Speech at the Tibetan Rally on 7th of March 2009

Thank you. It is my great honor to speak at this important historical moment.I’m here today to express Chinese solidarity with Tibetans, to let you know that there are many Chinese who support the right to the self-determination of the Tibetan people. 2009 marks a series of important anniversaries. It is 50 years since the Tibetan Uprising, 20 years since the Tiananmen Massacre, and the Chinese Communist Party will have wielded power for 60 years. Over this time, more than one million Tibetans and 50 million Chinese died under the tyrannical rule of the Communist Party. How has the Communist Party succeeded in oppressing such a huge population? Not only by lies and tanks, but also by turning different groups of people against each other. And now they are trying to provoke racial hatred between the Tibetan people and the Chinese people. That’s why it is very important that we stand together in solidarity against the same dictator. The determination and persistence of the Tibetan people over so many years have moved and inspired many Chinese to fight for our own freedom. In Mainland China, there are more and more people who practice grassroots self-determination and civil resistance. They are setting up independent trade unions, independent peasant associations, fighting for freedom of expression.Last week, a Chinese blogger published an apology to Tibetans, which I’d like to read out here: ‘I am a Han Chinese. I want to apologize to all Tibetans, for the atrocities committed by Chinese against Tibetans, and for my inability to stop the evil deeds. Although I have not been directly involved in those criminal atrocities, the crimes that have been committed in the name of my ethnic group and the shame that this has brought about must belong to me, because I was not able to stop them. ‘Yes, those Chinese who have whipped knives and uttered curses against Tibetans, have also whipped their knives and uttered their curses against Chinese, as well as other ethnic groups. Nonetheless each knife whipped and each curse uttered have added to my shame. I must apologize, out of shame, to Tibetans.‘I must also examine myself more carefully, working harder to expose more truths. More truths, which at least may reduce the occurrence of crimes.’This apology from the Chinese blogger expresses the feelings of many Chinese. This sense of shame will drive more and more Chinese to stand with the Tibetan people and fight for our freedom together. Yes, Tibet will be free. China will be free.