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Tibetan fears for family

Friday, 04 April 2008

A TIBETAN man living in North Dublin who fled from his home country as a teenager fears he may never get to see his family again.
Tashi Samdrup, who lives in Howth, is pleading with the Government and the international community to do what they can to bring stability to Tibet after recent trouble in the region reportedly left more than 100 people dead.
Distraught Tashi, who works in a restaurant in Howth, said he would never be able to visit his home again unless a peaceful truce was agreed between the ruling Chinese authorities and the exiled Tibetan Government.
Speaking to Northside People, Tashi told his amazing story of hardship and survival, which included a 27-day walk through rough mountains in freezing temperatures to escape Chinese-ruled Tibet.

Tashi, who moved to Howth with his Irish girlfriend Kathy just four months ago, said Irish officials could make a stand for Tibet by boycotting the official opening ceremony at the Olympic Games that are being held in China later this year.
Tashi fled his home in Tso, north east Tibet, in 1995, to make his way to Dharamsala in India, where the exiled Tibetan Government, led by its spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is currently housed.
Tashi said he was extremely upset at images of the recent violence in Tibet and fears for the safety of his people back home.
However, he said he has been unable to make contact with his family because the phone lines in Tibet have been down since the trouble first erupted on March 10.
“My mother, brother and sister still live in Tibet but I have not been able to make any contact with them which is obviously a major worry,” Tashi stated.
“I have not seen any of my family since I made the decision to leave Tibet in 1995 and unless the situation changes and the Chinese Government enters into dialogue with the Dalai Lama, it is unlikely I will ever see my mother alive again.”
Tashi revealed that his daring escape from Tibet into India involved a mammoth trek through the harsh Himalayan mountain range.
“I walked for 27 days through the mountains to get to India and most of the time I was walking by night so that I wouldn’t be spotted by the Chinese authorities,” he said.
“It is an extremely tough walk and you even see the remains of people’s bodies in the snow who couldn’t make it that far.
“To make matters worse, most Tibetan people attempt this walk during winter time when the temperatures are even colder but there are less Chinese border guards about because of the harsh conditions.”
Nevertheless, Tashi said that between 2,000 and 3,000 people a year still attempt the perilous walk from Tibet into India.
“It is a very difficult decision to make because you know that once you leave Tibet it is unlikely that you will ever return,” he said.
“I know that people who do return are immediately imprisoned for up to six months and will be under constant surveillance for the rest of their lives.”
Tashi said he has enjoyed his time in Howth so far and has been encouraged by the support of people in Dublin for the Tibetan cause.
“I met up with all the Tibetan people who are living in Ireland when we took part in a demonstration in the city centre recently,” Tashi stated.
“But my fear is that when the reports of the trouble in Tibet disappear from the news, the local Tibetan people involved in the protests will be tortured and have their lives made a misery again.”
However, Tashi said he would not be in favour of a total boycott of the Olympic Games.
“I think it would be better if Ireland and other countries boycotted the opening ceremony as a message to China that it needs to talk with the Dalai Lama,” he declared.
“It is really in China’s interest that it does this as the Dalai Lama is the one man who can ensure peace in the Tibetan region.”
Speaking about the trouble in Tibet, Liu Jianchao, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said the demonstrations were a serious criminal act of violence perpetrated by the separatist forces for Tibetan Independence.
“What those rioters have done are not peaceful demonstrations, as they claimed, but violent crimes,” Mr Jianchao said.
“The competent authorities of the Tibet Autonomous Region have dealt with the incident in accordance with law, with a view to maintaining social stability and the sanctity of law, and safeguarding the fundamental interests of all ethnic groups in Tibet.”

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