uprising day

I keep running into Tibetan people this week. First at a sandwhich shop - where the manager egged me on to get the veggie pattie sandwhich, between animated, chit-chat in Tibetan with his workers. Apparently there's a sizeable exiled community in Queens.

The other day I was on the way back to work from grabbing lunch. Stopping at the light on 42nd street and Madison, I saw in front of me a stream of people, extending down the street as far as I can see, chanting as they crossed.

They were Tibetans, on their way to the U.N. There was a determined, steadfast anger to their energy, I asked one lady what the significance of the day was and she said they were marching to commemorate the March 10 uprising of 1959 against the invasion by the Chinese.

I thought about how much the Tibetan situation has largely fallen from public view and media coverage. The human rights situation has gotten worse, bringing to question the theory that trade and economic liberalization will bring political liberalization in China and greater respect for human rights. Another thing that struck me was that the Tibetans were marching alone - I didn't see any other colors in the sea of asian faces.

This is from the site: http://www.freetibet.org/

"On 10 March 1959 Tibetan people in Lhasa rose up against China's occupation of Tibet and as a result tens of thousands of innocent Tibetan men, women and children were killed by the occupying Chinese forces. Since then Tibetans have waged a non-violent campaign for freedom from occupation. Don't let the world forget the 46th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising."