Author: Shobhan Saxena
Publication: The Times of India
Date: March 15, 2008
Introduction: Fire Lit In Lhasa May Well Go
On To Envelope Beijing Olympics
From Athens to the Everest, China is feeling
the heat of the "Free Tibet" campaign just five months before the
biggest show on earth-the Olympics-opens in Beijing in August.
Even as 100 Tibetan activists leading the
"Return march to Tibet" lie in police detention at a government
guest house in Dharamsala, all roads seem to be leading to the seat of the
Dalai Lama's government-in-exile in Himachal Pradesh. At least two high-profile
American visitors-House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Hollywood
star Richard Gere-are expected to show up in the town to express solidarity
with the Tibetan activists who are trying to turn their protest into a global
movement against China's "occupation of Tibet".
On Saturday, despite the barricades on roads
to Delhi, a group of 44 Tibetans left Dehra, about 54 kilometres from Dharamsala,
to carry on their march to Tibet. "The whole idea of the march is to
attract the world's attention to the Tibetan issue. It's not possible for
a big group to march into Tibet just like that. We don't want to embarrass
the Indian government by doing something reckless, but we certainly want to
embarrass the Chinese by protesting wherever and whenever we can," said
an organizer of the march.
And if the global media attention is any indication
then the strategy seems to be working. Leaders and human rights groups worldwide
are urging China not to use force in dealing with "peaceful demonstrators
in Tibet". The protestors' got a major boost on Friday when Pelosi strongly
condemned the Chinese violence action in Lhasa. "The violent response
by Chinese police forces to peaceful protesters in Tibet is disgraceful,"
Pelosi said in a statement.
Excited over the visits of Pelosi and Gere,
Tibetan activists are working overtime to ensure that they use China's Olympic
hype to get maximum mileage for their cause. "We have planned marches,
rallies, speeches around the world. We are even organizing Tibetan version
of the Olympics in Dharamsala. We will chase the Olympics torch and protest
wherever it goes. As China plans to use the games to showcase itself as the
world's new superpower, we will expose its ugly record in Tibet," said
a Tibetan activist.
