Dharamshala: The Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of Minnesota has sent an open letter to the United States House of Representatives requesting them to intervene over the proposed plans to marginalize Tibetan language.This message to American government comes after a week of protests through-out Tibet and China, that were sparked by recent educational reforms in Amdo Province requiring all subjects to be taught in Mandarin and all textbooks to be printed in Chinese except for Tibetan-language and English classes.
The letter entitled “Stop China’s Annihilation of Tibetan Identity, Religion and Culture in Tibet”, reiterates the threat these changes will have to Tibetan culture stating “it (Tibetan language) is the bedrock of Tibetan identity, religion and culture. These measures, which seek to erode Tibet's language in favor of Chinese, strikes a blow at the heart of the Tibetan issue, for without language, culture cannot be preserved.”
The author, Jigme Ugen, president of the Congress has urged the US Department of Education to “submit a proposal requesting China to reassure the United States that no punitive reprisals are currently or will be taken against Tibetan students, parents or teachers in relation to this protest. If so, current educational exchange programs, which already exist between the US and China will need to be reassessed and suspended until such time as China is able to reassure the international community that the human/educational rights of Tibetan students are being fully respected.” It continues by highlighting how the recent events are a direct violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
Concluding that “The annihilation of a culture is a loss to the world.”
