Empty original: https://www.ultimahora.es/noticias/sociedad/2022/01/13/1688001/reivindicando-autonomia-del-tibet-para-tibetanos-vivir-sobre-acera.html
Cristina Besa
13/01/2022
Tibetan lama Thubten Wangchen has been elected, for the third time, member of the Tibetan Parliament in exile
(Photo) Lama Wangchen at Tsongkhapala Temple, from Palma.
The Tibetan lama Thubten Wang has passed through Palma- chen, settled in Barcelona for 40 years, where he is in charge of the Casa del Tíbet Foundation. The reason for his trip was to meet the faithful of the Lama Tsongkhapa Center, directed by David Novi, to celebrate the cult with them and tell them, among other things, how Tibet suffered the invasion of China to the point that, apart from the more than a million deaths that occurred, the Dalai Lama had to leave the country, which happened in 1959. «Because my mission as a member of the Tibetan Parliament in exile that I am, It also consists of traveling the world so that no one forgets this event, which caused the departure of thousands of Tibetans, leaving everything in the land where they were born, grow and live freely until this event».
The position of parliamentarian is by election by Tibetans living in Europe, of which only 110 reside in Spain. And he has been elected for the third time, «which allows me to fight peacefully, without using weapons, to make known to the world the reality of Tibet under Chinese repression». As he tells us, China's invasion of Tibet was similar to the barbarian invasion of the Roman Empire: peaceful, no rush… The invaders arrived through roads between the mountains, announcing that his intention was none other than to help them. Once in Tibet, They built roads telling them that they were to improve their communications, when in reality they only used them to facilitate the arrival of their trucks loaded with soldiers and weapons. And when they considered it, they showed their other side: that of invaders with the intention of subduing that town, something they achieved because they had the strength. They also wanted to arrest the Dalai Lama peacefully., to send him to China as a prisoner, but he, He did not fall into the trap and fled. and with him, thousands of tibetans.
(Photo) After the celebration of the cult, Lama Wangchen with people who attended.
«Tibet, hoy, still beautiful, both for its people and for Nature –dice Wangchen–. But it is not because of the repression that its people are suffering., especially those who stayed there, by China, despite its leaders saying otherwise: that there is freedom, that there are Buddhist temples… Yeah, there are temples, but they are very watched, just like people… Because everything there is controlled by the Chinese –repeat–. No detail is missed, and the Tibetans know it… And now, on the occasion of the Winter Olympic Games held in China, from the 4 February, the controls are greater, for both Tibetans living in Tibet and those living in China, because they fear that there will be riots and demonstrations, since among the billion Chinese there are, four hundred million are Buddhists. Hence the great control there is, that extends to other religions. It's more, and returning to Tibet, repression is such, that it is forbidden to teach Tibetan in schools, since China wants all Tibetans to speak Chinese…».
Chinese stories…
In the course of the conversation we had with him, We remind you that on one occasion you declared yourself non-independence, but autonomist. Wangchen nods.. «Yeah, I am… we are, since we Tibetans have always wanted to dialogue with the Chinese. even now, from the Dalai Lama to any of us, those of us who live far from Tibet, we are not asking for independence, but autonomy, although politically we are controlled by them. Because what we want with autonomy –hue– is to be able to preserve our culture, identity and philosophy and, above all, respect the environment, and … ¿You know what I usually say whenever I refer to the Chinese government?? –let out a laugh–, Well, I say that he does nothing more than tell Chinese stories to the world.… Because they count, among other things, that the Tibetan people before they arrived were poor, that lacked practically everything… And thanks to them, now it has roads, the highest train in the world and beautiful buildings, which is true, but they have done it for them, not to benefit Tibetans; They have done it to bring more trucks with soldiers and weapons and take the best of Tibet to China. And what they did with us they are doing with Africa, where they have come promising work to everyone, ¿in exchange for what…? As they also do with some countries, to those who help them pay the debt… Or they buy ports…». Finally, remember that Wangchen has written a book, Far from Tibet, which has been very successful all over the world, among other things because his friend Richard Gere, converted to Buddhism, and propagator of the same, has recommended reading. «Yeah, In this aspect it has helped me a lot. because I, no matter how much I talk about the book, I will never reach as many people as he did., that reaches everyone».
