friends of tibet: [FoT] new year greetings from sri lanka

jan 1, 2011

incidentally, my good friend claude arpi in his tibetan pavilion in auroville, always has a dec 31st event where the pavilion is completely lit up with diya oil lamps. if i remember right (i attended last in 2005) it is called the kalachakra ceremony. 

let us remember COT (chinese-occupied tibet) and the slow extinction of its culture. only a few diasporic groups retain the culture and traditions. it is a little like cambodia, where china-supported khmer rouge almost wiped out millennia-old traditions. 

one of these days, COT and COX (chinese-occuped xinjiang) will become free.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Friends of Tibet <support@friendsoftibet.org>
Date: Sat, Jan 1, 2011 at 11:07 AM
Subject: [FoT] new year greetings from sri lanka
To: 

WISH YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ravindra Ranasinha 

ravindra.ranasinha@friendsoftibet.org

Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka) commenced its activities with the arrival of Shri Sethu Das on 15th February 2009. The personal communication between him and Ravindra Ranasinha for a considerable period of time paved way for this launching of Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka).

Ravindra Ranasinha is a veteran theatre activist in Sri Lanka and a journalist attached to the sister paper of 'The Sunday Leader' writing profusely on the local and global political happenings with special focus on Tibet. He is actively engaged with civil society organizations that operate in the country voicing for democratic rights and freedoms of the people. Presently he works as a teacher promoting alternative methods in educating children and considers children as a strong source in carrying the message of Free Tibet to their communities.

Ravindra Ranasinha and Sethu Das launched the initial campaign of Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka), 'The World with Tibet' at a Buddhist temple in Moratuwa, a suburb in Colombo. Buddhist monks, children and elders in the vicinity attended the meeting. 

As the civil conflict in the country was reaching crucial levels, especially with the Chinese backing, the introduction of Friends of Tibet in Sri Lanka signals the need of all people in the world to fight against all Chinese intrusion and aggression.

Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka) presently collaborates with several organizations in the country in planning and organizing awareness campaigns to make the message of Free Tibet reach the masses in the island. Ravindra's own residence has been turned into the co-ordinating office of Friends of Tibet which is situated in Moratuwa.

On July 06th 2009 Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka) celebrated the World Tibet Day with a participation of 40 young and old people who actively engaged in a dialogue on the Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions and the drawbacks of the spiritual life of Sinhalese people who have been entrusted in protecting the invaluable teachings of Lord Buddha. The dialogue was initially commenced in delineating the differences between Theravada and Mahayana practices and then moved on to the question whether the Sri Lankans really uphold the values taught by Buddha, especially at a time the Tamil brothers and sisters suffer in the hands of President Rajapakse's armed forces. The Sinhala people lost the Buddhist teachings of Metta (loving-kindness), Karuna (compassion), Mudita (sympathetic joy) and Upekkha ( non-reactive, equanimous mind) when Rajapakse regime together with the Buddhist monks accelerated the war against the Tamils.

All those who attended the World Tibet Day ceremony lighted oil lamps and wished for the Freedom of Tibetans and long life to HH Dalai Lama. It was accepted by the participants of the need to create a discourse that will enlighten the Sinhala people on local and global issues and how such issues could be resolved through Buddha's teachings. It was pointed out that the Buddhist Monks who are the real guardians of Buddha's word are engaged in promoting war and now have gone into the extent of suppressing the Tamil cause. The situation of this island was then compared with what the Tibetans undergo presently with the Chinese occupation in Tibet.

The participants at the World Tibet Day ceremony was further shown a PowerPoint presentation on Tibet and it depicted how HH Dalai Lama leads a nonviolent struggle according to the Word of Buddha. Further, a Sinhala translation made by Ravindra Ranasinha on one of the interviews given by HH Dalai Lama was read to the crowd which focused on the loving kindness people need to have cosmically. This whole event inspired the participants to accept the struggle of the Tibetans. It is worthy of noting here that one child recited several poems by Venerable Sikhim Mahinda whom they consider had arrived to Sri Lanka from Tibet. A note on Ven. Sikkim Mahinda was written by Ravindra Ranasinha to a website hosted by Friends of Tibet. That article clearly depicts as to how the Tibetan monk inspired the Sinhala people to fight against the British colonialists. This was discussed at length and was shown the need to support the Tibetan cause through means of nonviolent action.

Presently, Sri Lanka is under the neo-colonial grip of the Chinese regime which helped Rajapakse regime to continue with a horrendous war which ultimately crushed the Tamilian struggle for autonomy with billion rupees worth of ultra-modern weapons. Hence, Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka) is now making all effort to make people aware of this Chinese intrusion into the country with the building of the new Port in Hambanthota and many more projects creating a strategic base for its military operations in the region.

Special emphasis is made here that Chinese intrusion into this beautiful island has brought immense damage to its social life, environment, eco-system and politics towards which all Sinhala people need to be rallied. Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka) has sensed and accepted this serious responsibility that rests on it to make all communities in the country aware of these conditions using all possible means and gather the masses to protest for a Free Sri Lanka. 

Under these conditions Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka) has partnered with two important organizations in the country to conduct awareness programmes, seminars, film shows that create an understanding about the Tibetan struggle. They are the Peace Gang, Colombo and 3 Y Net, Anuradhapura.

The Peace Gang, Colombo is headed by Mrs. Bernie Anderson, an influential social activist and 3 Y Net is headed by Mr. Priyanka Edirisinghe, a very dynamic youth activist whose actions with Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka) has reached the masses. The Peace Gang covers the Southern part of the country whereas 3 Y Net covers the North West and the Eastern parts catering to the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim communities in the country bringing them to consciously voice for the Freedom of Tibetans. 

Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka) appreciates the action of the partner groups since Sri Lanka is presently in the grip of the Chinese authorities and all action for a Free Tibet is defied by the Rajapakse regime of which Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the Secretary of the Defense Ministry clearly stated that 'Beijing appreciates Sri Lanka's firm support on the issue of Tibet, which were related to the China's core interests. As Mahinda Rajapaksa's government and armed forces are in continuous support from China and the relationship between the two States is strengthening at an amazing rate, Friends of Tibet action in the country is in the offing of receiving threats which we consider as unavoidable.

Presently, a Freedom March for Tibet is being planned which would be implemented in 2011 with mass participation. Further, Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka) has an email base through which Sri Lankans are made aware of worldwide Friends of Tibet actions, Chinese aggression on Tibet and all related events.

Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka) plans to have Sinhala writings to be included in its website so that the Sinhala readers in the country will have the opportunity of learning more about Tibet, its struggle, Chinese strategies, aggressions and all that action of the Friends of Tibet worldwide. 

Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka) welcome all support the global Friends of Tibet movement could give in order to promote and strengthen its activities.

To know more about the activities of Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka), visit: : www.friendsoftibet.org/srilanka/

Also you are welcome to communicate with Ravindra Ranasinha (ravindra.ranasinha@friendsoftibet.org) 

through emails and visit Sri Lanka if any possibility arises to assist in the actions. 

Thank you.

Friends of Tibet (Sri Lanka)

Friends of Tibet is a people's movement to keep alive the issue of Tibet through direct action. Our activities are aimed at ending China's occupation of Tibet and the suffering of the Tibetan people. Friends of Tibet supports the continued struggle of the Tibetan people for independence. Friends of Tibet is also one of the principal organisers of World Tibet Day around the world. To know more, visit: www.friendsoftibet.org

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