29th Sep Press release
29 September 2009
Tokyo: China’s “Tibet: Stolen Exhibition” opens as Tibetan and their supporters organized protests. Tibet groups firmly condemn the remarks of the Exhibition Committee Chief (DAIKO Advertising Inc.), ” Tibetans do not exist. We only recognize the Tibet tribe.”
Tibetans and their supporters in Japan protested against this China’s Tibet Exhibition in the Ueno Park where the Ueno Royal Museum is located on the day of the private opening of “Tibet: Treasure from the Roof of the World,” on September 18, 2009.
Although the exhibition refers itself as “Introducing comprehensive Tibetan culture”it fails to include any explanations of the accurate Tibet modern history, such as the armed Chinese invasion in 1959 or the description of the Potala Palace, the seat of the Dalai Lamas. It does not mention anything about the current 14th Dalai Lama either.
In order to advocate the general public about the untold truth that the Chinese government has tries to hide, Tibetans and their supporters in Japan have organized various protests in and around the Ueno Park in Tokyo.
Some Buddhist monks and lay people have been reciting the Heart Sutra every weekend to show a solidarity with Tibetans whom share the same Buddhist faith with, others have been distributing leaflets that explain the untold truth about Tibet’s ongoing sufferings. Some have been holding the Tibetan flags, which are banned in Tibet.
At the private opening ceremony of the exhibition was held the day before the general public opening and the venue was filled with the special guests while the demonstrators protested against the event at the museums’ entrance.
The Chinese ambassador in Tokyo addressed in his speech how China had been a benevolent guardian of the Tibetan culture and it had made China the ultimately legitimate ruler of Tibet. Such speech outraged the Tibetans and their supporters.
You can view the opening ceremony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CEZafwTOoQ
On October 19th, the opening day of the exhibition, more than 150 Japanese and Tibetans gathered at the Tokyo Ueno Takecho Park to join the march for “Tibet Peace” and spread out the untold truth of the exhibition. You can view the protest march on youtube; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2MrzIyf69I
At the private opening party, one of the IAATE members (the director of the documentary, “Fire Under the Snow,” based on the testimony of a Tibetan monk who devote his life for a Free Tibet after surviving as a political prisoner) Makoto Sasa and Dolma, a Tibetan woman who lives in Japan spoke to the Exhibition Committee Chief.
He commented in the conversation that: the exhibition has to take a side, when one says invaded, another says liberated, referring the last 50 years of the Tibetan history.
He also said, “There are no Tibetan people as such, only the Tibet tribe (in China) exists.”
This footage on youtube is getting a large international attention from the supporters of Tibet.
Please see the footage of this conversation (in Japanese) ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQN1ykiJo4I
With English subtitles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOz_uHg7DXU
The comment he has made confirms that the exhibition that he represents clearly holds the China’s view on Tibet (that Tibet is part of China) and it fails to take a neutral stance as a Japanese business corporation.
Moreover, the term “tribe” is normally used to describe a group of people who share a common language, value, and an ethnic or social background. In the international law, under the definition of self-determination, it states as:
”The freedom of the people of a given territory to determine their own political status. it is the right of the people of a nation to decide how they want to be governed without the influence of any other country.”
0. Article 1 in both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)[8] and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).[9] Both read: “All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.”
All member of the states of the UN Human Rights Council include China have a duty to secure this “self determination of people” by the international law.
In the issue between China and Tibet, Tibetans are simply claiming a higher degree of autonomy that is based on this right of self-determination. We would also like to point out this contradiction in the current situation of Tibet: Tibetans’ self determination rights are not secured under their territory that are called “Tibet autonomous region.”
Although the replied letter from the committee of exhibition to the IAATE stated that “This exhibition would introduce the beauty of the Tibetan Buddhist artifacts” (see the link below), we have no choice but to conclude that the exhibition fundamentally denies the fellow Buddhist Tibetan’s rights and the fact that Tibetans had created and protected these Buddhist artifacts for centuries. As a member of a country with freedom of expression and democracy, we are raising our voice to protest and question their failed corporate responsibility for ignoring the critical human rights issue and their moral responsibility to contribute to the global interest to resolve the issue.
The video footage of this Exhibition Committee Chief’s inhumane and immoral remarks has been currently released on the Internet and it has been receiving an international attention in scope.
Pema Yoko, a Tibetan woman living in UK who was detained for her brave protest in Beijing during the Olympics, gave us a following comment:
“As a half Japanese-Tibetan I have been overwhelmed and proud of the support of the Japanese people towards Tibet and Tibetans since China’s illegal occupation of Tibet. This exhibition is 100% stolen, full of lies and full of ignorance. The fact that the exhibition representatives believe that ‘Tibetan people do not exist’ is proves it. It is devastating for the people of Tibet who have been trapped under the oppressive violent regime, the Chinese Communist Party. However, I believe that the Japanese people will not be fooled by China’s repeatedly reinvented propaganda of Tibet. Tibetans in Tibet and Tibetans in exile along with our supporters including many Chinese people will not give up on the well beings of the Tibetans in Tibet,”
IAATE will continue advocating to the Japanese corporate sponsors of this Tibet Exhibition to develop a neutral stance that serves a fair demonstration for the both parties (China and Tibet.)
H.H The Dalai Lama will be visiting Japan in this November while the exhibition is taking place. This is a rare occasion and it has been drawing so much attention worldwide to see what may happen during his visit.
This is the 50th year since the Dalai Lama has gone into the exile. As a spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhism and a representative of 6 million Tibetans he tirelessly visits the world to find the peaceful resolution for Tibet.
The Liaison office of H.H. the Dalai Lama for Japan has written an Official Appeal called, “To the People of Japan.” (From the Official Website of the Liaison office of H.H. the Dalai Lama for Japan:
To the People of Japan:
As you are all well aware, a Tibet exhibition titled. “Tibet – Treasures from the Roof of World” has been going around Japan and it has now come to Ueno, Tokyo. While we welcome any exhibitions on Tibet, we are sorry to inform that the said exhibition does not give the true picture of Tibet and its history.
The world is well aware that since the invasion of Tibet by Chinese communist force in 1949, peaceful and religious people of Tibet were subjected to tremendous sufferings and tortures. As a result some 1.2 million Tibetan died, more than 6000 monasteries have been destroyed.
The exhibits and the documents at the exhibition are purposely designed to mislead the Japanese public into believing the Chinese Government as the benevolent guardian of Tibetan culture. While in fact, opposite is the truth. Repression of Tibetan religious and cultural freedom is still going on in Tibet. This is evident from the last year’s disturbance in Tibet. The fact that Tibet is closed even today speaks louder than anything.
If the organizers believe that this Exhibition is being done for the Tibetans, then the real historical background of Tibet and reason behind the flight of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the Tibet issue, which has become an international issue should be properly displayed and addressed to, so that the interested publics are not misinformed. Instead, they should urge the Chinese Government to open Tibet to let the world see the real Tibet.
Situation in Tibet is very critical; it is very unfortunate to see certain elite bodies and intellectuals in this free country instead of standing up for justice are seen investing on the sad plight of Tibet.
We have been informed that many Japanese supporters of Tibet, groups and individuals are staging demonstration against the exhibition and the organizers in various forms. While I thank them for their genuine concern and supports, I request them to keep their activities peaceful and refrain from any violent actions. Important thing is that we should let the organizers and the visitors know that the real situation in Tibet is different and the world shouldn’t be deceived by this Chinese propagandist exhibition.
I request the people in this free country and media people to hear the both sides of the stories, and support the truth, justice and humanity.
Thanking you,Lhakpa Tshoko
Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Japan & East Asia
On October 1 this year China celebrates its 60th-year-anniversary of the establishment of The People’s Republic of China. This is also the 60th anniversary of Tibet’s invasion by the PRC.
Before the occupation, Tibet was a nation with an established sovereign government, currency, postal system, language, legal system and culture.
Since then, the Tibetan people have become marginalized in their own country, the Tibetan culture has been severely restricted, and tens and
thousands of Tibetans have died as a result of the occupation, torture, execution, suicides and starvation.
The Chinese government has systematically destroyed many monasteries that represent Tibet’s cultural identity. Over the past year, the Chinese government has engaged in a comprehensive cover-up of the torture, disappearances and killings that have taken place across Tibet since a wave of protests has swept the plateau from March 10, 2008. Beijing has also engaged in a virulent propaganda against the Nobel Peace Laureate, the Dalai Lama.
