Hardly a photographer, but... 2

Permit me to share more of the photographs which for one reason or another, are significant to me.
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LOCATION:     YEAR:
Tibet, 2009

THERE are very few ways for those of us who care to actually make a difference in Tibet. That's not to say we can't make a difference, only that great caution must be exercised. Not only for our own safety, but for those whom we interact with.

There are so many interesting stories I have concerning things told to me while in Tibet, and yet unfortunately a lot of them will remain unsaid, as writing them would have great consequences for those involved. People that I am on record as having been in contact with can be swifty traced and punished by the Government. My name, along with those of everyone who has ever entered the troubled Shangri-La, is etched into record by the Chinese, as are the official movements I made within the area. The places I stayed, the families who fed us - all of them connected back to me.

For their sake, one must be careful when one speaks about Tibet.



The military presence in Tibet is overpowering. Here a Chinese soldier can be seen atop a
Tibetan arts shop located around Barkhor Square.
Picture by: JOE BRISCOE



And yet it is impossible to ignore the discomfort which surrounds you, and even harder to put it out of your mind once you've left.

 The above image helps people who have not experienced the restrictions in Tibet to begin to understand a little of what life there is like on a daily basis. The tension felt in the streets is not for nothing.


A CLOSER LOOK - Armed Chinese soldiers patrol the
rooftops of Lhasa. Photographing them is strictly prohibited.
Picture by: JOE BRISCOE



Above the shops and marketplaces, just out of sight but never out of mind lies a terrifying reality. Armed soldiers - their guns trained on you and me - patrol the rooftops, their beady eyes scanning the crowds below for any signs of dissent.

When such measures are taken to repress a people, those who do speak out are brave indeed.

Imagine if every time you walked up the high street to get your groceries, popped up the road to the pub, or needed to go out and post a letter, your every step was watched through the sight of a gun - by someone who has been conditioned to hate you for what you are.



Time is running out for Tibet. The less we do, the more the Chinese justification for what they are doing grows.

 
Link to: Courage in Journalism Award winner Tsering Woeser's blog

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