We’ve got another one of those situations. One of those situations that needs attention and action. And if this particular situation doesn’t receive attention and lots of it, the repercussions could literally destroy a culture and it’s peoples.

In 1949, the Chinese government occupied Tibet. After ten years, Tibetans revolted. The Chinese military in response assumed full rule over Tibet. As a result, their leader, the 14th Dali Lama fled in exile to India. In 1989, the Dali Lama XIV won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to free Tibet. The Chinese government is still refusing to recognize is autonomy as rightful leader of Tibet.

Since then, the repression and violent tactics of the Chinese government have led to the death of over 1.2 million Tibetans. Moreover, wrongful imprisonment, torture and abuse are not uncommon. One can be jailed for raising a Tibetan flag in Tibet, or raising one’s fist in the air, a Tibetan sign of independence. Tibetans are now outnumbered by the Chinese on their own soil. Slowly but surely, the actions of the Chinese government are systematically destroying Tibetan culture.

So you’re thinking, “Yeah, that sucks, but I’m not the one doing it. I’m not killing anybody.” Here’s where it gets interesting. The United States government has granted China Most Favored Nation status in an effort to encourage China toward democracy. Twenty million people in China and Tibet are forced to work in labor and prison camps. Eighty percent of the world’s executions are carried out in China. In spite of this, China has been granted MFN status, all in the name of pursuing democracy. So what that means for Americans is some of your money is in the hands of the Chinese government, and the Chinese government is doing crappy things to good people.

Funny, last time I checked, the U.S. wasn’t too hip on genocide and torture, but I guess cash money is hipper.

So what’s to do? In response, an organized boycott of Chinese goods is being encouraged by many, including the organization Students for a Free Tibet, (SFT). This boycott includes any products that are made in China, which includes a lot of things. Toys, cars, electronics, textiles and clothing are China’s prime imports.

Specifically, the Holiday Inn is now its prime target. (Yes, Holiday Inn is an American Corporation.) In 1986, Holiday Inn entered into direct partnership with the Tibetan Tourism Corporation, a division of the Chinese government. “The Lhasa Hotel’s” travel brochures provide a skewed view of Tibetan culture, relaying that relics of their past abound about them, and the locals talk proudly of their heritage. It mentions nothing of the 6,000 Tibetan monasteries that have been destroyed, or the 700 political prisoners that are being held and tortured.

The presence of The Holiday Inn in Lhasa does little to benefit the local economy. When the hotel was built, Chinese were brought in to build it. Although Tibetans work there currently, none are in positions of power or authority. Not one Tibetan is involved in the distribution of the hotel’s profits. Moreover, there is evidence that phones and faxes coming in and out of the hotel are being monitored, and that rooms are entered and searched by police. The hotel is in essence being used as a point from which to monitor the activities of tourists and Tibetans. In 1993, the top tour guide at the hotel was arrested for “stealing state secrets.” These were merely a list of Tibetan political prisoners to be given to a group of European Ambassadors. Things aren’t adding up.

Right here at Iowa State we contribute to these human rights violations by booking our sports clubs at the Holiday Inn. And it’s not just a matter of giving the bad guys money when we do that, in effect, we are the bad boys when we do that. Universities such as Brown and others have formed committees on responsible investing to ensure that monies given as tuition are not spent without regard or social awareness. Maybe our university could learn a thing or two from Brown.

On April 5, a nationwide protest has been organized to protest the presence of the Holiday Inn in Lhasa and to demand recognition of Tibetan independence. For our area it is being held in Des Moines. At 11 a.m. on the 5th, the Students for a Free Tibet will be gathering in the Design Center parking lot for anyone wishing to go that needs transportation. It’s a helluva cause, and an important one, too.

The United States government gives China Most Favored Nation status in hopes that democracy will rule. In the face of social political, religious and human rights violations, this seems a feeble gesture. The U.S. money that ends up in Chinese pockets is devaluing, defaming and will eventually diminish and destroy Tibetan culture. Join the cause on April 5th and let the world know that human rights violations will not be tolerated.

Bliss Newton is a junior in English literature and women’s studies from Ames.