Reportage – 2005

Talking Tibet with beauties

MIRI, Malaysia, 22 July 2005

Miri, a town of some 500,000 residents in the eastern side of Malaysia, was elevated to city status in May this year and to celebrate the new status the city is crowning the queen of the Miss Tourism Pageant 2005 on Saturday, 23 July.

Beauty queens from 31 different countries have landed here to participate in the pageant. As a part of their programme to promote Sarawak in particular and Malaysia in general as a tourist destination, the beauties visited many places of interests including the famous caves in Mulu.

Although they may not have any reason to talk or hear about Tibet during the pageant, the ouster of Miss Tibet from the pageant gave them a reason to talk about Tibet. They all felt politics protruding in a pageant was ridiculous. They were disappointed that this lead to the withdrawal of Miss Tibet Tashi Yangchen from the pageant.

The Chinese embassy in Kuching demanded Miss Tibet be represented as Miss Tibet-China which was not accepted by the organisers of the Miss Tibet pageant. It was the second time that Miss Tibet faced a similar problem. In February the Chinese embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe, objected to Tashi Yangchen's participation in an international pageant there as Miss Tibet.

Jessica Paulssen, the participant from South Africa, had witnessed Tashi Yangchen going out of the pageant in Zimbabwe. "It is sad what has happened to Miss Tibet. Tibetans have the right to be on their own," Jessica says.

It was after witnessing Miss Tibet's ouster in Zimbabwe that Jessica learned more about the seriousness of the political issue of Tibet and China. She is now interested to learn more about the situation.

Among other beauties Anna Ward of U.S., Celest Foo of Singapore, Sonal Singh of India, Claudine Gibson of Australia and Weng Hui Chun of Taiwan are aware of the political situation of Tibet.

"Of course I know about Tibet and the Dalai Lama," Anna says. "The Dalai Lama is an icon for peace. He is a famous spiritual leader. The Tibetans want freedom but they are persecuted by the Chinese and they are struggling for freedom."

Celest of Singapore had a different reason to know about Tibet. "Tibet is nearest to the god," she says. She is a Buddhist and follows the teachings of the Dalai Lama. Celest is reading the abridged book of the 'Art of Happiness', the book that has Dalai Lama in conversation with an American psychiatrist Howard Cutler. This book has been helpful in illustrating and letting the other beauties who didn't have any knowledge about Tibet or the Dalai Lama know about him. Celest is a cabin crew with Singapore Airlines and has travelled the world over. She hopes to visit Tibet one day in the coming years.

Sonal of India has a fair understanding of the Tibetan issue and the Dalai Lama. "The Dalai Lama is a world-famous personality she says," as she explains about him to Uzma of Pakistan. She finds Tibetan babies very cute.

Claudine of Australia has heard about Tibet and the Dalai Lama. Her aunty, who is fond of mountaineering which brings her often to Nepal, was helpful in gaining some knowledge about Tibet and the Dalai Lama.

Weng of Taiwan who doesn't speak any English is aware of the political situation of Tibet and the Dalai Lama. She is also aware that her President Chen Shui Bian had invited the Dalai Lama to visit Taiwan again for the third time.

Other participants who knew a little bit about Tibet learned about it through the film 'Seven Years in Tibet'. Otilia of Romania summed up Tibet this way. "I saw Seven Years in Tibet and have seen the Dalai Lama on TV. He has no hair, wears glasses and is clad in red robes," she said.

Maryna from Ukraine is a journalist. She has some understanding of Tibet and says, "You should be proud of your country and only then you can get it back. So, you have to prove it if you are proud of your country."

Lebanese representative Sandra Sayegh has bought the book 'The Art of Happiness' in Beirut about a couple of months back. That's her introduction to the Dalai Lama.

Dina of Ethiopia as a student of philosophy has glossed over the book 'The Art of Happiness'. But since she has yet to read the book, she has no idea of Tibet and the Dalai Lama.

Li Ling of Hong Kong knows about the Tibetan issue and the Dalai Lama. Judit Iren Karajko of Slovakia is yet to read her books of the Dalai Lama. She has some understanding of the Tibetan issue.

Kristina Djadenko of Latvia has met a couple who have been to Tibet. They were her introduction to Tibet. She has especially heard from them about meditation. "This couple changed so much after their visit to Tibet," she says.

Brazilian Caroline Michel, who is 17 and the youngest among the participants, extorts, "He (the Dalai Lama) is a very famous person. I know him from TV," she says.

Miss Kenya Rachel Marete is vague about Tibet. So is the case with Irin Suvatsupphakun of Thailand.

Those who haven't a clue about Tibet or the Dalai Lama include Houda Jenolou of Tunisia, Hungarian Bernadett Poser, Uzma Ilyas of Pakistan, Goey Yuthing of Malaysia, Noda Ponce Jhohanna of Vietnam, Chea Kimny of Cambodia, Rizka Maqfira of Indonesia, Navarro Shienneth Garcia of Philippines and most of the Russian bloc participants except Elnura Rustamova from Azerbaijan who has seen the film 'Seven Years in Tibet'.

The Chinese representative Wang Xiao Chen has heard about the Dalai Lama but believes that Tibet (known in Chinese as Xizang) is a part of China.

Irrespective of what and how much they know about Tibet, most of them showed interest in finding out more about Tibet after they return to their countries.

Miri, a beautiful city, provided a unique venue for talking Tibet with beauties.