Tibetan peace riders greet Dalai Lama in Toronto

Their journey began two weeks ago and ended during the weekend with a peace rally and an address by the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled leader. On April 10, 16 young men, including two Bloomington residents, set off from Washington, D.C., on a bicycle trek to Toronto to protest China's 45-year occupation of Tibet. Prior to setting off on their journey, the riders had participated in a demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. On the way to Toronto, the cyclists were forced to battle Mother Nature, often riding amidst pouring rain, sleet and hail. Several of the cyclists fell sick or got injured during the journey. \nIn addition, several of the Tibetan riders ran into immigration limbos because they are political exiles. The immigration hurdles they faced highlight several problems Tibetan exiles who have sought political asylum throughout the world have incurred. Tibetans in the United States who have not yet received U.S. residency green cards are technically stateless people without passports. \nLisa Morrison, director of media and public relations at the Tibetan Cultural Center in Bloomington, said she hopes the riders can raise awareness about Tibet. \n"I think we always hope for grand things, but the smallest steps may help overall awareness of the Tibetan cause and the plight and difficulties Tibetans face even living in the U.S." said Morrison. \nThree of the Tibetan cyclists knew they would not be let through the border and ended their journey before reaching the border. Upon entering Canada, immigration officials told two more of the cyclists they did not have the appropriate documents and should return to the United States. The two were then detained by U.S. immigration officials who were trying to determine whether the Tibetans were allowed to re-enter the United States. The two cyclists were eventually allowed to re-enter the U.S. and later Canadian officials let them rejoin the group that had already entered Canada.\nAfter regrouping, the riders concluded their trip at a demonstration in front of the Chinese Consulate in Toronto where local Tibetan supporters had gathered. Some of the demonstrators and cyclists then walked to the University of Toronto, which was hosting a conference on Chinese-Canadian business relations. The Tibetans rallied next to the conference hall and brought a large Tibetan flag into the main seminar hall. The keynote speaker, the Chinese Ambassador to Ottawa, canceled his address at the conference. \n"It looks like our demonstration prevented the ambassador from coming," said Larry Gerstein, professor of counseling psychology at Ball State University, who organized the protest trek. "And we view this as a success."\nThe next day, the cyclists and thousands of Tibetan supports gathered at the Sky Dome arena, home of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, to listen to an address by the Dalai Lama, who is currently on a 19-day visit to Canada. The Dalai Lama began a two-week religious ritual Sunday known as Kalachakra, involving a week-long purification process followed by a week of advanced Buddhist teachings.\n-- Contact staff writer Rami Chami rchami@indiana.edu.