By
Andrew Doughman,
Erinn Unger
April 15, 2008
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and a pre-eminent spiritual leader, is now a Dawg. The exiled leader of Tibet was given an honorary doctorate in a convocation ceremony at Hec Edmundson Pavilion yesterday that was attended by more than 7,000 people, most of whom were students.
During the ceremony, the Dalai Lama was buttoned into purple and gold velvet robes.
“He looks very good in purple and gold,” UW President Mark Emmert said, eliciting whoops and hollers from the crowd.
After introductions, the Dalai Lama stepped up to the lecturn, speaking in Tibetan with English translations from his interpreter, Thupten Jinpa, and thanking everyone for the honor. He eventually joked about receiving a degree without ever having to study.
“Young people, you are the basis of our hope,” he said. “I observed the last century, many great achievements, but that century also became a century of war and violence. … You, the generation of the 21st century, you are our hope.”
Students from the University of Washington and other schools around the region had the chance to ask pre-approved questions of the Dalai Lama.
The afternoon was full of laughter, with the Dalai Lama often responding to questions with a humble “I don’t know.” At one point he said, “I feel shy to speak in front of these big scholars.”
One question concerned how compassion can impact the AIDS epidemic. The Dalai Lama responded that funding of medical research should continue, as should education.
He clarified through his interpreter that AIDS is often spread through sexual contact, and then suggested that people use “rubbers.”
Serious discussion was present as well.
“The concept of war is outdated,” he said. “Destruction of your enemy, your neighbor, is actually destruction of yourself. In reality, he’s part of yourself.”
The Dalai Lama focused on one path to compassion — communication — that resonated with students from the UW School of Social Work, which is facilitating dialogues about race, gender and other issues on campus in a program called IDEA (Intergroup Dialogue, Education and Action).
“It strengthened my commitment to the work,” senior Joshua Johnson said outside the pavilion.
IDEA Director Ratnesh Nagda added that he now thinks of the program as “intergroup disarmarment,” which was a reference to the Dalai Lama’s earlier statement about an “internal disarmament” of an individual’s fear and hate.
More than 100 protestors gathered in front of the venue with megaphones and banners displaying text such as “Tibet part of China” and “No violence, no riots, stop media distortion.”
“The Dalai Lama is looking for independence; they’re (Tibetans are) starting violence,” protestor Benson Zhang said. “So many Chinese are angry with Western media. … The media is anti-Chinese.”
Adam Claessens of the UW’s pharmacy department attributed the protests to the Chinese government’s practice of censorship.
“I’m frankly shocked that there are this many people here organized against the Dalai Lama’s visit,” he said.
[Reach reporters Erinn Unger and Andrew Doughman at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]
19 Comments
#1 David
on April 15, 2008 at 9:53 a.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
This news is quite misleading since it intentionlly used (Tibetans are) when it quoted the words from Benson Zhang. I firmly believe Benson Zhang mean they are (people who created riots and crimes in Tibetans) starting vilence. By using Tibetans instead of the exact scope of those people who created riots and crimes in Tibetans, the reporters just want to mislead people to believe the conflict is between Chinese Han and Chinese Tibetans. Actually did you see the banner: Tibetans are our brothers and sisters.
#2 Teresa
on April 15, 2008 at 10:36 a.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
There were around a thousand Chinese protesters from the Mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong outside of the Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Why *The Daily* didn't report anything about them and let us hear their voice? What happened and what is happening in Tibet? Some media in France and Germany have already confessed that they had used fake pictures to distort the truth. If we don't really know the truth, we should stop over-simplifying the complicated issue and stop being an echo of the mainstream media.
#3 Jacob
on April 15, 2008 at 1:08 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name)
"What happened and what is happening in Tibet?"
"If we don't really know the truth, we should stop over-simplifying the complicated issue and stop being an echo of the mainstream media."
These are good points. It seems that the Chinese government is particularly interested in hiding the truth, seeing as how it has banned journalists from not only entering T.A.R., but also many parts of Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan, and even Xinjiang. People who are truly interested in knowing the truth should look toward the source. Why are journalists and tourists kept out of these areas?
It would seem immature to point a finger at French and German news organizations when the images coming from the official Xinhua news agency are just as distorted. Xinhua made biting allegations toward the Dalai Lama without providing any evidence. Xinhua can make these irresponsible statements without having to worry about being challenged by external media, since they have a domestic monopoly on the news.
Those who are truly interested in fair and unbiased news reporting need to include Xinhua on the list of scrutiny.
#4 Linda Mah
on April 15, 2008 at 2:52 p.m.(Bellevue, WA | Unverified Name)
Do you guys know that the Chinese government pays students abroad to hold their pro-China demonstrations around the world? How do I know? I was one of them...
Don't be fooled. Some of the Chinese people in these demonstrations don't even know their own history, which is sad and really pathetic, actually. Now that I no longer participate, I asked one Chinese person in a recent pro-China protest (against the Free Tibet protesters) a couple of basic questions about our country's history and they looked like a deer in the headlights. The Chinese government is so stupid, too, because they need the Dalai Lama to be the bridge to the Tibetan people... if they're hoping that this unrest will magically disappear when the Dalai Lama passes away, they may be in for an unwelcome surprise. This is their greatest opportunity to bring some level of peace within Tibet, but they just don't realize it!
A former paid protester.
#5 Cindy Lam
on April 15, 2008 at 3:12 p.m.(Bellevue, WA | Unverified Name)
Hey Linda, that's admirable that you're no longer a paid protester for the Chinese governmenment. I do the same thing now, but the money is too good to pass up in my case! Ha ha.
#6 Tien Lien
on April 15, 2008 at 3:35 p.m.(Thousand Oaks, CA | Unverified Name)
I heard from good source that the Tibetans side reached out to the Chinese protestors to talk with the Dalai lama to ask him questions directly, but the Chinese group repsonse was they are too busy with their class! Strange??
#7 Jacob
on April 15, 2008 at 3:53 p.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
Were most of the protesters on the 14th paid to be there? Were the propaganda pamphlets also funded by the government? I would be interested to know more about this, particularly since it's a government that has outlawed protests inside the country, but actively funds protests overseas. Does anyone have any more information?
#8 Tenzin
on April 15, 2008 at 4:08 p.m.(Thousand Oaks, CA | Unverified Name)
We Tibetans have heard first hand and seen across the nation where Chinese consulate pays for the bus and flags and other materials especially put pressure on Chinese students to show up otherwise they are considered like traitor to the China! So some of them are also paid to go to these protests. Even the recent website that the Chinese all over the world are advertising to show the unrest in Lhasa was caused by Violent Tibetans and the Western media is bias!!! On the website it say's we are not associated with the gov't "officials" and just by volunteers?? But the site is owned by Tsinghua University in China?? A well known university where major Chinese dictators graduated from!
#9 Join SFT
on April 15, 2008 at 4:22 p.m.(Thousand Oaks, CA | Unverified Name)
Join UW's Students for a Free Tibet (SFT)chapter <tibet@u.washington.edu>
#10 Cindy Lam
on April 15, 2008 at 6:51 p.m.(Bellevue, WA | Unverified Name)
It's definitely true that most of the pro-China demonstrators are paid to be there, and I am one of them, but I'm just in it for the money. We were told to show up and recruit anyone we could to add numbers to our groups, to counteract any anti-Chinese gov't groups like Falun Gong, Tibetans, the Muslim minorities in China...
Go to any pro-China protest in the future and talk to the people, and pretty soon you'll understand that they don't understand Chinese history or really what they're there for - this is all I'm going to say, as I want to continue making some pocket money. I don't really care about the reason I'm there, I'm just in it for the money.
#11 Joseph
on April 15, 2008 at 9:18 p.m.(Santa Barbara, CA | Unverified Name)
It is sad Cindy that you are in it for the money. A prostitute is in it for the money at the cost of their own soul.Does the end justify the means? Is Tibet worth sacrificing for a few dollars for beers? This is more than filling up one's belly with just food that must be eaten again.
The issue here is the truth to practice a way of living that fosters love and caring of our fellow human beings...not just to get one's pockets full of "fools gold". I will offer prayers for your eyes to open.
#12 U make me laughing
on April 15, 2008 at 9:46 p.m.(Bellevue, WA | Unverified Name)
Folks, with all the talks about money, you make me laughing. Are you that cheap, to be bought out by just 40 bucks? Otherwise, how can you believe such a bs.
As an active participant from very beginning, I witnessed the spontaneous organization on a popular internet forum by oversea chinese, and witnessed every steps and every efforts of our tireless organizers. They are great, and I am really proud of them, and proud of the large turnout from our chinese community. Just within a couple of days, thousands of dollars have been raised through individual donations. Sponsored by the chinese government? You are just cheating yourself.
You guys just miss the point? Well, at least I can enlight you a little bit. What happened in London made me upset, but what happened in Paris really made me mad. For all your "free tibet" wagen jumper, you achieved exact the opposite as you wish to achieve, you united all the chinese, within china or abroad, and I can tell you, Tibet was freed from Dalai's slavery society, 50 years ago. If this is the free time you learn slavery in Tibet, google it.
Since I am in a pretty good mood, still excited by what happened yesterday, I dont mind share with you a little bit more of my thought. Yes I grow up to be taught that western media is just propaganda machine, and of course no one is naive enough to believe it. We laugh it off. Coming here, we gradually learn the biased side of western media, washington daily included. But hey, nothing is astonishing as this year, the report by the western media on olympic torch relay, and the violent riots in Tibet. Sorry to say, all your western journalists, reporters, editors, you taught us the idea of free press, but then you use yourself as an example, and taugh us media bias, distortion, and fabrication. You lost a full generation of chinese. Now you feel better?
For us chinese living in US, we had good fortune to have exposure to news coverages on a very wide spectrem. It feels pretty good to be labled as brain-washed, knowing that who are really brain-washed. I guess that is all I have to say. It serve you no good to be biased and blind to the other side. It hurts no one in the long run but yourself.
So wake up, my american friends.
#13
on April 15, 2008 at 10:43 p.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
U Make Me Laughing--you seem to be making nonsensical points, and I'm afraid you didn't leave any valid points of concern.
It disappoints me to have witnessed pro-China protesters at a completely apolitical event such as the Dalai Lama's talk yesterday. If any of the protesters actually listened to some of the wise words the Dalai Lama shared regarding compassion, I'm sure many of them would be feeling guilty about their malicious, ignorant protests.
#14 Angel
on April 15, 2008 at 11:05 p.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
That is sad that you would take part in a demonstration that you do not believe in, but now we know another truth.
#15 Richard
on April 16, 2008 at 1:16 a.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
I've never heard that China pays Chinese-Americans to do promote their propaganda elsewhere in the world before, but it does not surprise me.
What I found ironic about the pro-China protests were how they promoted depoliticization of Olympics, no violence, and their love for all "ethnic groups" of China. And yet, when you look at all of China's other actions, you'll realize they do the exact opposite of all the above.
And to Teresa (Comment #2):
"There were around a thousand Chinese protesters from the Mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong outside of the Hec Edmundson Pavilion."
There was definitely not a thousand protestors. Also, the only protestors were Mainlanders, and possibly maybe Hong Kong people (but I doubt it). Definitely no Taiwanese would have been promoting WITH the pro-China group, but I was there with a few of my other Taiwanese friends watching. We were considering bringing our Taiwan flag to protest their protest against the Dalai Lama because of how absurd their signs were (see above).
#16 Cindy Lam
on April 16, 2008 at 11:41 a.m.(Bellevue, WA | Unverified Name)
F--- off, I'll do what I want. I just need the money right now, and I'm not physically hurting anyone, so whether I sympathize with Tibet or not, these protests don't make that much of a deal. I just look at it as a part-time job, as some of my fellow demonstrators do.
#17 To Andrew Doughman
on April 16, 2008 at 11:56 a.m.(Bellevue, WA | Unverified Name)
Hi Andrew,
Just want to tell you that you wrote a good piece up above! Thanks.
Too bad there is so much misinformation after what you wrote, though.
Angie Tremblay
#18 From Duke University!
on April 16, 2008 at 3:54 p.m.(Thousand Oaks, CA | Unverified Name)
This is exactly how Chinese nationalism works.. they threat, harrass, distriubte personal information to "patriotic" chinese bloggers to attack..
From Duke University!
Student gets threats after China protest
http://www.dukechronicle.com/home/ind...
#19 PJ
on April 18, 2008 at 5:52 p.m.(Bothell, WA | Unverified Name)
"U make me laughing" ---- YOU ARE AN IDIOT...there is no way I can even comprehend your idiocy. What is your point? You babbled on an on and in the end you just proved that there are a lot of Chinese living outside of China that just can't seem to get rid of the blinds that the Chinese Govt. put on their heads.
As far as your comment about uniting your country men goes....we're not worried....many literate chinese inside china, unlike an "educated fool" like yourself, understand the truth about tibet and have expressed their desire for a firm resolution on the matter. In addition, the event at Duku confirms that the sentiment of the Chinese people regarding Tibet is changing.
Our non violent rebellion is breaking up the fickle unity you so dearly hope and cling on to. (Un)Rest assured that our actions will get increasing aggressive, yet remaining non violent. And if some Tibetans go overboard...power to them....they've succeeded in showing the world that the Chinese govt. can be found flat footed.
Regarding China's liberation of my country from slavery..... Who asked China to liberate us? Not us....We were not slaves. We were poor but we were not slaves. We had our simple nomadic lives and we had our faith, that is all we need to be happy. Unlike you, we spend our lives searching inside ourselves for what truly makes us happy, hence we don't worry about what we wear, where we live and what we eat. Our exterior may have may have seemed dispicable to the Chinese but the way the Chinese govt has behaved for 50 years and more recently, the behaviors of the Chinese students in Duke has shown that it is your interior that is dispicable, callous and rotten.
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