The Commemoration Function for the Tibetan National Uprising Day & the Unveiling of Tibet’s Road To Freedom
New York, March 11 – Around 500 people attended a special function at the Phoenix ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel, Flushing, New York on March 10, 2009. The function commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of the uprising in Tibet and also served as the unveiling ceremony for the sculpture entitled Tibet’s Road to Freedom.
The Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Americas, Mr Lobsang Nyandak; New York City Council Member Mr. Tony Avella; and Mr. Dahai Yu, a representative of the Chinese-Tibetan Study Group and publisher of Beijing Spring Magazine, made the opening remarks. The Representative spoke about the significance of March 10 to all Tibetans inside and outside Tibet.
Then Representative Mr. Lobsang Nyandak, Council Member Mr. Tony Avella and Mr. Weiming Chen, the artist, unveiled the sculpture. Mr. Lobsang Nyandak presented Mr. Chen with a traditional white scarf. Consigned by the Chinese-Tibetan Study Group, the sculpture Tibet’s Road to Freedom, is 2m tall and 3.2m wide. It depicts Tibetans escaping from Chinese control and tyranny into exile and freedom. Mr. Xue Wei, the Chairman of the Chinese-Tibetan Study Group, said in a statement, “It needs to be pointed out that during the CCP rule in Tibet, numerous sculpture works were also produced to legitimize its tyranny, for example, the mud sculpture “Anger of the Serf.” He continued, “Therefore, as opposed to the propaganda of the CCP, the “Tibetan Road to Freedom” sculpture truly expresses the anger of the serfs under CCP tyranny.”
After the Representative delivered His Holiness’s March 10 Statement in English, with Mr. Kunga Tashi providing the Chinese translation, there was a series of speakers.
Among the speakers were Mr. Tseten Norbu, Member of Parliament, TGIE; Meixing Yanghuang, Deputy Executive Director of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy; Thondup Dorjee, Vice President of the Tibetan Youth Congress; Alim Seytoff, General Secretary of the Uyger American Association; Phurbu Dorjee, Vice President of the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey; Tenzin Ngodup, Brandeis University; Grace Wang, an overseas Chinese student who came under a lot of fire from fellow Chinese for trying to mediate between Chinese and pro-Tibetan groups on campus at Duke University; and Juntao Wang, President of the Chinese Constitutionalist Association.
Ms. Tienchi Martin-Liao, Director of the Laogai Research Foundation, spoke about territorial changes in history and cited the separation of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia after the Velvet Revolution of 1989 as an example. On the Tibet issue, she insisted, “Self-determination is the most important thing.” She held up copies of Palden Gyatso’s and Ama Adhe’s biographies and suggested that more Chinese should read them because “we have wrong information.”
Mr. Tseten Norbu, M.P., argued that there is an urgent need for meaningful dialogue and pointed out that low-level talks will not accomplish anything. Ms. Jianglin Li, a researcher on Tibet, stated that the Tibetan issue involves more than politics, national security and national unity – it also involves religion, rights and humanitarian concerns.
Alim Seytoff, General Secretary of the Uyger American Association, scoffed at Chinese claims of Tibetan liberation from feudalism and serfdom. He said categorically, “There has never been a peaceful liberation.” He compared Tibet to East Turkestan, “We, the Uyger people, share the same fate, same suffering, under Chinese rule.” Mr. Seytoff urged continued cooperation between groups fighting for freedom under the totalitarian regime of the Chinese Communist Party. He declared, “The Chinese government is terrified by our unity.”
