MANHATTAN—With the Olympic torch scheduled to arrive in Tibet on June 18, Tibetan supporters shaved their heads in memory of the men, women, and children who have been killed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
On June 17, Free Tibet supporters gathered with a sea of Tibetan flags across the street from the Chinese consulate in Manhattan. Sitting in the robes of Tibetan monks, supporters symbolically shaved their heads. "We are doing this as a symbolic gesture towards the monks and nuns killed by the CCP in Tibet," said Tenzing Andrugsurba, a 23 year old student.
Supporters sang the Tibetan National Anthem as people lined up to partake in the ceremony. "This is also to show solidarity in standing up against oppression," said Kiat-Sing, a student at Columbia University.
Complementing the ceremony, speakers presented the situation in Tibet, explaining what the people of Tibet have gone through since being forced under rule by the CCP and why they are opposed to the Olympics.
Lhadon Tethong, executive director of Students for Free Tibet, said that the recent killings of monks and nuns in Tibet by the CCP showed the true face of the regime to the world. "It was an education. It was a lesson for them, that what we've been saying all of these years is true," said Tethong.
Tethong continued to describe why she feels it so important for the Tibetans to speak the truth and protest the CCP's crackdown on Tibet. "We don't do this because it's fun, and my father has not been protesting for 50 years because he enjoys standing on the side of the road every day," said Tethong. "We will not give up. The Chinese government can hide and can bury their heads in the sand, and try to produce all the most beautiful public relations material they want, but just because they say something doesn't mean it's true."
"If everything is fine in Tibet then let the media in. When you hide an entire country, you know something is wrong," said Tethong.
June 17 marked 100 days of protest by Tibetans in New York and New Jersey against the recent violence in Tibet. Since the CCP cracked down on the Tibetans in light of the Beijing Olympics, an estimated 209 Tibetans have been killed with thousands more arrested or missing.
Palden Gyatso, a 79-year-old Tibetan monk spoke at the rally as well. Gyatso was a political prisoner of the CCP for 23 years, and is soon to release a biographical video of his story entitled, "Fire Under the Snow." Gyatso expressed his wish for the people of Tibet. "We will keep our culture forever, truth will prevail, and we will get our country back," said Gyatso.
A student, Mel Smith, attended the event, explaining that she had come because she feels the Tibetan's call for freedom is something that shows how change can be achieved with non-violence. "This represents more that just the Tibetans," said Smith. "This represents hope for all people who are oppressed."
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