The news from Tibet comes one bad story at a time. Refugees, who escape by walking over Himalayan passes, bring some of the news. So do foreign visitors. And, remarkably, there are phone calls from pay phones in Lhasa, Tibet's capital.
These are always collect calls, made on the sly to a call-in show on Radio Free Asia, which operates out of Washington, D.C.
"They have to be very cautious when calling," explains the show's host, Sonam Lhamo Singeri, who was among the original refugees who came to Salt Lake City in 1992 as part of the Tibetan Resettlement Project. "One man had to hang up because there were Chinese (standing) behind him. He said, 'If I'm not arrested today, I'll call tomorrow.'"
"They tell about the Chinese cutting down Tibetan trees and exploiting mineral resources," says Sonam. "They talk about prostitution problems and about a man arrested for flying the Tibetan flag." There are reports of increased crackdowns on Tibetans who display pictures of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama and reports of continued sterilizations of Tibetan women.
"They're still raping nuns," Sonam reports. "Recently a Tibetan nun died when in custody."
According to the International Campaign for Tibet, headquartered in Washington, D.C., 1.2 million Tibetans have died as a result of China's policies since 1959 and 6,000 monasteries and other cultural buildings have been destroyed. The Tibetan culture has been marginalized, says International Campaign for Tibet director Bhuchung Tsering. Unemployment among Tibetans living in Tibet is high, and Tibetans are categorized by the Chinese as either "loyal" or "suspicious," he says. It is illegal to display the Tibetan national flag.
Most of what was once Tibet has simply been absorbed into China. The area of central Tibet that includes Lhasa is designated the Tibet Autonomous Region. "It's a great Orwellian phrase because it means exactly the opposite of what it says," says Lars Rodseth, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Utah.
Bumper stickers with the plea "Free Tibet" can be found on the cars of Salt Lake's Tibetan community and its American supporters. But just what is meant by the phrase isn't always clear.
Originally asking for total independence for his country, the Dalai Lama — working from his government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India — modified his hopes in 1988, seeking not independence but "genuine autonomy."
On March 10, the 42nd anniversary of a Tibetan uprising against Chinese occupation and his own escape to India, the Dalai Lama issued a statement reiterating his "Middle Way" position that if allowed to return to Tibet "with a certain degree of freedom," he would agree not to hold any position in the Tibetan government.
"I have always believed that in the future, Tibet should follow a secular and democratic system of governance," he said, adding that he has now decided to transfer day-to-day responsibility of running the Tibetan government-in-exile to an elected parliament in exile. He supports letting Tibetans inside Tibet choose their own destiny through a freely held referendum.
The Dalai Lama's visits to the United States, says Bhuchung, keep this message in front of the American public, "so China can't level the charge that the Dalai Lama is clamoring for his past title."
To date, the Chinese government has refused to accept a delegation from the Dalai Lama to discuss his proposals. "This is a clear indication of a hardening attitude of Beijing and a lack of political will to resolve the Tibetan problem," the Dalai Lama said in his March 10 address.
In the meantime, there are Tibetans inside and outside Tibet who are growing impatient with his nonviolent approach. "There is frustration building up among Tibetans, especially younger Tibetans," notes Bhuchung of the International Campaign for Tibet. "They think violence speaks."
Bhuchung feels that international attention on human-rights abuses inside Tibet is having an effect. "I think the Chinese government has started feeling panicky."
To date, however, the Chinese have made no concessions.
Western governments, reluctant to alienate the Chinese, have been slow to take action to help Tibet. "We're not asking the United States to free Tibet or even be a mediator," explains Bhuchung, "but to make it possible that China will talk to (the Dalai Lama)."
Meanwhile, Tibetans inside Tibet are apparently afraid to freely speak their minds. Sampho Rinpoche, who now lives in Salt Lake City, hears from his sister in Lhasa every two weeks.
These are letters that are full of "we are fine, we are happy," says Sampho's daughter Tseten. "If they mentioned the Dalai Lama or freedom, they are afraid they will be imprisoned or tortured."
E-mail: jarvik@desnews.com