A group of Tibetan refugees, living in exile in India, plan to walk back to Tibet this spring. One initiator and participant will be the general secretary of the Friends of Tibet Organization, poet Mr Tenzin Tsundue.
The walkers will leave India in early March and trek through the Himalayas, reaching Tibet during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing in August. According to Bhuchung K. Tsering with the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet, the homecoming is inspired by Ghandi's non-violent civil disobedience. "This homecoming was initiated by several organizations, and Tenzin Tsundue is one of the initiators.
The Journey
International Campaign for Tibet, the homecoming is inspired by Ghandi's non-violent civil disobedience. More and more people are joining. The walk will start on March 10, commencing in north-western India, where the Tibetan government resides in exile. The walkers will first head for New Delhi, joining up with people from several non-governmental organizations to form different groups. They plan to arrive during the Beijing Olympics.
Poet Tsundue told media that the border between India and China is more than 2,500 miles long.
Beijing-based Tibetan writer Ms Woeser said that in 1997, Tsundue walked alone from India through the Himalayas into Tibet. Once there, he was arrested by Chinese authorities and deported 3 months later.
Ms Woeser said, "I have read some of his poetry, and written about life in exile. Some has been translated into Chinese and published online. I've also read some of his poems in books. His award-winning essay ['My Kind of Exile'] has been translated into Chinese as well. I've also posted his essays and photo on my blog. I have some knowledge of him." His essay titled "My Kind of Exile" was the winner of India's Outlook/Picador Non-Fiction Competition.
The Elderly Want to See Their Families
She said that for many exiled Tibetans, their greatest wish is to return to their homeland and reunite with their families. "I personally don't think a homecoming through a non-violent walk should be obstructed by the authorities. It should be permitted and even treated with sympathy by the international community, including China and the governments of jurisdictions along the way. That would be the best outcome. I don't know what will actually happen."
Ms. Woeser also said that many of the Tibetans who fled China with the Dalai Lama in 1959 are now quite old. She called on the Chinese government to allow them to return to visit their families.
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