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Tibet supporters to hold vigil, day of silence

Nicole Weinrich, For The Miami Student

Although thousands of miles separate Miami University from Tibet, the two places are intertwined through the experiences of a handful of Miami students.

Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) Miami will be hosting a candlelight vigil at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on the Shriver Center patio in hopes of bringing awareness to the value of human life and rights.

This spiritually-centered event will include members of SFT Miami sharing inspirational quotes, poems and songs in memory of Tibetans who have died during a recent series of self-immolations, the practice of lighting oneself on fire, according to Samantha Musser, a senior involved in SFT. Musser studied abroad in northern India through the Tibetan Studies program in fall 2010.

Leading up to the vigil on Wednesday, SFT Miami invites students across campus to participate in a day of silence as "a reminder of the power of one's voice to give or take away worth of another," according to SFT Miami member Sonam Tsomo, who is a Tibetan student studying at Miami.

SFT Miami largely draws its membership from Miami students who studied abroad in Dharamsala, India, the site of the Dalai Lama's residence and the Tibetan government in exile. About a dozen Miami students studied in Dharamsala during the fall semesters of 2009, 2010 and 2011, according to Musser.

Miami students on the program split their time between living with Tibetan roommates at a Tibetan college and living with Tibetan host families.

Upon returning from this study abroad venture, many Miami students are struck by the issues facing Tibetan individuals and feel a call to action, according to Musser.

SFT is an international organization that has taken root at Miami since the growth of the Tibetan Studies program. SFT Miami describes itself as a "spiritually and politically active and culturally diverse group, whose main goal is to bring awareness of human rights violations in Tibet to Miami's campus," Musser said.

Since March 2011, there have been 19 confirmed cases of Tibetans self-immolating to protest Chinese policies in Tibet. Most of those involved have been Buddhist monks and nuns, Tsomo said.

The self-immolations have made a huge impact on the Tibetan community around the world because Buddhism generally opposes violence, including suicide, according to Tsomo.

SFT Miami responds to the tragic cases of self-immolation in Tibet with both sadness and courage to fight on.

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Tsomo, reflected on the cases of self-immolation.

"I see this as a way these people are wishing to voice how severe this issue truly is," Tsomo said.

Tsomo, a junior, received a scholarship to attend Miami through the Tibetan Studies Program. She was born in exile in northern India after her parents were forced to flee from Tibet.

"Everyone says home is where the heart is, but for me home is unseen and unknown. My mom talks about how wonderful Tibet it and has many stories of her childhood, but I have never been there. I kind of see Tibet through my mother's eyes, but I want to go there and see it myself," Tsomo said.

Tsomo is one of only three Tibetan students at Miami.

SFT Miami hopes to bring awareness to stories such as Tsomo's, as well as the individuals who have chosen suffering as means of protest.

"For me, this vigil reminds me of how precious the human life truly is," Musser said.

It is this message that SFT Miami hopes to share during the upcoming event.

Tsomo will share a poem that she wrote "for the people who burned themselves for freedom, for the sacred freedom," she said.

"The immolations show that we have suffered so much, but that isn't going to discourage us from voicing our desire for freedom," Tsomo said. "We will march forward and struggle more and hopefully one day, we will get our freedom and return to Tibet."