By snoadmin
Thousands of protesters swarmed the streets of San Francisco Wednesday to protest the scheduled relay run for the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch.
The event was another not-so-welcoming reception for the torch, which has already been met with protest in London and Paris over what critics say is a bad human rights record of the Olympics’ host nation, China, specifically in regards to recent political unrest in provincial Tibet.
Cal State Long Beach student and junior illustration and geography major Christine Pham was there alongside protestors to show her support for the “Free Tibet” movement.
“After what happened in France, it makes it clear that there is a universal call for human rights,” Pham said in a phone call with the Daily Forty-Niner over background protest chants on San Francisco’s Embarcadero waterfront. “We’re all really happy to be here. It’s electrifying.”
Pham, a follower of Tibetan Buddhism, said she was initially reluctant to make the trip, but made the last-minute decision on a moral gut-reaction.
“I wanted to be in solidarity with the Tibetan community and its values of religious freedom and free speech,” Pham said.
Pham, who spent the day with fellow protestors on The Embarcadero, did not follow the torch when it deviated from the scheduled route. The relay path, which was set to run from the downtown Financial District across The Embarcadero and back, was interrupted when the first torch was led by police down an alternate inland route on Van Ness Avenue and eventually toward the Golden Gate Bridge. Spectators and protesters scrambled to follow the torch runners.
“It wasn’t just about seeing the torch,” Pham said. “The torch is a symbol of lighting the way. The fact that they hid it was really disgraceful – we’re a free country and should have nothing to hide.”
Pham said she made the trip with her sister, Connie, who is also a CSULB alumna, and friends from the Buddhist temple she attends. While not a member of any organization related to the liberation cause, Pham has strong ties to the Tibetan community in Southern California.
“There’s the Tibet Association of Southern California, and Students For a Free Tibet; I grew up with all these folks because we all went to the same temple,” Pham said.
Pham’s brother, Donald, is a Buddhist monk living near Tibet. She recalled a phone call from her brother as he watched the protests in the city of Dharamsala in northern India days after the March 10 protests. Her brother stressed the importance of the protests in the non-violent quest for peace.
“My brother is a monk in Tibet, but that doesn’t mean it’s personal,” Pham said. “I am a Tibetan Buddhist myself, but I think the important thing of Tibetan Buddhism is to see friends, enemies and strangers as the same. We’re all people.”
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army invaded Tibet in 1950 at the end of China’s Communist Revolution. After a treaty was signed between Tibet’s governing Lamas and the Republic of China, Tibet was given provincial status in China with limited autonomy. Violence last March against liberation protesters in Tibet, including Buddhist monks, brought international attention to China’s human rights record, resulting in controversy over the approaching summer games in Beijing.
In response to criticism that the Olympics should be kept separate from political issues, Pham said the event is the right place to talk about social issues.
“You can’t talk about the Olympics without talking about politics,” Pham said. “You’re there to promote the values you get from your culture. It’s not just about winning and medals.”
Pham said that she and fellow protesters have nothing against the Chinese people or their athletes, but feel it’s their responsibility to stand against the policies of the Chinese government. When confronted with Chinese-sided spectators at the event, Pham said she smiled back and felt no ill feelings toward them.
“There’s no animosity toward the Chinese government or its athletes, but the Olympics are there to promote diversity and to be proud of your country,” Pham said. “But if your county has basic violations of human rights, there’s really nothing to be proud of.”
