What is "Serfs Emancipation Day"?
It is an annual holiday in Tibet that China has instituted to mark the 50th anniversary of the dissolution of the Tibetan Government, following the Dalai Lama’s escape into exile. The holiday is intended to “strengthen Tibetans' patriotism and expose the Dalai clique,” according to Legchog, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the TAR.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/19/content_10681877.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/16/content_10666583.htm
The reality: 50 years of tyranny in Tibet
Tibetans are oppressed: China’s occupation of Tibet has been maintained through military, political and economic control. Tibetans are denied basic human rights, including the right to determine their own future. Tibetans who protest against the occupation risk torture, imprisonment and death. The Dalai Lama said on 10 March 2009 that Beijing’s policies “thrust Tibetans into such depths of suffering and hardship that they literally experienced hell on Earth."
Creating this “holiday” demonstrates China’s disdain for Tibetans’ feelings and is a blatant piece of propaganda: At this highly sensitive time, and given the fact that Tibetans have risked their lives over the past year to demonstrate their loyalty to the Dalai Lama, this “holiday” is provocative and increases the risk of unrest. It is an attempt to hide the fact that the majority of Tibetans wish to be free from China’s rule and continue to resist the occupation of Tibet despite the severe crackdown.
Tibetans will be forced to celebrate: Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that an anonymous TAR official has acknowledged that Tibetans are unwilling to celebrate the anniversary. RFA said that TAR prefectural and county officials have met to “ensure that all people mark the occasion with festivities.”
Key Messages:
- 50 years of Tyranny: It is Time to Act for Tibet
- The Tibetan people will only be emancipated when they are freed from the tyranny of China’s occupation of Tibet.
- China’s tyrannical rule of Tibet = Torture, imprisonment and the denial of basic human rights
The postcard is directed to TAR Party Secretary Zhang Qingli and calls for the cancellation of Serfs Emancipation Day (Note that the holiday is for the TAR only). Given the short time-frame, we have worded the postcard so it can continue to be used after 28 March 2009 since Serfs Emancipation Day has been announced as an annual holiday.
This postcard is designed to build pressure on selected Chinese leaders responsible for Tibet, focus global attention on the grave current situation in Tibet and on the strength of Tibetan resistance.