The writer of this article is a Tibetan Australian who has lived in exile almost his entire life. He returned to Tibet for the first time earlier this year and in this article describes the joy of seeing his homeland and the sad reality of what he found there.

His Story…

I was less than a week old when my parents had to leave Tibet for India because of the full-scale invasion of Tibet by the People’s Republic of China. After forty-six years I recently went back to the country of my birth for the first time.

For a long time I said to myself I would go when the political situation in Tibet becomes more stable and visitors have more freedom.

Unfortunately, when I visited it was not like that at all as Tibetans were still living under the heavy handed oppressed rule of the PRC. As an overseas Tibetan holding a legitimate Australian passport I received very biased treatment at the Chinese visa offices. First of all, I could not get a Chinese visa at the Consulate Office in my state in Australia but had to apply for it at the main Chinese Embassy in Canberra. In China I also had great difficulty obtaining a permit to enter the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).

Eventually I only got the permit after paying a significant bribe to a travel agent. Lately the Chinese government has been trumpeting loudly about “developing western regions”, which include the TAR and the opening of the railway line from Beijing to Lhasa via Golmud. On the other hand, we also hear news from various independent sources that this development is of primary benefit to Chinese migrants and is a pretext to bring even more Chinese into Tibet, thereby marginalizing Tibetans economically and demographically in their own country. Tibet is changing very rapidly and I thought that if I don’t see her now then I might not recognise her in future. So I decided to go there immediately and also find out what I can do to save her.

First Sight of Tibet

My first sight of Tibet was from the aeroplane, looking down on range after range of mountains. Occasionally, the tops of some peaks poked though the cloud and I worried the plane would hit them! Those endless mountains are testament to Tibet’s geographic structure. Tibet is not an integral part of the Peoples Republic of China and its geography is as unique as its race, language, culture and tradition. Those mountains reminded me of a long life prayer to His Holiness The Dalai Lama:

“In this land surrounded by snowy mountains, You are the source of all happiness and good.
Mighty Chenrezig, Tenzin Gyatso,
Please place your lotus feet until samsara ends.”

I felt thrilled as well as sad, and kept saying to myself: “How dare they!” How could the Communist regime of China occupy this snowy land, which is so perfectly suited to its Tibetan inhabitants, and not to Chinese. I also thought that if not for the Chinese government it would be very unlikely that I would ever be flying in this jet plane to Lhasa. I also noted that apart from a dozen western tourists most passengers were Chinese. I also asked myself what benefits this plane to Tibet brought for the Tibetans. I never stopped looking down, as my mind was filled with the beauty of the mountains beneath me. Some were clad with snow but most looked bare and rugged. They were surrounded by plateaux with here and there a patchwork of farming land, open pasture and even a small desert. I felt that the mountains had warmly welcomed me back home.

Approaching Lhasa

The plane landed smoothly at Gonkar airport and from there I went straight to Lhasa by bus. Like most tourists I was impressed by the good standard of the highway from the airport to Lhasa, which at one point runs through a long tunnel cut into the mountains. That must have saved a huge amount of travelling time. What puzzled me a bit was the sight of many soldiers posted along the side of the road for a great distance. These soldiers had their back towards [the] road and faced mostly barren mountains and occasionally a herd of animals with their shepherds.

As we approached the city of Lhasa the signs of the development and modernity were even more apparent, to the point where it was difficult to see any legacy of old Tibet. All of a sudden I saw the Potala in the distance, which really assured me that I had indeed arrived in Lhasa. But somehow I found it difficult to view the Potala without the image of His Holiness The Dalai Lama in my mind. The bus pulled up at the far right side of the Potala in the vicinity of one of the entry/exit area for tourists visiting the Potala. The area was jammed with tourists and motor vehicles but I was mesmerised, stunned and overwhelmed by the awesome beauty and blessing of the majestic Potala.

May I See His Face! May I Hear His Voice!

On the same day I went to the Jokhang Temple. Situated in the centre of old Lhasa it is regarded as the spiritual centre of the city and is one of the holiest destinations for all Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. Built in 647 AD the Jokhang enshrines the famous statue of Lord Buddha offered to the 7th Century Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, as a gift from his wife, the Chinese Princess Wencheng. Among a huge crowd of tourists are also a good number of Tibetan devotees from far and near, all moving in line inside the temple as they offer prayers and receive blessings. I followed an old Tibetan grandmother who never stopped murmuring prayers as she bowed down to every holy image and offered them butter lamps. To my astonishment when she came in front of the Shakyamuni Buddha statue she said aloud: “May the Victorious Wish-Fulfilling Jewel (His Holiness The Dalai Lama) live long! May I see His face! May I hear His voice!”

Despite His Holiness The Dalai Lama’s concerted efforts to secure through dialogue a mutually acceptable solution for the future of Tibet, the Chinese government continuously calls His Holiness ‘a separatist’ and enforces a harsh policy in Tibet of punishing anyone displaying any sign of loyalty to His Holiness. Possessing a photo of His Holiness is a serious crime.
However, I observed that both young and old Tibetans all still hold fervent faithful devotion to His Holiness as a Buddha of Compassion and a Noble Peace Laureate. Many of those I met said to me: “You are so fortunate!” Their implication was because I have an opportunity to have audience with His Holiness, and came from a country where people enjoy human rights and freedom.”

Next …. Potala Privilege