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Tibetan student speaks on campus
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Days away from the Dalai Lama's speech at the Kohl Center, an international traveler presented a rare glimpse of Tibet at the Humanities building Tuesday night.
Tenzin Dickyi, a Tibetan Harvard student invited to speak by Students for a Free Tibet, explained Tibet's position in the modern world and informed the audience on the specific circumstances of the people living there.
"Tibet is illegally occupied [by the Chinese], and the Tibetan movement for independence is a nonviolent movement," Dickyi said. "[It is something] that people everywhere should support, not just for the fate of Tibetans, but for the fate of the world."
Dickyi, who was born in India and whose mother was a Tibetan exile, moved to the United States when she was 14 and only recently visited Tibet for the first time.
Gaining access to Tibet can be difficult, Dickyi said, since it is either too expensive for people, or they lack the proper visa. Even then, she added, visitors must pass fierce interrogation.
However, Dickyi said she entered the country by first going through an incorporated region of Tibetan land that let her slip through into Tibet without being interrogated and without presenting her visa.
She showed many examples from her visit of how the Chinese were trying to extinguish the Tibetan way of life by replacing their customs with Chinese culture.
"The Chinese are saying that they are trying to modernize Tibet … but they have done little in the way of building proper hospitals and schools," Dickyi said. "Most of these 'modernizations,' like the roads they built, were to help [their] soldiers get into the country."
According to Dickyi, most of the current transportation systems China offers into Tibet, like its road and train systems, are too expensive to be used by the people of Tibet. She said the systems only bring more Chinese into the region and export the land's mined resources.
SFT members were particularly appreciative of Dickyi's presentation.
"Overall, I liked her presentation," said Asius Vangio, a member of the University of Wisconsin chapter of SFT. "We were fortunate to get such a speaker, because she is one of the people who actually went to Tibet."
Some in attendance came out to learn more about Tibetan issues and see how the Tibetan exiles view their current situation.
"I just wanted to learn more and get a sense of what protesters feel and what their perspective is," said Mark Lippmann, who attended Dickyi's presentation. "This is a colossally sad issue … and I think that this is the only one of its kind that is happening right now."
The Dalai Lama arrives in Madison today, and will speak at the Alliant Energy Center. He is also scheduled to speak Friday at the Kohl Center on the University of Wisconsin campus.
"We are usually overjoyed to hear that we may get a chance to see him," Dickyi said. "He is such a good teacher, … and his [visit] gives us a little taste of Tibet."
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FREE TIBET…..
“Tibetan student speaks on campus” Oh, that’s rich. How is she Tibetan if she wasn’t raised there? It says she born in India and moved to the States when she was 14. I don’t see how that qualifies her as a Tibetan.
Getting a visa for Tibet really isn’t that difficult. I’ve done so twice. So I don’t know why she made a big fuss about having to sneak across the border.
FREE TIBET NOW!
Just because she is born in India and came to states at 14 doesn’t mean she is not Tibetan. Her parents are Tibetan and escaped Tibet during chinese occupation of Tibet….It’s very say how many Tibetan youngsters like her who are born India didnt get to see their country. It’s easy for non Tibetans to get visa to visit tibet but not for Tibetans. FREE TIBET
Free Tibet? I’ll take it! Hello, China? I think I have something you may want, but it’s gonna cost you… That’s right - ALL the tea… - Germain Q. Stemme
JOIN SFT(STUDENTS FOR FREE TIBET) SUPPORT TIBET
well couple comments about the news:
-“Dickyi said she entered the country by first going through an incorporated region of Tibetan land” are you sure it was an incorporated region or an incorporated person? and do you have a name? don’t worry, the “supressing chinese government” would have known long before you did. plus, i guess dickyi is an us citizen right now. She should have no problem getting into china with a visa. why bother going through those messes? again, i mean, if you’d rather sneaked in like a thief than coming in legally when it’s completely possible and legal, well….fine.
-“Chinese were trying to extinguish the Tibetan way of life by replacing their customs with Chinese culture.” since no picture or an example is available here, i don’t know what else to say. well…..or this might work: i’m pretty sure that most han chinese love diversity. and go study chinese history, go see what people would do to the government when it’s not doing what they want. i doute if the government would take that risk.
conclusion: 1.there’s a differentce between supporting and ha-hooing.
2.tibetan issue is something that drags china’s leg. and draging china’s leg is pretty much what everyone wants right now.
bye guys
tibentan issue is not an issue before “someone” bringing it up and everyone just starts to hahoo.
there’s a difference between supporting and hahooing just in case you never reliazed.
this is an issue that can actually drag china’s leg and slow down it’s double digit developement. think twice what you are really seekking, an independent tibet or eliminated china. don’t tell me both, there can only be one.
travelling to tibet is never a problem. the cheapest from beijing is $321 round trip. the cheapest train tickets from beijing and shanghai shall not be more than $60. as for visa, go to the closest chinese consulate and get one. i kinda understand the “proper visa” that she was talking about. i guess that would be a tibetan visa, of course, she not gonna get the since it just simply doesn’t exist, even does, not legal.