China spurns Tibetan relief

Pooja Shali

Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh

Relief material collected by Tibetans in India for the victims of the 14 April earthquake in China has not found its way to the victims. The earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale hit the Kyigudo (Chinese: Yushu) district of Tibet and reportedly killed around 2,000 people, and injured around 1, 000.

Lobsang Choedak, the press officer of the Department of Information and International Relations of Tibet's Government-in-exile says, “The Chinese Government has kept the transfer request on hold without a valid reason. We are now planning to open some other channel to transfer the collected relief.” The money is being collected by the 4-14 Yushu Earthquake Charity Committee formed by the youngsters from Kyigudo, now residing in Dharamsala.

Earlier, the Dalai Lama, speaking to a congregation at a monastery had said, “The Tibetan community in exile would like to offer whatever support and assistance it can towards the relief work. We hope to be able to do this through the proper and appropriate channels as soon as possible. I am eager to go there myself to offer them comfort.”

Kunga, a member of the Yushu Charity committee sait that they were in touch with the Chinese embassy in New Delhi and the moment they replied in affirmative they would head to Tibet to help the people in distress.

Refugee children settled in McLeodganj are anxious to know if their parents back home survived the disaster. Tibetan Children's Village (TCV) provides shelter to 2, 000 refugees, most of whom are orphans. Others left their parents at home when they were forced to cross the mountains in search of a more respectable life. The majority of these children belong to Kyigudo district.

Phuntsok Namgyal, director of TCV, is in a dilemma about informing the children in case someone's parents do not make it out of the rubble. Direct contact like a phone call is a luxury as the Chinese Government is keeping a close watch on such conversations. The disaster has left TCV visible quiet. Konchok (name changed), a 12- year old student is unable to hold back her tears. She yearns for her parents and refuses to accept that there is a slight chance of never meeting them again.

— as published in The Sunday Guardian on 16 May 2010 —