What is up with Tibet?
If you don't know what I'm going to talk about...
"The 2008 unrest in Tibet began with demonstrations on March 10, 2008 (Tibetan Uprising Day), the 49th anniversary of the failed 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule. The protests soon shifted from calls for independence to violence, attacks on non-Tibetan ethnic groups, rioting, burning and looting on March 14. The protests are said to be one of the largest agitation and protests against the Chinese government's rule in 20 years. The unrest happened in the week when major local government leaders were away for the annual National People's Congress in Beijing." (source: Wikipedia)
If you want to read more, I recommend the articles Tibet and History of Tibet
Well, it happened that I was also in Beijing during that week, and I saw a LOT of policemen in the streets around Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and the National Congress (photos soon...). I'm passionate about Tibet's history, geography and culture, and a sequence of events happened to me last week during my Easter Break holidays (I traveled in Beijing and Mount Tai)...
YouTube is blocked everywhere in Mainland China since March 14 when the violence started. According to a conversation I had with a Brazilian media correspondent in Beijing on March 16, there is no International Media really covering what is happening in Tibet and the only ones are backpackers taking photos and video and trying to upload material and write on the web. The Government and BBC were taking about 10 deaths but over 300 had already been killed by Sunday. Another conversation with a person from the Danish Embassy gave a me a better picture: by March 18 there were 3 Danish travelers in Tibet, trying to run away from the province while their families seek the Embassy for information (which they also don't have). Since the beginning of the protests, no foreigners are allowed in Tibet and I heard comments that this policy could continue until after the Olympics in August. I met a couple of days ago a Colombian backpacker, who flew to Beijing to find out she couldn't travel to Tibet. Without possibilities to reach Katmandu in Nepal (the flights from Beijing stop in Lhasa and no foreigners are allowed in the plane), she was going to fly from Hong Kong instead, desappointed with her bad luck.
Being part of the AIESEC community in Shanghai, I would definitely expect lots of dialogue going on about this situation. After all, AIESEC is about cultural understanding and challenging our world views. There were over 50 messages on the local list between March 18-20. I wqas surprised to read the different points of view until I got shocked by a message, posted by a Chinese person I knew quite well (and I trust her words): "Now has called for a stop of discussion sensitive issues here. Because it might affect AIESEC's existence and even our personal safety - which is sensible. I just want to point out, when things happen, those who are concerned also live in the fear of disappearing, including myself." It happens that Google hosts the list, where many foreigner interns and local Chinese AIESECers participate, and the list contents are open for anyone to search and find it.
I think this is just the beginning... and the Big Brother is watching me...
Hugs from China!
posted by Henrique Vedana @ 5:44 PM
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