November 12

Through My Eyes

Saturday November 12

(We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he tells of the demonstrations and Chinese brutality.)

" But suddenly dozens of security men arrived with video cameras and began filming the crowd. Fearing subsequent identification, several people began throwing stones at the police as they filmed. A few Tibetans began throwing stones at the police as they filmed. A few Tibetans panicked and began overturning police vehicles and setting them alight, whereupon armed members of the security forces started shooting. Most people showed great restraint however, and when some of the police ran away, dropping their guns, they gathered up the weapons and broke them on the ground.

During the disturbances of 1 October 1987, the police station itself was, regrettably, set on fire by the demonstrators, who, in a desperate attempt to release their companions, tried to burn down the door. Until then, members of the security forces had repeatedly come running out of the building to drag people inside, they were horribly beaten.

When eventually the crowd dispersed, at least a dozen Tibetans, including several children, lay dead. That night and on subsequent nights, hundreds were seized from their homes. In the end, more than 2000 were imprisoned. Of these, most were subjected to beatings and torture, and one report spoke of forty executions.

Before going further, I wish to express my deep appreciation to those foreigners who, despite their having no obligation to do so, selflessly risked their lives to help their fellow suffering human beings. Such spontaneous expressions of humanity represent the only hope for the future of mankind. Some of these men and women repeatedly risked their lives trying to save the many seriously wounded Tibetans. They also witnessed, and took photographs of, numerous acts of Chinese barbarity.

Although the Chinese authorities hurriedly expelled not only those journalists present in Tibet but also all foreigners, their atrocities received worldwide coverage. As a result, several western Governments called on the Chinese to respect human rights in Tibet and to release all political prisoners there. The Government in Peking replied to this by saying that the disturbances were an internal matter for themselves and rejected any criticism of their actions.

Because Tibet was now closed to the outside world, I heard little more information for several months. but I now know that , in the immediate aftermath of the demonstrations, the Chinese began a massive programme of political 're-education'. They even tried to organise a counter-demonstration in late October, offering potential participants the equivalent of a week's wages. But it had to be called off: no one came forward. Also, in order to try to prevent any more news leaking out, the PLA did its best to seal Tibet's borders, while the Government in Peking actually succeeded in pressuring a sovereign state, namely the Kingdom of Nepal, into arresting and handing over twenty-six Tibetans who managed to slip through the net. But it was during this period that I was informed by a Chinese source ( motivated, like the tourists, by compassion and outrage) that an order to open fire on the demonstrators had most certainly been given.

At the beginning of 1988, the Chinese authorities in Lhasa instructed the monastic community to hold the Monlam prayer festival as usual. ( It had been revived after twenty years in 1986. ) However, the monks felt this would be inappropriate while so many people remained in prison,and they resisted the edict. The Central People's Government in Peking then ordered that the celebrations must go ahead as planned, hoping to show the outside world that the situation in Tibet was normal. So the monks were forced to proceed. But evidently the Chinese feared more disturbances. On 28 February, the BBC reported that:

Thousands of Chinese security forces have been moved into Lhasa area- road blocks are in force all over the city. Long convoys of armoured vehicles patrol the streets at night, and people are advised through loud-speaker announcements to stay at home. One message said bluntly, ' If you misbehave, we will kill you.

Then, a week before Monlam, a Reuters dispatch from Peking stated that fifty military vehicles and more than a thousand Chinese police, many in riot gear, rehearse their manoevres in front of the Jokhang."

( The ridiculousness of thinking that anyone would counterdemonstrate for the Chinese regime after a massacre of their own people is rather incredible; it's an example of how the use of force tends to impair capacity to reason effectively. I promise to add more tomorrow...)

*( please click here to read of the day with me )

* This is from the book Freedom in Exile The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama by Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth

Dalai Lama of Tibet.

( Please see my spinning for you!)

( Tahshi Deleh gentle one! Kehrahng kusu debo yinpeh? I began the day heading up gang rinpoche ngah tso gi to continue clearing around the trunks of the trees and native plants then worked on the trimming. Two as one pulling strongly and patiently together we've completed this although we've some tree collars to put on where the trunks have grown larger. After that I returned to our studio with the mower and the rest of the tools and equipment then mixed up some of the milk paint for the trunk painting returning to the Grove to begin this. After that I rested by your Medlar tree as usual before returning to our studio to spin for you then to work with the equipment and watch Tibetan movies for awhile. It wasn't our warm and bright future day of course, but it was wonderful up there! The field was amazing in the late afternoon because the light shining through the dried goldenrod blooms makes the entire field glow! I'm going to put the pages up on our infosite; I'll put this up a bit early so we can rest.

And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow

my one gentle beautiful patient swift dream bright

long dark mane in sunlight

so for now I bid goodnight...Simjah Nahngo!)


	Through My Eyes Saturday November 12 (We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he tells of the demonstrations and Chinese brutality.) " But suddenly dozens of security men arrived with video cameras and began filming the crowd. Fearing subsequent identification, several people began throwing stones at the police as they filmed. A few Tibetans began throwing stones at the police as they filmed. A few Tibetans panicked and began overturning police vehicles and setting them alight, whereupon armed members of the security forces started shooting. Most people showed great restraint however, and when some of the police ran away, dropping their guns, they gathered up the weapons and broke them on the ground. During the disturbances of 1 October 1987, the police station itself was, regrettably, set on fire by the demonstrators, who, in a desperate attempt to release their companions, tried to burn down the door. Until then, members of the security forces had repeatedly come running out of the building to drag people inside, they were horribly beaten. When eventually the crowd dispersed, at least a dozen Tibetans, including several children, lay dead. That night and on subsequent nights, hundreds were seized from their homes. In the end, more than 2000 were imprisoned. Of these, most were subjected to beatings and torture, and one report spoke of forty executions. Before going further, I wish to express my deep appreciation to those foreigners who, despite their having no obligation to do so, selflessly risked their lives to help their fellow suffering human beings. Such spontaneous expressions of humanity represent the only hope for the future of mankind. Some of these men and women repeatedly risked their lives trying to save the many seriously wounded Tibetans. They also witnessed, and took photographs of, numerous acts of Chinese barbarity. Although the Chinese authorities hurriedly expelled not only those journalists present in Tibet but also all foreigners, their atrocities received worldwide coverage. As a result, several western Governments called on the Chinese to respect human rights in Tibet and to release all political prisoners there. The Government in Peking replied to this by saying that the disturbances were an internal matter for themselves and rejected any criticism of their actions. Because Tibet was now closed to the outside world, I heard little more information for several months. but I now know that , in the immediate aftermath of the demonstrations, the Chinese began a massive programme of political 're-education'. They even tried to organise a counter-demonstration in late October, offering potential participants the equivalent of a week's wages. But it had to be called off: no one came forward. Also, in order to try to prevent any more news leaking out, the PLA did its best to seal Tibet's borders, while the Government in Peking actually succeeded in pressuring a sovereign state, namely the Kingdom of Nepal, into arresting and handing over twenty-six Tibetans who managed to slip through the net. But it was during this period that I was informed by a Chinese source ( motivated, like the tourists, by compassion and outrage) that an order to open fire on the demonstrators had most certainly been given. At the beginning of 1988, the Chinese authorities in Lhasa instructed the monastic community to hold the Monlam prayer festival as usual. ( It had been revived after twenty years in 1986. ) However, the monks felt this would be inappropriate while so many people remained in prison,and they resisted the edict. The Central People's Government in Peking then ordered that the celebrations must go ahead as planned, hoping to show the outside world that the situation in Tibet was normal. So the monks were forced to proceed. But evidently the Chinese feared more disturbances. On 28 February, the BBC reported that: Thousands of Chinese security forces have been moved into Lhasa area- road blocks are in force all over the city. Long convoys of armoured vehicles patrol the streets at night, and people are advised through loud-speaker announcements to stay at home. One message said bluntly, ' If you misbehave, we will kill you. Then, a week before Monlam, a Reuters dispatch from Peking stated that fifty military vehicles and more than a thousand Chinese police, many in riot gear, rehearse their manoevres in front of the Jokhang." ( The ridiculousness of thinking that anyone would counterdemonstrate for the Chinese regime after a massacre of their own people is rather incredible; it's an example of how the use of force tends to impair capacity to reason effectively. I promise to add more tomorrow...) ( please click here to read of the day with me ) This is from the book Freedom in Exile The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama by Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet. ( Please see my spinning for you!) ( Tahshi Deleh gentle one! Kehrahng kusu debo yinpeh? I began the day heading up gang rinpoche ngah tso gi to continue clearing around the trunks of the trees and native plants then worked on the trimming. Two as one pulling strongly and patiently together we've completed this although we've some tree collars to put on where the trunks have grown larger. After that I returned to our studio with the mower and the rest of the tools and equipment then mixed up some of the milk paint for the trunk painting returning to the Grove to begin this. After that I rested by your Medlar tree as usual before returning to our studio to spin for you then to work with the equipment and watch Tibetan movies for awhile. It wasn't our warm and bright future day of course, but it was wonderful up there! The field was amazing in the late afternoon because the light shining through the dried goldenrod blooms makes the entire field glow! I'm going to put the pages up on our infosite; I'll put this up a bit early so we can rest. And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow my one gentle beautiful patient swift dream bright long dark mane in sunlight so for now I bid goodnight...Simjah Nahngo!)