Tibet Scholars’ Appeal to Halt the Destruction of Old Lhasa

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This discussion topic has been automatically created of petition Tibet Scholars’ Appeal to Halt the Destruction of Old Lhasa.


Guest

#1

2013-05-15 07:09

The PRC elites' decision to destroy heritage for the purpose of their own self-aggrandizement is an embarrassment and displays the true face of their deliberate hypocrisy. While the PRC touts its cultural diversity, it thoughtlessly exploits what treasures are left only to line the pockets of its elite. This is completely unacceptable.

Guest

#2

2013-05-15 07:52

Petition: HS comment : This new phase of destruction of the historic city of Lhasa and especially the Jokhang Temple, the most holy site of Central Asian and Tibetan Buddhism, is a direct attack on the heart of Tibetan civilisation. Tibetans everywhere must be deeply shocked and distressed. What would China say if the Mongols came back and destroyed the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Temple of Heaven? What would Europe and the world say if St Peters in Rome or Notre Dame in Paris were pulled down? What would Islam say if the Mecca were attacked? What would the Jewish people say if Jerusalem was turned into a Disneyland?
The Chinese people have an ancient culture. Do they still not understand that other peoples have rich and ancient cultures that have equal right to respect and protection? How long will it take before they realise that theirs is not the only civilisation on earth? The diversity of human creativity over thousands of years on this planet is an irreplacable treasure. Why can't UNESCO do something! How come the Chinese are incapable of respecting their own Constitution with regard to the nationalities?

Guest

#3

2013-05-15 08:00

a very appropriate initiative

Guest

#4

2013-05-15 12:56

Mr president xi, I hope you are an open minded as your father and the then leaders like Huyou Pang. Lhasa is the capital city Tibet, your regime must respect it's ancient city and it's people the Tibetans. You must stop to destroy Tibetan culture and stop as soon as possible to suppress on the simple minority. Tibetan people one of the most simple and compassionate people around the world and people of world recognize so. Trust is the most important to be a genuine friendship and harmony society, H.H.The Dalai Lama and Tibetan people inside and outside demand a genuine autonomy within the frame of pec's constitution. Come on the table to negotiate through non violence principle and talk face by face if you are really an open minded leader. Stop to implement wrong policy of 60yrs of your regime on Tibetans.!!!!!!

Guest

#5

2013-05-15 15:50

the community petitioning should be broadened to include all those in cultural studies,architectural and art historians, etc.

Guest

#6

2013-05-15 16:17

this is a very important cause

Guest

#7 Re:

2013-05-15 17:56

#5: -

if you work in any field of Tibetan studies (architecture, art historian, etc), you are most welcome.


Guest

#8

2013-05-15 19:28

That scholars of Tibet should be primarily concerned with destruction in Tibet is understandable, but UNESCO's complete incompetence in enforcing the terms of the World Heritage convention to which China is a state party go back a long way, and not only in Lhasa, but at almost every single site in China which has attained World Heritage listing.

The purpose in China of gaining UNESCO listing is the development of tourism, and is it standard procedure to carry out unauthorised development at sites and within their buffer zones; to pull down and rebuild ancient buildings; to carry out unauthorized, unsupervised and highly inauthentic 'conservation'; to ignore agreed limits on tourist volumes; and for the UNESCO World Heritage committee not only to fail to take any action, but to continue to allow China to add to its list of properties.

Violations in the historic centre of Lhasa may be amongst the most egregious examples, but the petition is addressed to two parties with a long history of doing nothing, or doing the wrong thing. It lets UNESCO off the hook for its repeated failures there to date, and openly offers the Chinese government some scapegoats ('local officials and business interests') for its own abuses rather than taking it properly to task.

The process of turning UNESCO-listed locations into '21st-century tourist towns' is commonplace in China, and is the very purpose of obtaining listing in the first place. To ask others to give priority to considering Lhasa provides the perfect opportunity for diversion into the kind of sterile debate and inaction beloved of UNESCO, as there are other conservation crises in China let alone in the world as a whole that are equally deserving of attention.

In short this petition, while having its heart in the right place, is ill thought-out both in terms of its targets and its requests, and will achieve nothing.

Guest

#9 Tibet Scholars Petition

2013-05-15 21:30

Many scholars have signed this petition from a variety of universities, which is great. However, there is not a single signature from a university that prides itself with the Tibetan Studies Program - Columbia University! Do they know something more / other than we do, or is it just a matter of time that they also join this string of responses?

Inviting Robbie Barnett, Lauran Hartley, the Tibetans working in the Tibetan Studies field, etc. to sign!

Guest

#10

2013-05-15 23:01

stop

Guest

#11

2013-05-16 03:25

In the long run, having the old city preserved would be more economically beneficial to China than removing it!

Guest

#12

2013-05-16 04:48

The old Lhasa has to be preserved for all future generations. The old Lhasa is priceless and sacred.

Guest

#13

2013-05-16 06:52

GUARD GREAT TIBET!
TIBET IS JEWEL OF ALL WORLD!

Parrot

#14

2013-05-16 07:13

Never too late to stop what is happening elsewhere in Tibet regarding both destructive tangible and untangible issues such as Tibetan language and vanity making up of Tibetan cities. It wound not take long before any Tibetans in Tibet can recognize their own native land and speack their own language. Just stop now but from top can make difference only.

Guest

#15

2013-05-16 07:30

A wonderful initiative to bring the voice of reason to new insanity.

Guest

#16

2013-05-16 07:34

Critically important!

Guest

#17

2013-05-16 09:57

I hope this petition will work as soon as possible.
Jack Spratt

#18 State Department/UNESCO

2013-05-16 17:48

Is someone working with the Tibet Coordinator at Dept. of State and/or folks at UNESCO? Someone with contacts there should wave this petition around and see if they can get some traction.

Guest

#19

2013-05-17 12:16

Free Tibet

Guest

#20

2013-05-18 14:18

Stand up for a free TIBET and for all people oppressed in the world. Mobilisons nous pour le Tibet et tous les peuples opprimés sur Terre
Skalzang Nyima
Guest

#21 another one on change.org

2013-05-19 17:48

Please sign here too:
(www.) change.org/en-GB/petitions/kishore-rao-stop-the-destruction-of-lhasa


Guest

#22

2013-05-20 13:14

I am fully with you. Mr. President should think holistically on Tibet-the land of Snow. He should ponder on Central Tibetan Administration's Memorandum-Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People which is for the beneficial to both Han and Tibetan

Guest

#23

2013-05-21 19:39

tears for the unique Tibetan Culture, which is only left a shadow of it´s beauty by all destructive forces of CCP.

Guest

#24

2013-05-22 09:01

Tibet's issue is not simply ours issue instead its international issue as well.China's oppression in Tibetan;their tradition,culture, language, religion and ecosystem or environment has eventaually affected majorly in international community esp. Asian country. So support Tibet and Free Tibet!

Guest

#25

2013-05-22 18:54

OM Mani Peme Hung chi....................