 "Photo: Caitlin Coughlan")
Members of the campus Chinese community rallied against the recent violence in Tibet and in support of Beijing on the steps of the Student Union yesterday.
"We're in support of peaceful coexistence and against the violence and media distortion in Tibet," said Gorge Liu, a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts. "It is reported as if the Chinese police are creating the violence, when in fact it is the civilians."
Waving the Chinese flag and chanting, "One China," and "Go Beijing," the participants handed out leaflets with what they described as educational material on Tibet to passing students.
"We wanted to let you hear our voice," said Shuang Wu, a graduate student in the biology department. "You choose to listen to only one side."
"I am enthralled by this. I've never seen anything like it," said Joshua Murray, a senior in the political science department. "It's neat to have another side."
Murray said students needed to have an open mind when it came to issues like the recent Tibetan unrest.
"This is interesting and I'm a little surprised. I thought it was going to be a pro-Tibet rally," said Brian Connor, a graduate student in the sociology department. "I think its good that their tempering the pro-Tibet stuff and showing both sides."
Participants - with small Chinese flags emblazoned on their cheeks and foreheads - voiced criticism of the Free Tibet movement and the Dalai Lama, connecting the exiled Tibetan leader with the Nazi party.
"The Dalai Lama winning the Nobel Peace Prize is ridiculous. He is a very shrewd politician," said student Yidan Guo, describing the event as a rally for justice. "It is the republic of China that liberated Tibet from feudalism."
Liu criticized western activists for using the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a way to protest the Chinese government.
"Connecting the Beijing Olympics with human rights hurts the Chinese people," he said. "It's frustrating to have the Olympics connected to something not necessarily related."
Members of the Students for a Free Tibet group circulated in the crowd, handing out bags of candy with informational leaflets attached to stopping students.
"We're talking about current issues in Tibet, where people are getting killed for speaking the truth," said Lhakyi Lokyitsang, vice president of the student organization. "Tibetans in Tibet are not only protesting, but they're risking their lives to do it."
Holding a placard, student Xing Yi called those responsible for the unrest in Tibet terrorists, using violence as a political tool.
"We want a peaceful stop to these problems," he said. "It's a small percentage of people using violent action against the other people."
Liu numbered the Chinese community on campus at around 350 students, approximately 70 of which turned out for the rally. More long-term plans to hold a symposium to spark a campus-wide discussion about China and Tibet were being talked about within the community, according to both Liu and Wu.
"We hope that people can hear the voice from the other side," Liu said.
Derrick Perkins can be reached at dperkins@dailycollegian.com
