Writers, musicians, an environmentalist and a student yesterday voiced their support for about 20 Tibetans arrested in recent years for their opposition to the Chinese occupation of Tibet.
“We may speak different languages, but we share a common language, which is ‘freedom,’” rapper and songwriter Chang Jui-chuan (張睿詮) told a press conference in Taipei to support Tibetan musicians, writers, filmmakers and artists arrested in China.
“We may believe in different religions, but we share one common faith — this is ‘human rights,’” Chang said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Following an uprising in Tibet in 2008, the Chinese government launched a series of arrests across China that continues to this day.
The plights of the 20 Tibetans highlighted at the press conference include those of musician Tashi Dhondup, filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen and environmentalists Rinchen Samdup and Karma Samdup.
A well-known local singer in Henan Province, Tashi Dhondup released Tibetan albums The Year of 1959 in 2008 and Torture Without Trace last year — both expressing Tibetans’ nostalgia for the Dalai Lama and the suffering endured under Chinese rule.
He was detained in December for producing what Chinese authorities called “counterrevolutionary music.”
Dhondup Wangchen was arrested not long after the release of a film documenting views from ordinary Tibetans on the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and was sentenced to six years in prison.
“We should condemn any country in which there are prisoners of conscience. Tibetans have the right to speak their minds and should not be arrested over things they say,” poet Lee Min-yung (李敏勇) said.
“Although China is rapidly developing, it’s still not a civilized country and it could never win respect from the world if it continues to repress freedom of expression,” Lee said.
Freddy Lim (林昶佐), lead vocalist of the metal band Chthonic said he was saddened at the thought that Tibetan musicians had to live in fear of being arrested for their art.
“I’m going to work on some new songs after the press conference and won’t have to worry. They are supposed to enjoy the same rights as I do,” he said.
Paicu Yatauyungana, a singer of the Aboriginal Tsou tribe better known as Kao Hui-chun (高慧君), said she came out to support the Tibetans because both Tibetans and Taiwanese Aborigines are oppressed peoples.
“Aborigines in Taiwan and Tibetans are all original inhabitants of their native lands, but we have both been exploited when a modern state came into our domains,” she said.
“It’s tragic that the people cannot feel relaxed while singing a song, and life is in shadow. The people cannot write articles without fear,” Yatauyungana said.
In related news, to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, Tibetan activist groups will organize a march in Taipei beginning at 2pm tomorrow from the Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station to Taipei 101.
A candlelight vigil remembering those who died during the 2008 uprising will be held at Liberty Square in Taipei starting at 7pm on Monday.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS