 'that's tens of people. What about the thousands of Tibetans who are killed?!'

What he does take issue with is the way China are using the Games as a publicity tool.

'It's not being used primarily for sport,' he said, but to present an image of a 'stable, harmonious, peaceful society, which is really misinformation.'

What effect, I asked him, did he think the protests in the run up to the Games had had?

'I don't think any immediate effect,' he said candidly. 'The Chinese mindset says that if you want to be in control, you'd better be in control!'

Visitors to the bridge looked on happily as the protest walked by.

Catherine, Philippe and Bruno were from France.

'I think it is good,' said Catherine. But between the three of them, discussing the issue in French, they felt that it would not have any effect on 'the machine of China.'

'Tibet has no chance,' said Bruno. 'It has minerals and water. And China needs minerals and water!'

As the protests reached the far side of the bridge and more TV and press cameras were there to greet them the chants started up again.

'Olympics in China! Genocide in Tibet!'

'Olympics in China! Torture in Tibet!'

A crowd on a passing open-top tour bus turned their cameras on the procession.

One of the cheer leaders was 19-year-old student Tenzin of Team Tibet.

'I am a full-blood Tibetan but I've never been there,' she said. Her family links with Tibet go back to her great-grandparents.

'We want our country back. We want freedom,' she said.

Rob and Emma, in their twenties from England, watched from the viewing area.

I asked Rob what he thought of the protest.

'I agree completely,' he said. 'I think the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and the UN should use their influence more strongly in order to try to pressure the government to soften its stance on human rights.

Unfortunately, economics talks!'

Emma agreed with him. About the athletes, she added, 'I don't think people should boycott it (the Games). They should have made a statement beforehand. But now that they're there, they should support it.

It's not fair. If you're an athlete you only have a certain peak period when you are at your optimum. You shouldn't have to sacrifice that to make a statement.'

The problems for Tibetan families living outside of the country are acute. Sitting on the grass back over the bridge at the end of the walk were one such group. They have not been in contact with family members for a few months, especially because China has made telephone links very difficult.

Wrapped in her Tibetan flag, Sonam said they are not even sure if their family members are still alive after the March 10 crackdown when many people were imprisoned and tortured.

For further interviews, including what happened at the Chinese Embassy protest when a protester fell, and more pics, see next blogs.

For album pics click here. Click on pics to enlarge

Olympic Torch Protests for Tibet

A young Tibetan man handing out protest fliers on San Fran’s streets in advance of the Olympic Torch run still bears the scars of the beating he received courtesy of Chinese police.

'Wills' fled over the mountains into Nepal six years ago, leaving behind his mother, sisters and brother. His father had already died.

‘My purpose in leaving Tibet was to help Tibet. I am simply saying, ‘Free Tibet,’ he said. ‘Here they can’t touch me. I carry the scars on my body from when I was beaten.’

Surprisingly his beating was in Nepal. 'The best time to escape is in winter,’ he said, of the Himalayan trek. ‘Once you are over a border and in another country, you think you are safe and relax.’ What he discovered, though, was that Chinese police cross the Nepalese border and organise groups to wait in warmer, sunnier climes to take those fleeing by surprise.

‘Justice…Freedom…Truth is our Only Weapon’ are the words emblazoned across the bright-yellow vests of him and his co-protester.

Not liking to ask their names, though they would probably have given them, I have honoured them as ‘Wills’ and ‘Harry.’ Harry is American but of Tibetan heritage.

And, it seems, neither are they completely free of the Chinese government even in San Francisco.

‘Yesterday we were up there’ – Wills indicated past the cable cars in Powell Street towards Union Square – ‘and a guy and a girl were taking pictures of us.’

He added that since March 14 he has been unable to get through to his mother on the telephone. After six years of regular calls, the number was suddenly ‘not working.’

As protest groups amass for the Olympic Torch run on Wednesday, they are part of the Peace Ride for Human Rights in Tibet and carriers of the Tibetan Freedom Torch. In six days they have cycled 517 miles and given out 12,000 fliers.

They are preparing for a rally and candlelight vigil organised by SF Team Tibet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Richard Gere and Tibetan leaders at the Civic Center plaza on the eve of the Olympic Torch ceremony.

I told Wills of the horrific story recounted by Times columnist, Alice Miles, of a Tibetan exile she had met in India. The lady had been caught in the hills carrying a picture of the Dalai Lama by a Chinese soldier.

She was imprisoned, raped many times and hung upside down. Her children disappeared and her husband was forced to marry a Chinese woman.

For Wills, this was commonplace. ‘There are 150,000 Tibetans in exile, all separated from their families and 90 per cent of whom have been raped and tortured,’ he said so calmly he might have been giving out weather temperatures.

Over 1.2 million Tibetans have died at the hands of China’s military rule, says one of their fliers.

How come America and Britain have not done anything about this? I asked Harry.

‘The economics of this country have a lot to do with China. The majority of the market is with China,’ he said, citing Target and Walmart as examples of corporate America. Also, he has just discovered that 80 per cent of America’s garlic comes from China. There is the need of trillions of dollars to pay for the Iraq war.

‘As an individual I don’t mind if they (USA) are spending money on poor countries,’ he said, including Mexico, India and Sri Lanka on his long list. But it is much better to do that than spend ‘on a Communist country that is so organized and oppresses its people.'

‘China is like a criminal mob, an organized family, so it is not good for anybody’, he continued, adding his concern of ties with nuclear-ambitious Iran.

However, he was disappointed with the response to the Olympic protests from Mayor Gavin Newsom.

‘As a city San Francisco is very liberal and open-minded but there is a problem with the mayor who has chosen for some time to ignore us,’ he said.

Now that the Torch route has been revealed, however, it is not only the mayor but China as well who are worried about the possible strength of protests. For in the protest spotlight are also Darfur, where China is giving weapons to the Sudanese government for use against its people, and Burma.

Harry thought there could be 10,000 protesters along the route on Wednesday. There were rumours that the San Francisco Police Department were going to hire private security firms and that China would send in crowds to show a pro-China stance, he said.

Protesters will be spending the night along the route to make sure of their places.

‘But we are a non-violent protest,’ he said of his organization.

China’s human rights abuses are continuing apace, even with the eyes of the world upon them. Wills said that it had been confirmed that 140 Tibetans had been killed in the last two weeks. But he was confident the actual numbers were higher than that.

‘The Olympics are a great and beautiful thing but they – China – have to face the truth. They can’t hide things any longer. They can’t bury things in the past,’ he said.