The Highest Respect

The Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy based in India reported that one of Tibet’s richest man has apparently been sentenced to life in prison. Dorje Tashi, the owner of the most famous hotel in Llasa, The Yak Hotel, has it seems been found guilty of helping exile groups. He is believed to be in his thirties and once met the President of China. The harsh sentence is attributed to the crackdown on well known Tibetans and part of the increased repression taking place in the country.
Nelson Mandela was once so unheard of. Doubtful Dorje Tashi will be the next Mandela. That’s not important. What is is that he stands as a reminder that in many countries of the world, Myanmar, North Korea, Zimbabwe to name but three, people are convicted for a pretext, held because their convictions are deemed a threat to an authoritarian regime.
Amnesty International often makes their names known. But known or not they exist and at the very least deserve the highest respect and admiration we can give them.