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Updated Monday, October 26, 2009 3:41 pm TWN, By Cynthia Huang, The China Post



	105 Tibetans had a silent sit-in at Freedom Plaza by the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall on Dec. 9, 2008. (The China Post file photo) Enlarge Photo

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Tibetan exiles experience hardship in Taiwan with little government help

The temporary IDs grant Tibetans temporary legal residency, but no authorization to work. Before receiving temporary IDs, these Tibetans would work under the table, Jiang said. He's the fortunate one that obtained a residency card with the legal right to live and work in Taiwan, along with 30 other Tibetans. The rest of the Tibetans with the temporary IDs risk being deported for working illegally.

The 70 or so Tibetans with temporary residency IDs have been unemployed since December. They must rely financially upon the Tibetans with jobs, most of whom are unstable laborers at construction sites or factories with low pay.

As a result, some resort to begging near temples or Taipei Main Station. “A lot of Taiwanese don't understand why these young and healthy people went begging, but there are no ways to explain,” Jiang said.

“The Tibetans can't return home,” Tsering said. In desperation, some have tried unsuccessfully to seek protection through the U.S., Canadian, British and French embassies.

The MTAC's Chian says such efforts and living conditions are unnecessary because the government has offered the Tibetan community classes in Chinese, computer skills and driving. “These Tibetans should have no problems in finding jobs in Taiwan,” Chian said. “It is up to him if he is satisfied with the job or not. Most people could have earned about NT$1,000 per day in construction sites.” The average household income in Taiwan for 2006 was NT$1.1 million, according to the government statistics office.

“I don't think [Tibetans] need any help from the public,” Chian said. “A lot of people helped them before, such as providing rice and oil.”

Chian emphasized that the entire process of issuing permits to Tibetans is very smooth and officials are doing their best to rush the process.

Jiang disputes this, saying that the MTAC guaranteed residency cards that grant legal working rights in June, and then postponed issuing the documents throughout the summer.

The temporary IDs issued to Tibetans last year are set to expire in less than two months. “These Tibetans can't even afford to worry about the expiring status, they just want to work,” Jiang said. In the meantime, they hope to receive clarification from the government.

Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, visited the victims of Typhoon Morakot to the consternation of Beijing. But for the small band of the religious leader's followers here in Taiwan, the future is uncertain.

Reflecting on their difficult life on the island, Jiang said, “We simply picked the wrong road.”

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Comments

October 26, 2009 laowaixiaojie@

The government doesn't have to do much - just give them work permits! That is the real issue, after all...

October 26, 2009 err_co_eds@

Jiang ka and all the rest of the Tibetans should complain their hardship to that devil monk Dalai Lama. DL spends millions of millions of dollars flying around the world as a political celebrity each year and consumes TENDERLOIN BEEF MEDIUM COOK with expensive wine. Why complain against us. We also work.

October 28, 2009 bankonline@

Tsering and Jiang should accept the reality how to adjust their life. People like you should blame yourself specially Tsering just sitting down as the President of the so called Tibet Religious foundation of the Unholy Dalai Lama waiting payroll from Dalai Lama.

Money will not drop from the sky if you don’t strived. There are numerous poor famous individuals who start from Rags to Riches through hardship.

You and Jiang should blame yourself by listening and follow that spiritual leader who was now enjoying bounties of luxury lifestyle without any hard work.

Tell you a secret Mr. President Tsering. I was born in the silver spoon family. When I was in my college days, I worked myself up and became a successful businessman. Why? My dad and mom begin to discipline me for survival by cutting off all my daily allowance. I'm not BRAGGING.

LESSONS TO BECOME A RICHMAN.
-WORK HARD-DON'T COMPLAIN.
-DON'T RELY SOMEONE TO PRODUCE RAG TO RICHES FOR YOU.
-BE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE.
-PROTECT YOUR HONOR WITH TRUST.

Mr. President Tsering.
"KEEP IN MIND THAT MONEY WILL NEVER NEVER NEVER DROP FROM THE SKY". Sitting down of doing nothing useful is call PARASITES.

October 31, 2009 tufingyen@

laowaixiaojie@ wrote:
The government doesn't have to do much - just give them work permits! That is the real issue, after all...

This is secret, I am going to reveal. These people who say they are Tibetans are FAKE. They are actually Nepalese with Tibetan look. Before them hundreds of Nepalese have gotten citizenship with this tactic. These people work illegally before and after getting ID they do smuggling of different things and many of them had gotten RICH. They have bought apartments, cars, rent shops for more than 100000, they have engaged in different illegal activities (haven't we heard about FAKE LAMA in NEWS every now and then) Nepalese have two kinds of looks. One of them richer Nepalese look Italian, a few of them are here in Taiwan. Most of them came as students and few of them got married to Taiwanese girls and have professions as software engineer, restaurateur, and import-export business. The other kind is Tibetan looking Poor Nepalese, they are not educated and have no future in Nepal or India and come to Taiwan and seek Refugee status in the name of Vulnerable Tibetans. I hope MTAC will know the truth and kick them out. Not them only but all of them who got IDs in the name of Tibetan Refugee. (Tibetans are very welcome IN U.S., E.U. ,Japan so Tibetans will choose those countries in place of Taiwan.) Taiwan Govt. Kick this fake Tibetans out of Taiwan. Help Tibetans retain their integrity!!!!!!

November 23, 2009 wuweide888@

err_co_eds@ wrote:
Jiang ka and all the rest of the Tibetans should complain their hardship to that devil monk Dalai Lama. DL spends millions of millions of dollars flying around the world as a political celebrity each year and consumes TENDERLOIN BEEF MEDIUM COOK with expensive wine. Why complain against us. We also work.

Funny you should call HH the devil monk... and at the same time cozy up to bloody murderous Chinese regime to "unify China". Shameless.