This newsletter was written by the buddhist magazine “Ursache&Wirkung” (Cause&Effect) in collaboration with the Austrian delegate of the Dalai Lama, Geshe T. Dhargye. This newsletter serves to support

• a free, peaceful and democratic China!
• a free, peaceful and autonomous region of Tibet!
• free and peaceful Olympic Games in China 2008!

Below you can read an interview with Geshe T. Dhargye talking about the true causes that have evoked the riots, his view on the current situation and his appeal to the readership of “Ursache&Wirkung„ to support the concern of the Tibetan people.

You can support the Tibetan people…

1. 1. by sending letters and emails to aid organisations, politicians, media and the Olympic Committees in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as within Europe and to all over the world. Further information you will find at the end of the newsletter. Request email-addresses here: info@ursache.at
2. by getting in touch with us: info@ursache.at and by providing more addresses for the information-campaign or by sharing your experiences with us. We will report on the situation in Tibet the next days and weeks until the Olympic Games start and even longer.
3. by forwarding this newsletter to your friends.

Geshe Tenzin Dhargye, the delegate of HH the XIV. Dalai Lama in Austria, interviewed by Peter Riedl:

U&W: How did the riots start?
Geshe Tenzin Dhargye: On March 10th elf monks from the Sera monastery in Lhasa have started with non-violent protests. It is said, that two lay persons joined them as well, so they were 13. After about 15 minutes the police came and arrested them. In the middle of Lhasa’s marketplace, in the presence of other people, these peaceful demonstrating persons were hit and then carried off. Until today no one knows where they were brought to.

The next day about 300 monks came from the Drepung monastery, to the west of Lhasa. They were walking peacefully, reciting the prayer for the long-life of His Holiness and halfway to Lhasa they were stopped by the police. About 60 of the 300 monks were arrested and carried away; the others were forced to turn back. Afterwards the police closed the monastery, took the mobile phones from the monks and violently took action against the demonstrators.

Some small monasteries and nunneries are located around Lhasa. Ordained people came also from these places and were equally arrested and carried off. Farther away, monks from the monastery of the Phenpo-village and the Ganden monastery went to demonstrate for the release of their brothers and sisters. Then, the population joined these protests and all of them claimed the release of the arrested. Until March 14th the demonstrations proceeded very peacefully, but every now and then the Chinese police arrested demonstrators, hit them and finally carried them off. Nobody knows where.
On March 14th also the monks from the Jokhang temple in Lhasa started to demonstrate, lay persons joined them and claimed freedom of speech and religion, the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and called “Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama!”
Consequently the Chinese police and the military opened the fire and shot into the crowd. They killed two monks, many were injured. Many were arrested and hit and finally the Tibetans lost their patience. That’s how the violence increased, riots were the result and many Tibetans were killed.
On the same day, in the East of Tibet, in the province of Gansu, in Labrang, non-violent protests started, in which about 4000 people took part. The Chinese used teargas and the people shouted: “Free the monks from Lhasa! If we live, we live together; if we die, we die together!”
The next day twice as much people came - around 8000 – to demonstrate again in Labrang. In the end there were also dead and injured people.
That’s how finally the riots extended in many other regions until today and every day new ones emerge.
U&W: Do you know how many people have been arrested so far?
Geshe T. Dhargye: That’s difficult to say. It’s also hard to say how many have been killed. The riots are taking place in various regions. On one single place there was a total count of 80 corpses, but it is very difficult to get information.
U&W: Where do you get your information from?
Geshe T. Dhargye: From the Tibetan government in exile, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Radio Free Asia, but also through personal contacts. I have friends in Lhasa, but by now the telephone doesn’t function anymore, even mobile phones don’t work.
U&W: Why did the riots start right now?
Geshe T. Dhargye: The unbearable situation and the suffering of the people exist since many, many years. Of course, now on the occasion of the Olympic Games the hope of being heard in the world is real.
U&W: What is the aim, what do monks and demonstrates expect?
Geshe T. Dhargye: According to the ideas of H.H. the Dalai Lama, they don’t want a total separation from China, but at least an autonomous administration and the realisation of the human rights. However, some of them want to be totally free.
U&W: In your opinion, how will the demonstrations proceed?
Geshe T. Dhargye: It’s getting worse every day, more and more areas are under total military control. Nevertheless, demonstrations increase. Even in Beijing 50 Tibetan students have demonstrated. Every day it starts on a different place.

I really hope that it won’t get worse for the people. At present there is a well directed plan: all foreigners and journalists are being expelled and for the people it’ll become worse day by day. Certainly it’ll continue like this the next months and they will scan through every house and every village in search for ‘incriminating material’, e.g. if the people attended the demonstrations. Many more people will be arrested, it’s really a very dangerous situation!
U&W: Do you know how His Holiness feels in this situation?
Geshe T. Dhargye: He is very concerned and worried about the development and how all these people could be protected, because thousands of them were involved! Many were injured and they fear of going into the hospitals, because they would be immediately arrested.
U&W: How can we support the wish of His Holiness?
Geshe T. Dhargye: I ask you, to kindly ask the readership of Ursache&Wirkung to support us by writing to aid organisations, the Red Cross and to the political leaders in the world and mention the following points:

1. Chinese arms must immediately stop to fire on Tibetans.
2. All arrested people should immediately be released.
3. All imprisonments have to be stopped.

Furthermore, it’s very important that the readers write to the various aid organisations: So far, there are 400 injured people, who don’t get cured in the Chinese hospitals. Aid teams shall be sent to Tibet in order to help on site.
In addition, I ask the readers to write to the Chinese embassies in Europe and in all over the world, that they may allow journalists to enter the country so that they can provide objective reports. Also newspapers should be contacted and asked to send journalists to Tibet, so that they can report on reality. Information is very important. Of course, also on site it’s difficult to get correct information, but here in Austria it’s simply impossible.

U&W: What is your opinion about boycotting the Olympic Games?
Geshe T. Dhargye: We don’t want to provoke a boycott but I think that Olympic Games are closely connected with Human Rights. The organizors can influence the Chinese by demanding to stop the gunfire and by adhering the Human Rights in Tibet. I would be very grateful to the readership of Ursache&Wirkung, if they wrote the Olympic Committees in their countries. The people who demonstrate in Tibet hope, that the world will pay its attention to them and support them. If that happens, then even the death of those who died would make sense in a way.

I make all these requests on my behalf and on behalf of the Tibetan government in exile and all other organisations, who act in the name of Tibet.

Please send your emails and letters to:

1. the political leaders of the world

* Chinese arms must immediately stop to fire on Tibetans
* All arrested people should immediately be released
* All imprisonments have to be stopped now

2. the various aid-organisations, the WHO and the Red Cross

* Please send aid groups to Tibet in order to help on the site

3. the Chinese embassies in Europe and the world

* Please let journalists come to China and Tibet, so that they can report objectively and freely.

4. magazines, tv- and radio broadcasts

* Please send journalists to Tibet in order to let them report the reality objectively

5. the Olympic committees

* Please increase the importance of the Olympic Games by recognizing the interrelationship between a peaceful world and the respect of the human rights and by expressing that through your deeds