Past Tibet, with its religion and traditions, and today’s Tibet, completely transformed by the Chinese presence and reduced to dramatic conditions, with citizens considered second-class who cannot practice their faith and customs, without the West notices nothing. This is how Jetsun Pema, the sister of the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, describes the situation in her country to Adnkronos in Venice on the occasion of Authors’ Day, an independent review within the Film Festival, which dedicated a special appointment to her with also the screening of the Italian preview of the documentary ‘Amala – The life and struggle of the Dalai Lama’s sister’. An event organized by the Italian Buddhist Union, Fandango, Women in Film, Television & Media Italia.
“Today here in Venice is an important opportunity to make known the real situation, the true conditions in which Tibet currently finds itself – he explains – And this documentary will help to understand what happened, to understand how the exile of the Tibetan people has had a huge impact on people’s lives. Tibet is occupied by China who treated, and continue to treat Tibetans as second-class citizens. In Tibet, we can no longer practice our religion and customs freely, there are not enough clothes and food for the whole population, our whole life is controlled by China. I fled the country when I was eight and came back after 35 years: I was shocked by what I was told. There was no one person I spoke to who had not lost at least one family member over the years.Many were also sent to forced labor camps to build homes for the Chinese people. In those three months spent in Tibet, not a day went by without me crying listening to the stories of violence and injustice suffered by Tibetans in recent years”.
“In my memory as a child Tibet was a happy, beautiful place with a very peaceful people and life was very simple. My country was not as developed as other countries because it placed more importance on developing the mind rather than improvement of material objects”, recalls Jetsun Pema, who, after her trip to Tibet, wrote a report on the situation of her land which resulted in her being included on the black list of those who can no longer enter the country for life drawn up by the Chinese government.
If the Dalai Lama’s sister can no longer return to her Tibet, she still intends to give a voice to those who don’t have one so that the world can know the tragic conditions of her people. “It is our job to act as a spokesperson for these people, because many in the Western world have no idea what is happening in Tibet. – highlights Jetsun Pema – By disseminating this information I hope that more people will be interested in this problem, finding new ways to help my people. His Holiness is willing to talk to the Chinese government to find a peaceful solution to the problem, he has always said so. His solution would be to find a middle ground that meets both the needs of the Chinese people and those of the Tibetan, giving us the opportunity to return to our country and to be able to practice our religion and our customs”.
For the future, focus on children and young people. “His Holiness’s goal is to offer modern education, but at the same time promote our roots and our culture. For young people this will play a fundamental role, as it will help us keep the identity alive of the Tibetan people – underlines Jetsun Pema, former president of Tibetan Children’s Villages which takes care of Tibetan organs – During these years in exile, we have had the opportunity to return to practice our religion and educate our children. the hope that one day we will be able to return to our country.To make all this possible, the identity and culture of Tibet must be kept alive and I think that the new generations will have a fundamental role in all of this: if young Tibetans are educated well, our hopes will not die.Today we live in an interdependent world, and it is even more important to have an open mind and heart in order to be able to live in peace with each other and with the nature that surrounds us. Precisely for this reason it is important that the new generation outside of Tibet takes an interest in the difficulties we are facing”.
And the health of the Dalai Lama? “The last time I saw my brother was before we left for Europe. He had just returned from a six-week trip to Ladakh, a remote area of India known as ‘Little Tibet’ and he was fine. He also had a medical in Delhi where doctors confirmed he was in perfect health. His Holiness has always been very optimistic, and believes that life should be lived one day at a time. Meeting him gives me the courage I need to continue my mission.” .
Jetsun Pema then wanted to recall when in the past she had come to Italy, in 1962, when she was studying in Switzerland. “I’ve been to Florence and Venice, which has changed a lot. I remember very well that in 1962 there were hundreds of pigeons and very few people in Piazza San Marco, now it’s the opposite – concludes the sister of the Tibetan spiritual leader – The Italians however have remained the same, very friendly and kind. Also, food, culture and tourism continue to play a vital role here. I have also noticed that the people in Venice seem much less foreign than I had seen here in the ‘ 62. With the increase in tourism nowadays, few still attach importance to these differences, because society is increasingly forming an international community.Finally, the message I would like to leave to Italians is that of preserving well their culture, especially their welcoming and kind ways towards everyone”. (by Giselda Curzi)
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