ITR - Tibet Foundation Earthquake Appeal for InTouchRadio.net (Glastonbury, UK)

Tibet Foundation Earthquake Appeal May 2008
Update: 19 May 2008

http://www.tibet-foundation.org/news/newsitem.php?NewsStory=126

Tibet Foundation is urgently seeking to raise £20,000 for immediate disaster relief in Tibetan areas. Tibet Foundation is a registered UK charity founded and managed by Tibetans to work both in exile and inside ethnic Tibetan areas in China.
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The 12th May 7.9 earthquake hit the Sichuan Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Wenchuan County and affected more than half of China and beyond to neighboring countries.Aba is also known as the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.
To date, the total death toll is estimated at more than 50,000 victims with cities, counties and villages reduced to rubble, there is destruction everywhere in this huge natural disaster.

We have monitored Chinese language media and information sources and based on communications today with Tibetans and contacts in local organizations on the ground, we provide this update. Currently mobile, landline and internet access has not been restored. Satellite phones are currently the only communications working.

Deaths
The earthquake-affected areas include Wenchuan which in the Tibetan language is called "Lung Kuo," and also affected areas in the vicinity of Le Xian, Xiao Jinxian, and the Jiarong Tibetan region.
Tibetans have died in Wenchuan in the township, Danba County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gannan village in Zhouqu County, and other places

Damage
There has been damage in Wenchuan to the Wolong Temple which follows the Tibetan Bon religion (Benjiao in Chinese language).
Le Xian has seen damage to the Sangdeng Temple which follows the Tibetan Nyingma tradition.
According to news reports in the Chinese "Legal Daily" (Fazhi Ribao) the prison in Aba has been out of communication or transport links. It is supposed that the interruption is due to the prison being in a serious condition. Other prisons have had inmates or personnel killed and a small number of officers were injured and housing facilities damaged to varying degrees.

Tibetan Donations and Prayer Gatherings
There have been spontaneous prayer gatherings in temples by monks for the victims of the earthquake. The temples have also collected money and donated materials for the relief work.
This has been reported at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, the Longwu Temple (Tongren County, Qinghai Province, Huangnan Prefecture), the Ger Den Temple (Sichuan Province, Aba County), Kumbum Monastery (Taer Si, Huangzhong County, Qinghai Province), Kham Litang Monastery (Litang County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province), Xi Busha temple, Xia Deray Temple (Qinghai Province, Zeku County) and Rong-an Temple (Jianzha County, Qinghai Province), and by many monks at other temples.

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office@tibet-foundation.org
Tibet Foundation
(Charity No. 292400).
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