Tibetan students in China protest

[Rahul92]

Tibetan students in China protest over language policy

At least 1,000 ethnic Tibetan students in China have protested against what they call the erosion of their culture and language, a rights group says.

It follows unconfirmed reports of plans to curb the use of the Tibetan language in classrooms.

The London-based Free Tibet campaign group said the peaceful march took place in Tongren, Qinghai province.

The area is home to many ethnic Tibetans and was the scene of anti-Chinese riots in 2008.

Residents contacted by phone by Reuters said the march through Tongren, also known as Rebkong, was allowed to pass without police interference.

They said the protests took place on Tuesday.
Language erosion

"They (the protesters) went home in the early afternoon after government officials came out and talked with them," one of the residents told Reuters.

Estimates of the total number of participants ranged from 1,000 to 7,000.

The Tibetan students are said to be angered by changes to education policy


The Free Tibet group said there were between 5,000 and 9,000 demonstrators from six schools.

It said they were angered by changes to education policy which would limit the use of Tibetan language in schools.

All textbooks and subjects will be in Mandarin Chinese, except for Tibetan and English language classes.

"The Chinese are enforcing reforms which remind me of the Cultural Revolution," the group quoted one unnamed former Tongren teacher as saying.

"This reform is not only a threat to our mother tongue, but is in direct violation of the Chinese constitution, which is meant to protect our rights.

"The use of Tibetan is being systematically wiped out as part of China's strategy to cement its occupation of Tibet," Free Tibet said.

However local teachers contacted by Reuters news agency said they had not been ordered to do this.

China rules the Tibet Autonomous Region strictly but usually allows more freedom to Tibetan populations elsewhere in China; Tibetan is an official language in Tibet and parts of China such as Qinghai.

The Chinese government says it is bringing development and economic opportunities to areas long subject to official neglect.

The Tibet Divide

* China says Tibet was always part of its territory
* Tibet enjoyed long periods of autonomy before 20th Century
* In 1950, China launched a military assault
* Opposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising in 1959
* Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled to India
* Dalai Lama now advocates a "middle way" with Beijing, seeking autonomy but not independence


source:BBC

 

[SHASH2K2]

This is part of chinese conspiracy to finish Tibetan Identity. First Tibet was flooded with Hans and now Chinese language is imposed on them. poor tibetans are left with no option but to protest against chinese aggression.

 

[pmaitra]

Cultural assimilation and establishment of a homogeneous nation has always been and ambition and lots of parallels can be drawn between this and the Cultural Revolution. It is often assumed that a culturally and linguistically homogeneous population will bind together well.

Apparently, unity in diversity isn't one of PRC's primary mottoes.

 

[badguy2000]

well.they can use their navtive language freely outside classrooms..however, in classroom, they have to study the linguga franca in CHina.which is the necessary tool to find a job in China.

in fact it is quite hypocritical that those guys bash CHinese government for high unemployment of tibetan while bashing Chinese government pour modern education to Tibet.


in a Chinese-ruling society, it is impossible for any ethnic to find a good job when he can not read and use Mandarin,just as it is impossible for any ethnic to find a good job in USA when he can not read and use English.

Fact is very simple: good education(studying mandarin) or high unemployment(poverty)?

 

[pmaitra]

well.they can use their navtive language freely outside classrooms..however, in classroom, they have to study the linguga franca in CHina.which is the necessary tool to find a job in China.

in fact it is quite hypocritical that those guys bash CHinese government for high unemployment of tibetan while bashing Chinese government pour modern education to Tibet.


in a Chinese-ruling society, it is impossible for any ethnic to find a good job when he can not read and use Mandarin,just as it is impossible for any ethnic to find a good job in USA when he can not read and use English.

Fact is very simple: good education(studying mandarin) or high unemployment(poverty)?

Isn't Chinese-ruling society the main problem?

I am pretty sure that if all education, research and publications were done in Tibetan and if all the people in PRC used Tibetan, it would be pretty easy for even the Han Chinese to get a good education and a good job.

The problem is lack of autonomy in a so called Tibetan Autonomous Region, lack of opportunities to enhance Tibetan literature and language and an abundance of reasons, often artificially created, for people to be forced to not use Tibetan but an alien and imported language.

Just for general information, Tibetan language and script are closely related to Indian languages. Tibetan script is a phonetic para-Devnagari script and very very different from pictographic Mandarin script. Rahul Sankrityayan, an Indian visitor to Tibet, even wrote Tibetan grammar and Hindi-Tibetan dictionary. Alas, this culture may be lost if the PRC continues with it's policy of forced assimilation.

 

[badguy2000]

BTW. I don't know how Indians here understand "balance report".

To me, News from "Free Tibet","CNN","BBC" or "NYT" is as unreliabe" as CCP's offical throats such as CCTV and Xinhua.

Democracy Crusaders are as extremism as Red Guards.

 

[Ray]

It is the age old custom of the Han Chinese to destroy indigenous language, culture and religion and superimpose it with the Han culture, through 'the Chinese way', whatever that means.

I have time and again made posts to indicate the same.

They have failed to assimilate the Tibetans and Uighurs.

The Chinese throw the bait of getting good jobs if one learns Chinese so that those impoverished are forced to accept that to eke a basic existence.

A neat and a nice way to promote Chinese hegemony over alien people forced to acquiesce through illegal invasions that cannot presently be reversed.

It will be the day when the Chinese media will have the respectability to be credible.

 

[ajtr]

BTW. I don't know how Indians here understand "balance report".

To me, News from "Free Tibet","CNN","BBC" or "NYT" is as unreliabe" as CCP's offical throats such as CCTV and Xinhua.

Democracy Crusaders are as extremism as Red Guards.

lol democracy crusaders
:emot15:

 

[badguy2000]

It is the age old custom of the Han Chinese to destroy indigenous language, culture and religion and superimpose it with the Han culture, through 'the Chinese way', whatever that means.

I have time and again made posts to indicate the same.

They have failed to assimilate the Tibetans and Uighurs.

The Chinese throw the bait of getting good jobs if one learns Chinese so that those impoverished are forced to accept that to eke a basic existence.

A neat and a nice way to promote Chinese hegemony over alien people forced to acquiesce through illegal invasions that cannot presently be reversed.

It will be the day when the Chinese media will have the respectability to be credible.

if you replace the word "china" with "USA" or "France",you would find that your statement can apply to USA and France.

in fact, your statement can apply 90% of the countries in the world....however you are soo hypocritical to pick up only one.

 

[maomao]

^^^^^ Your arguments Fails, as US promotes French, Spanish etc and there are many states with French being as important as English, other best example is Amish culture being preserved and promoted. France is too small and homogeneous to be compared with China, however even then France has accommodated Basque people giving them rights to practice their Language and culture in schools and other institutions.

And if you are talking about the time of western imperialism, then you fall head first justifying your own imperialistic and inhuman designs by quoting what US or France did in the past. A murder of an innocent in the past can never give you a right to do the same today.

 

[amoy]

Tell me what India is like.

Why don't u guys use your native tongues on this Indian forum? Tamil, Urdu Assamese or blah blah, like on a Bable tower, with your diverse 'identities' ? in the absence of a shared 'Indian' language how are your courses taught at school, like Maths, Physics..?

u need to put China on the par with other countries, in evaluating her (education) policy. and the policy has to bring people together instead of segregating them by enabling communication and a better life.

 

[maomao]

Tell me what India is like.

Why don't u guys use your native tongues on this Indian forum? Tamil, Urdu Assamese or blah blah, like on a Bable tower, with your diverse 'identities' ? in the absence of a shared 'Indian' language how are your courses taught at school, like Maths, Physics..?

u need to put China on the par with other countries, in evaluating her (education) policy. and the policy has to bring people together instead of segregating them by enabling communication and a better life.

We use our native tongues in schools, institutions, with friends, and express ourselves freely wherever we like. I have studies Hindi, Sansakrit with full FREEDOM to study any other language with no interference from the govt., unlike China and its Bosses who suppresses Ethnic minority groups for the sake of fictitious han Chinese supremacy, u want han culture, manadarin, Chinese food Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah to be imposed on Tebitians, Uighurs, Mongols et al.

We thrive on Unity in Diversity, we may have many issues But we always solve them, unlike China and its Bosses which wants only Han Chinese to live in China and want Mandarin/Cantonese to be forcibly spoken by all the Subjects and only culture to be followed should be Chinese Blah Blah Blah.......Live and let live is not your policy for sure!

 

[amoy]

no no Mao Mao, u didn't answer my question straightly.

what are those courses taught in, physics, chemistry... at school? not asking u about your daily chats in schools, nstitutions, with friends, but about serious education and employment - isn't it a prerequesite for staff to speak a common language that all your clients from different backgrounds can understand?

don't try to digress to big boss things or political correctness

 

[maomao]

Yes all regional schools have Local Regional Language as medium of teaching NOT ENGLISH!!! unlike Missionary and Elite schools which have english as medium Majority have English as a secondary Language to get International Exposure!!

YES ENGLISH NOT AS PRIMARY LANGUAGE as MEDIUM !!!!!!!! I hope now its clear to u?? Or still you will keep singing ur rants?

I am not digressing BUT its not ur fault but your preconceived notion about others which has been indoctrinated by ur Bosses of CCP, that you make mistakes time and again!

BTW You never realized that you digressed from the Topic when you mentioned India, as I said not your fault.

 

[Ray]

if you replace the word "china" with "USA" or "France",you would find that your statement can apply to USA and France.

in fact, your statement can apply 90% of the countries in the world....however you are soo hypocritical to pick up only one.

I replaced the words as suggested.

I don't find it to conform to your vision.

Since you know more, do amplify so that we see the light as per the CCP theory.

Who know, the CCP maybe right and we are in the dark! :emot0:

 

[amoy]

YES ENGLISH NOT AS PRIMARY LANGUAGE as MEDIUM !!!!!!!! I hope now its clear to u?? Or still you will keep singing ur rants?

I am not digressing BUT its not ur fault but your preconceived notion about others which has been indoctrinated by ur Bosses of CCP, that you make mistakes time and again!

really don't understand your Indian mindset. I only asked a simple question and u call that rant. and then skip to "bosses of CCP"?? as if Chinese were manipulated and only u Indians were free with an intention to make any matter political. Then how would u pls explain why Chinese have a higher literacy rate than Indians?

What I want to know is how u Indians exactly operate under multi ethnic/culture scenario, with absence of enforcement of a 'common' language in education.

and u haven't told me if practicallystaff are requested to use a common language as medium in dealing with customers of different backgrounds, assuming u Indians can't master all Hindi, Bangli, or ...blah

if u regard this as a 'rant' or 'mistake' then don't answer me

 

[Ray]

Tell me what India is like.

Why don't u guys use your native tongues on this Indian forum? Tamil, Urdu Assamese or blah blah, like on a Bable tower, with your diverse 'identities' ? in the absence of a shared 'Indian' language how are your courses taught at school, like Maths, Physics..?

u need to put China on the par with other countries, in evaluating her (education) policy. and the policy has to bring people together instead of segregating them by enabling communication and a better life.

Well, India is diverse and one cannot understand it in a jiffy or in one post.

The very fact that it survives inspite of its diversity, without the govt regimenting the country to be zombies, speaks volumes of its intrinsic vibrancy!

Our subjects are taught in English as also in Hindi and the vernacular, depending upon the education policy of the State where one resides. Education is a State subject! At the same time, apart from our vernacular, we also learn English and Hindi, the latter being our link language!

Thus, we are more versatile that those forced to learn only one language as in China!

In this forum, we do not talk in our vernacular, not because we are not proud of it, but because English has been for ages the medium of instructions. It is the international language and so most know it. China is now desperately trying to learn English. Why are you doing so? Let Mandarin prevail and make the foreigners learn it as the language for all seasons! Just the way you are doing to the Uighurs and Tibetans!

We also speak and write Hindi, but the computers are not designed well enough to produce the scripts the way it can be read in a jiffy. And anyway, we want interaction with foreigners like you. Would you understand Hindi? If you don't we would have missed all the gems that you cast our way!

We don't require to bring people together. We are already together. Imperialist and countries with serious insecurities because of imperial attitude, require to fool people that they are together when they have one culture, one language and one history.

Each State of India has their own singular history within the tapestry of the overall history!

 

[maomao]

really don't understand your Indian mindset. I only asked a simple question and u call that rant. and then skip to "bosses of CCP"?? as if Chinese were manipulated and only u Indians were free with an intention to make any matter political. Then how would u pls explain why Chinese have a higher literacy rate than Indians?

What I want to know is how u Indians exactly operate under multi ethnic/culture scenario, with absence of enforcement of a 'common' language in education.

and u haven't told me if practicallystaff are requested to use a common language as medium in dealing with customers of different backgrounds, assuming u Indians can't master all Hindi, Bangli, or ...blah

if u regard this as a 'rant' or 'mistake' then don't answer me

Ok Blah Blah Blah.....and another Blah (U like to Blah a lot, even I have learnt it)

You asked same thing twice, and I had to say same thing again to make you understand. Its consider a rant when used again and again!

Again I have to repeat myself, as I had mentioned schools may have their Regional Language as Primary medium of teaching they are free to teach HINDI, English, French, Spanish or Klingon.

So there is always Hindi and English which makes a common ground even if we may not have same ethnic background, but here POINT to be noted is no-one and I say no-one is Forced to learn anything. However, Indians have a tendency to learn as much as they can, so that they achieve maximum exposure.

Unlike CCP and its bosses, we believe more you learn better it is, the more diverse you are more acceptability you get and more colorful your culture looks!

 

[SHASH2K2]

Language protests spread among Tibetan students
BEIJING – Demonstrations have spread among Tibetan students angered by reports that Beijing plans to make Chinese the only language of instruction in schools, an activist group said Friday.

The protest marches, which began earlier this week in the town of Tongren, have spread to nearby areas in the western province of Qinghai, which is home to numerous minority ethnic groups, including Tibetans and Mongolians, who retain their own languages.

The London-based group Free Tibet said hundreds, possibly thousands, of students joined the demonstrations. No arrests or violence were reported. There were also unconfirmed reports of a similar protest on the campus of a Beijing university.

Qiang Wei, Qinghai province's Communist Party chief, was quoted last month by the party newspaper as praising the use of a "common language" in schools. Students fear that means that the current bilingual system will be scrapped in favor of the use of Chinese alone, except in language classes.

A report on Qinghai's plans for educational reform over the next decade was even more explicit, saying "the nation's common language must become the language of instruction."

The use of the Tibetan language is tied up with the region's political struggles. Many Tibetans argue they have traditionally been self-governing and that Chinese policies are wrecking their traditional Buddhist culture. But the issue is complicated because while many Tibetans feel threatened by development and the migration of China's Han majority, some hope also that their children master Chinese in order to obtain better jobs.

Beijing defends its policies, saying they spur economic growth in the largely poor areas, but has used a heavy hand to enforce its rule. Traditionally Tibetan areas such as Tongren that lie outside the official Tibetan Autonomous Region have been under intense security following widespread anti-government rioting in the spring of 2008. They remain among China's most restive regions, with a heavy security presence keeping a close eye on residents.

A student at the Beijing campus of Minzu University of China, a leading institution for ethnic minority students, said 500 Tibetan students protested for language rights there Friday morning.

School officials, including the university's chancellor and Communist Party secretary, met with the students and asked them to submit their concerns on paper, which they then promised to forward to higher authorities, said a Tibetan graduate student, who declined to give his name for fear of retaliation by authorities.

He said the rally broke up peacefully after about two hours. Word of the rally was also sent out by Tibetan activists overseas and posted to websites.

Calls to university administration offices rang unanswered Friday afternoon.

On Tuesday, students, joined in some cases by Buddhist monks, went from school to school in Tongren carrying signs and chanting slogans calling for equality among ethnic groups and the right to learn in Tibetan.

Teachers at area schools confirmed the protests and said classes resumed soon afterward.

However, calls Friday to more than a dozen government offices, police stations and schools in Tongren and surrounding towns were answered by people who either refused to discuss the matter or claimed the marches didn't happen — a likely sign that the local government has ordered a news blackout.

Free Tibet said the local governor and education department visited a teacher's college in Tongren on Wednesday and threatened to expel students who organize additional marches.

 

[Ray]

Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein FUHER!!

One People, One country, one Leader

Does this remind one of Communist China too? One wonders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vezr3dW4J5s&NR=1

This one below has subtitles. Note the wording.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGhdX1SI3KY&feature=related

What about this praising the country folks and workers. Very patriotic, what?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8QF2aNXkOo&feature=related

There are many who prefer this type of rhetoric. It takes all sorts to make the world, what?