“Tibetans have become minorities in their own homeland. Half a million flee Tibet each year because conditions are deplorable,” said Tenzing Chonden, a North American representative to the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. Chonden spoke last Thursday, May 22 along with his sister, Tibetan activist Tseten Phanocarus, about human rights violations in China. Moved by the dedication of Chonden, Santa Monica College English Professor C. David Burak said, “Tenzing is one of those activists whose fire doesn’t go out.”

As the Olympic Torch Relay began for the Beijing Olympics, activists and supporters of Tibet saw it as a prime opportunity to shed light on the situation. The relay is the grandest in its history, according to Chonden, spanning 81 ,000 miles in 21 countries. “We saw this as an opportunity,” said Chonden. Protests at relays in San Francisco, London and Paris in April on showed how loud the voice against China was becoming.

“I never realized Tibetans would rise up on this occasion,” Chendon said. On March 14 in the capital of Tibet, Lhasa, virtually one month prior to the demonstrations, Tibetans defied Chinese rule. Marching together and showing any opposition to the Chinese government is a crime punishable by imprisonment and severe torture. They did it anyway.

“I so admired that they rose up,” Phanucharus said. She was surprised that even though protests were going on around the torch relay, people in Tibet still decided to stand together and march in opposition of their mistreatment. Violence allegedly broke out from Chinese police, which prompted further chaos. The China Tibet Information Center in Xinhua reported that seven schools, five hospitals were burned down and 908 shops were looted. The estimated damage is more than 244 million yuan, the equivalent of $35 million.

“Tibetans have the ultimate misfortune as being a religious country invaded by atheist communists,” Phanucharas said. The Dalai Llama, according to her, is the 14th highest of spiritual teachers in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetans believe he took a vow to be reincarnated, continually coming back to life and “help human beings reach enlightenment,” Phanucharas said.

The Chinese have insulted Tibetans by regulating their religious practices. Signs are posted that say “All reincarnations must be approved by Chinese government,” Phanucharas said as her face displayed an expression that combined disbelief and rage. “In Tibet, to have a picture of the Dalai Llama is a crime.

This is the kind of insult that people live with every day,” she said. The people marched for their human rights, which, according to Phanucharas, “guaranteed them a prison sentence and torture.”

The protest began peacefully, but violence resulted and the Chinese government is alleging that the Tibetans initially started it. Chonden made sure to point out that the Dalai Llama is opposed to any form of violence. “Dalai Llama would resign if Tibetans got violent.” The group protesters did not intend on a riot breaking out, but suffered grave consequences of protesting. Chonden reported that 205 have been confirmed dead, 5,700 arrested and detained.

“Some of those imprisoned have committed suicide because of conditions in the prisons.” The reason these horrors have not been broadcasted is China’s tight clamp on letting the media report on what is really going on. Chonden clarified that he is not opposed to the Olympics and that neither are Tibetans. “1.3 billion Chinese people deserve Olympic games, but we ask that the flame not be taken through Tibet.” Doing so would be considered another spirit-crushing insult. Inter-Club Council Chair Shahriar Azimi worked with Associated Students Director of Activities Mia Kagaya and faculty member Burak to make the event happen. For more information, go to Tibet.net and StopTibetCrisis.org.