By Jason Malaron | Research & Development Intern
Amid waving flags and rising chants, thousands around the world collected en masse last week with one demand: a free Tibet. This past March 10th marked the 56th Tibetan National Uprising Day, an event commemorating the failed Tibetan revolt against the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959. From Australia to New York City, from Berlin to Paris, thousands of ralliers voiced the same message cried 56 years ago.
“All fighting age men who had survived the revolt were deported and those fleeing the scene reported that Chinese troops burned corpses in [Lhasa] for 12 hours.” - BBC’s account of the aftermath of the Tibetan revolt.
Since then little has changed. At the Europe Stands with Tibet rally in Paris, a former nun remarked of her 12 year incarceration that began 1990. Following a peaceful protest in favor of the freedom of speech and religion, Gyaltsen Drolkar found herself in a Chinese jail where she says she was relentlessly tortured. “They used electric instruments,” Drolkar recounts, “I would faint, and when I came to, they would start again.” Even today, the oppression remains. Tibetans can still be arrested if caught with the writings or pictures of the Dalai Lama.
As the rallies spread, pressing for freedom of expression in Tibet and the end of oppression by the chinese government, few seem optimistic. Nadine Baumann, executive director of the Tibet Initiative Deutschland, mentioned during a rally in Germany, “the human rights situation in Tibet has increasingly deteriorated since Xi Jinping came to power in 201, despite our initial hopes for a new dialogue-oriented Tibet policy from the Chinese government.”
By capturing the stories of Tibetan survivors on film, 3 Generations looks to bring the issue of the continued oppression in Tibet to the forefront of public opinion. Through their stories we help raise awareness of Tibet's plight and providing avenues that honor those who have died and to foster the healing process in survivors. With your continued support, 3 Generations can help foster a growing audience with a singular message: free Tibet.
By Jason Malaran | Research and Development Intern
By Jack Anderson | Research Intern
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