They fled Tibet because it was too dangerous. However, they were unable to take their children with them. Twenty-six of the children managed to cross the border into Nepal; 15 travelled on to India. Seven of the children are still in Tibet.

Raise money
The children are between five and 17 years of age. Yolanda Simon, who does volunteer work for the Khorlo Foundation, has done everything possible to raise money in order to help the children and their parents. "They're children. It must be possible to find some kind of solution."

The Tibetan refugees have had problems from the very beginning. In the Netherlands, refugees must apply for family reunification within three months of their arrival in the country. In many cases this didn't happen, or the applications were submitted after the deadline because the refugees did not know about the rules. Parents whose applications are late must meet extra criteria, such as proof of income.

Tibet and China
Since Tibet was invaded by the Red Army in 1950, followed by its formal annexation in 1952, it has been ruled by China. Tibetan culture is being suppressed, much of Tibet's literature and holy places are being destroyed under the pretext of modernisation.

The Chinese crushed a massive uprising of the Tibetan people in 1959. The Dalai Lama took refuge in India. In the following years the Chinese government strengthened its grip on the country. Large-scale destruction of convents and temples caused renewed protests, followed by another bloody suppression and a new flow of refugees.

Early in March 2008, in the run-up to the Olympic Games in Beijing, Tibet once again became the centre of international attention as Tibetan monks, quite contrary to their traditions, walked out of their convents and took to the streets to protest the Chinese dominance and the human rights infringements in their country. The triumphal procession of the Olympic torch through the world's capitals as envisaged by China turned into chaotic riots and protests in many places.

 1 2 Next >