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Palden Gyatso, a Tibetan monk captured in 1959 by the Chinese and imprisoned for 33 years, will speak tomorrow on campus about his experience under Chinese rule.
Gyatso has made appearances at places all over the world to talk about what he endured in his own land.
“We feel so lucky to have him speak,” said Anne Marie Dalton, co-president of Students for a Free Tibet. “He will help us with our goal in raising awareness in others.”
Gyatso will be hosted by the Students for a Free Tibet, an organization aimed at bringing peace and freedom back to the Tibetan people, which recently made its debut at San Diego State University in Spring 1996.
The group’s intent was to create awareness in others about the current situation that exists in Tibet. The club was formed nationally in 1994 and has 75 college and university clubs across the country.
Tibet, a peaceful land located in the Middle East, was interrupted by the Chinese government when it invaded the country in 1949. Since then, many Tibetan people have migrated to such places as India and Nepal in hopes of finding peace.
Dalton said that the reason Tibetans fled their homeland was because of the oppression being put on them as slaves in their own homes.
“The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s leader, no longer lives in his land because of the turmoil that surrounded him when he was there,” Dalton said. Like many others, he was forced to search for peace elsewhere.
Co-president Lesli Bandy said some Tibetans weren’t so lucky to escape. The Panchen Lama, a Tibetan religious figure, was captured three years ago at the age of 5. He is said to be the world’s youngest political prisoner. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
“It is a horrible thing going on over there,” Bandy said. “We intend to make a difference.”
Dalton and Bandy said similar groups have sent petitions over to the U.S. and Chinese governments asking for slaves to be freed. These petitions have been responsible for the release of some slaves in Tibet, they said.
Students will have the opportunity to sign a similar petition after Palden Gyatso’s appearance, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in The Backdoor located in the lower level of Aztec Center.
Students For A Free Tibet meets every Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Intersection House, located at 5717 Lindo Paseo, across from KPBS. For more information, contact Anne Marie Dalton at (619) 222-9955, or e-mail her at sdsusft@aol.com.
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