UN send fact-finding mission to Tibet now! 4th action: Equality for Nationalities – Freedom of Languages

On the occasion of our two-year campaign „UN send fact-finding mission to Tibet now “the Tibetan Community sections Rapperswil/Jona and Uznach/Wattwil held on Monday 29.08.2011 the fourth event in front of Palais Wilson. Our goal was to make the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mrs Navanathem Pillay as well as the public aware of the ongoing catastrophical human rights situation in Tibet. Special focus on this fourth event was the recent plans of the provincial government of Qinghai to change the educational system by 2015. Until then the Tibetan language should be replaced by Chinese in all lessons and school books. This means that the Tibetan language would be downgraded to a status of a foreign language.Approximately 60 persons, among them many school children,  have gathered at 11:00 clock in front of Palais Wilson. We sang our national anthem, recited „Denzik Mönlam “and „Gyalwe Shabten“  and were praying together. At this occasion we also remembered and prayed for the recently passed away monk Tsewang Norbu from Tawu/Tibet who set himself ablaze out of despair.The short documentary film „escape over the Himalaya“ by  Maria Blumencron was shown. This documentary film shows the despair of Tibetan parents in Tibet. Despite biggest risk of frostbite, imprisonment and even death, Tibetan parents send their children on the dangerous route over the Himalaya to India - in hope for a better future for their children in a free world, where it is permitted, to get educated in Tibetan, see the Dalai Lama and freely express their opinions. We also showed pictures of children on the escape as well as different photos of the student protests in Tibet in 2010. On separate writing boards we presented each letter of the Tibetan alphabet and demanded on banners written in Tibetan, Chinese and German „Equality of Nations” and „Freedom of Languages“. The children enjoyed very much writing their names in Tibetan. In addition we distributed flyers about our campaign and collected signatures for our petition. We do hope that with our action we reminded the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights once more of our demand. We will not rest, until the UN takes its responsibility and sends an independent fact-finding mission to Tibet! BHOD GYALO!