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O Prseson

MIGUEL McDONALD
THE MARTLET

taring out of a booth in
S“ SUB at UVic this week

during the Human Rights
Fair, is the picture of Gendun
Choekyi Nyima, a young
Tibetan boy. Under his picture
are the words, “The World's
Youngést Prisoner.” The boy in
the picture is Panchen Lama,
one of Tibet's most senior
Lama, second only to the Dalai
Lama. Panchen Lama
disappeared in 1995 along with
his family and 50 of their
supporters shortly after the
Dalai Lama had announced
Gendun Choekyi Nima to be the
10th reincarnation of Panchen
Lama. Panchen Lama has
reportedly been a political
prisoner of the government of
the People’s Republic Of China
since he was six. He will be 10
years old on April 25.

“There are such appalling
things happening, and people
don’t even know about them,”
said Treya Putt of the Free
Tibet movement.

Free Tibet and other groups
fighting for improved human

 

  

 

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rights practices around the
world set up booths in the SUB
this week to raise awareness of
human rights abuses around
the world.

Other groups involved were
Amnesty International and
Stop the Violence in Chiapas.
Putt said that she wants the
fair to promote awareness for
Tibet's cause and encourage
people to get involved and to
care about something beyond
themselves.

“Look beyond your own life.
You can get a lot from helping
other people,” she said. Her
display featured pamphlets
about the movement as well as
forms to petition the Canadian
government to “act decisively
in condemning the government
of the People’s Republic of
China.” Another list of signa-
tures petitions the Canadian
federal government to renew
their debate on the status of
Tibet.

According to Putt, the inter-
national community ignores
the atrocities of the state in
the People’s Republic of China
in an effort not to upset the
Chinese government. One of her

Concerns

information pamphlets lists
some of the effects of China's
influence on Tibet including
massacres, genocide, tortures
and forced sterilizations.

The fair’s purpose was to
address human rights concerns
all over the world, and at the
table next to the Tibet exhibit,
Susan Chelini ran a booth on
behalf of a movement for abo-
riginal rights in Mexico.

In February 1995, the
Mexican government signed a
peace accord with the Zapatista
Army (EZLN) in which the gov-
ernment made eight promises
to the indigenous people of
Mexico. The agreement touched
on areas such as employment
and production, education and
promotion of indigenous cul-
ture, and political participation
for the indigenous people of
Mexico

According to Chelini, the
Mexican government broke its
word and none of the promises
were ever implemented. She
pointed to a petition aimed at
pushing for a vote. Mexicans
would be asked five questions
including whether or not they
agree that the indigenous peo-

ple of Mexico should partici-
pate in the construction of
Mexico, that Mexico should be
demilitarized, and that the
rights of the indigenous people
of Mexico should be protected.

Chelini encourages Mexicans
living in Canada to sign the
petition. A second petition
gave non-Mexicans a chance to
speak up for the cause. She
encourages students to go to
the legislature grounds on
March 21 at 1:00 pm for a rally
in support of this cause. The
rally, named the International
Day for the Excluded, is to be a
part of the celebration for the
Day of the Elimination of
Racism.

“We're all connected. We all
have a role in the oppression of

people in the world,” she said.

The Human Rights Fair
events carried on outside the
SUB as well. Amnesty
International set up a quasi-jail
by the McPherson Library on
March 16 and 17. To raise
funds for Amnesty, students
and members of Amnesty were
“jmprisonned” until a sum of
money was collected to free
them. Mock charges were
pressed against the students.
Kate Fagan of the Interfaith
Chaplain Services was impris-
oned for her “religious beliefs”
and raised $30. None of the
volunteers were imprisoned for
more than an hour.

 

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Looking for

job options *

Youth Options BC!

Look to

e12 Youth Options employment programs,
including Student Summer Works.

¢ Opportunities for jobs, skills training
and career-building work experience.

¢ Better access to post-secondary education,
including more post-secondary spaces,

tuition fee freeze, and generous student aid packages.

For information on programs,

visit the Premier’s Youth Options web site:

www.youth.gov.bc.ca

or call a Youth Options representative toll free:

1-877-BC-YOUTH

BrITISH
COLUMBIA

Minister Responsible for Youth, Premier Glen Clark

  

 

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The Other Press

March 241999 — Page 9