'Free Tibet' concert marks 1959 uprising

Staged by Guts United, Taiwan, the Taiwan Indie Music Association and Taiwan Friends of Tibet, the “50th Spring: Free Tibet” concert featured 10 independent bands and singers who took turns to entertain the participants from afternoon through late evening.

The event reached its high point when Dawa Tsering, chairman of the Tibet Religious Foundation of the Dalai Lama, Tashi Tsering, chairman of the Taiwan chapter of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, and Freddy Lim, founder of Guts United, Taiwan, led the participants in signing the letter “T” for Tibet and chanting “Free Tibet.” Lim said the concert was aimed at voicing Taiwan's support of freedom, democracy and justice, and commemorating the 50th anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule that began on March 10, 1959.

The Dalai Lama was eventually forced into exile in India following a crackdown on the rebellion.

“Taiwan should make it clear to the world that it stands by freedom and human rights and that it will not keep silent when everybody is voicing his or her support for Tibet,” according to Lim, who said this was the biggest of a series of Tibet-related activities initiated by his organization since last year.

Lee Ming-tsung, vice chairman of Amnesty International Taiwan, said civic groups have to shoulder the responsibility of safeguarding freedom and human rights at a time when the mainstream media and the government are not doing enough.

“Freedom will not just fall from the sky but is rather something that we need to fight for and protect, as it might slip away bit by bit if we lay down our guard and take it for granted,” Lee said.

While expressing support for Tibet, people in Taiwan should also tell the government to pay more attention to human rights issues in China, he added.

“If China becomes more democratic and its people enjoy more freedom, we will then not have to worry at all about having closer and more frequent exchanges with the neighbor,” Lee said.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

SharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email