Over 1,100 Australians, including federal politicians of all major political parties, have signed a letter to the Prime Minister urging he support a request from survivors of last week’s devastating earthquake for the Dalai Lama to be permitted to visit the stricken area.

Survivors of the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck at the heart of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Tibetan: Kyigudo) made the unprecedented request to China’s President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao for the Dalai Lama to be permitted to visit the overwhelmingly Tibetan region and provide comfort to those affected. The Dalai Lama, who was forced from Tibet into exile in India in 1959, told a press conference in Dharamsala on 17 April that he wished to fulfil their request.

Michael Danby MP, Hon. Peter Slipper MP, Senator Bob Brown and Senator Nick Xenophon are among ten federal politicians who have signed the letter, requesting the Prime Minister raise the matter personally with the Chinese leadership.

Australia Tibet Council is also calling on the Prime Minister to extend condolences to the Tibetan community.

“This is a Tibetan area and a Tibetan tragedy,” said a spokesperson for the Australia Tibet Council, adding that Australia is home to a large Tibetan community, many members of which have family or friends among the deceased and among the many more left injured and homeless.

According to official Chinese statistics, Tibetans account for over 97% of the population in the affected area, one of several Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures that lie outside of today’s Tibet Autonomous Region.

Australia Tibet Council is concerned that consistent references to “China’s earthquake” in media coverage and statements of condolence from world leaders have masked the fact that the earthquake struck an area that is ethnically, culturally and historically Tibetan. There are fears that this may lead to a failure to prioritise Tibetan needs when immediate rescue and relief efforts make way for long-term reconstruction and bolster efforts by the Chinese Government to further consolidate control over the region in the wake of the tragedy.

For further information, comment and contacts to those affected by this tragedy:
Simon Bradshaw, Australia Tibet Council, (02) 9283 3466.

A copy of the letter, along with the request from quake survivors and a statement from the Dalai Lama affirming his desire to fulfil their request are copied below.

Global Development Group (GDG), in association with the Tibetan Information Office and Dalai Lama in Australia Ltd, have established an emergency relief project in response to the devastating earthquake. Donations can be made at www.globaldevelopment.org.au.
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22 April 2010

Dear Prime Minister

A week ago a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Tibetan region of Kyigudo in what is today China’s Qinghai province. According to the latest Chinese Government report, 1,706 people have been killed, 11,744 injured and 417 remain missing.

Tibetans account for over 97% of the population in the Kyigudo (Chinese: Yushu) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Survivors have written to Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao requesting His Holiness the Dalai Lama be permitted to visit the area to pray for the dead and provide solace to those affected by this tragedy. The Dalai Lama has issued a statement expressing his eagerness to fulfil their request. Both the letter and the statement are copied below.

We, the undersigned, request you raise this request directly with China’s leaders and do all that you can to help make it possible for the Dalai Lama to visit his devastated people in Kyigudo.

sincerely

Mr Michael Danby MP
Hon Peter Slipper MP
Senator Bob Brown
Senator Nick Xenophon
Ms Melissa Parke MP
Senator Scott Ludlam
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young
Senator Christine Milne
Senator Rachel Siewert
Senator Claire Moore
(and 1128 members of the Australian public)

16 April 2010

Dear President Hu and Premier Wen,

Wish you both good health.

During the initial hours of the natural disaster, we appreciate your government’s immediate relief efforts through soldiers and all round support from different sections of the society and we, the victims of this calamity, thank you for the same.

But we are a deeply religious community having a strong faith in the teachings of Buddha. Since many generations, we have a deep faith in His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Today, as we are suffering from a great physical and mental anguish, we really need His Holiness to visit the quake-affected area to pray for the departed souls and to provide solace to the broken hearts. Today, we request you, president Hu and premier Wen, to find the compassion in your hearts and fulfill this desire of us quake victims. We, the quake victims numbering more than 10,000, implore you from our hearts to temporarily set aside your government’s political differences with the Dalai Lama and kindly consider our request.

With this invitation to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we have no other objective apart from fulfilling our religious aspirations of praying for the departed souls and the survivors of the disaster.

In this hour of distress, His Holiness’ visit to offer prayers and condolences in person is the only way to heal our wounded hearts. There is no other better way.

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STATEMENT OF CONDOLENCES by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

His Holiness the Dalai Lama Eager to Visit Earthquake Affected Area 17 April 2010

As I mentioned briefly soon after I heard the news, I was deeply saddened by the effects of the devastating earthquake in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Tibetan: Kyigudo) of Qinghai Province which resulted in the tragic loss of many lives, a great number of injured and severe loss of property. Because of the physical distance between us, at present I am unable to comfort those directly affected, but I would like them to know I am praying for them.

I commend the monastic community, young people and many other individuals from nearby areas for their good neighbourly support and assistance to the families of those who have lost everything. May your exemplary compassion continue to grow. This kind of voluntary work in the service of others really puts the bodhisattva aspiration into practice.
I also applaud the Chinese authorities for visiting the affected areas, especially Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, who has not only personally offered comfort to the affected communities, but has also overseen the relief work. I am very appreciative too that the media have been free to report on the tragedy and its aftermath.

In 2008, when a similar earthquake struck Sichuan, Chinese central and local government leaders and auxiliary authorities took great pains to provide relief, allow free access to the media, as well as clearing the way for international relief agencies to provide assistance as required. I applauded these positive moves then and appeal for such ease of access on this occasion too.

The Tibetan community in exile would like to offer whatever support and assistance it can towards the relief work. We hope to be able to do this through the proper and appropriate channels as soon as possible.

When Sichuan was rocked by an earthquake two years ago, I wished to visit the affected areas to pray and comfort the people there, but I was unable to do so. However, when Taiwan was struck by a typhoon last year, I was able to visit the affected families and pray with them for those who had perished in that disaster. In providing some solace to the people concerned, I was happy to be able to do something useful.

This time the location of the earthquake, Kyigudo (Chinese: Yushu), lies in Qinghai Province, which happens to be where both the late Panchen Lama and I were born. To fulfill the wishes of many of the people there, I am eager to go there myself to offer them comfort.

In conclusion, I appeal to governments, international aid organisations and other agencies to extend whatever assistance they can to enable the families of those devastated by this tragedy to rebuild their lives. At the same time, I also call on the survivors of this catastrophe to recognise what has happened as the workings of karma and to transform this adversity into something positive, keeping their hopes up and meeting setbacks with courage as they struggle to restore what they have lost. Once again, I pray for those who have lost their lives as well as for the well being of those who have survived.

DALAI LAMA