Exile Tibetans mourn the earthquake victims in Yushu
Tibetans gathered at the main Buddhist Temple here in Dharamshala to pray and show solidarity to the victims of the earthquake that hit Kyegudo (Chinese: Yushu) in Tibet’s Kham Province.
“Not only are we grieving the death of hundreds of Tibetans who felt victim to this natural disaster, we are also concerned about the wellbeing of the thousands injured by the earthquake in Kyegudo early this morning.” said Tsewang Rigzin, President of Tibetan YouthCongress. “We demand an immediate rescue work and medical aid for all those injured.”
According to Tenzin(Ndpt regional executive member), there were over 1000 dead bodies piled up in Tagyu Thong, with many more to be discovered and the death toll rising every minute, following the 7.1 Richter scale earthquake that hit on Wednesday morning. Tse-Tenzin was informed by a source that Tibetan monks are taking an active role in the rescue operations, especially those from Sethar Monastery. Although television reports only show repeated images of the same Chinese soldiers, the source states that monks are searching for people in the rubble and helping to treat injuries, particularly in the earthquake-prone areas of Tashi Da Thong and Shinghai Thong. There is currently a shortage of helpers and rescuers due to the fear that Kyeku- Dam may give way, and should that happen, it is obvious that Chinese soldiers will not be able to help anyone that may be trapped. The source reports that the death toll will be lower for the rich than for the poor, as soldiers are first focusing their rescue efforts on the elite. Moreover, the source finds it strange that more Chinese staff and civil servants have escaped injury, leading many in the population to believe that Chinese authorities knew about the inevitability of an earthquake in the area. Soldiers have also been busy helping Chinese government officials and securing government buildings. Victims of the earthquake have expressed various opinions as to the cause. Some are blaming the impact of Chinese factories and industry, while others believe the earthquake is due to the mining of gold from Jador Gang Kar, a mountain that is the site of a holy pilgrimage. Injured people are being taken to hospitals in the Chinese province of Qinghai Siling, and it appears that many poor Tibetans are facing serious medical problems. Seems many houses built by the Chinese government to the nomads, were all collapse due to bad construction.
Organised by:
Tibetan Youth Congress;Tibetan Women’s Association;National Democratic Party for Tibet
Guchusum Movement for Tibet;Students for a Free Tibet, India.
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