Toronto: - Wednesday, February 6 2013: Tibetans in Toronto protested at the Chinese Consulate Wednesday against the death sentence of Geshe Lobsang Konchok from Ngaba, and demanded that China release the 7 other Tibetans including his nephew who were also arrested and sentenced to various prison terms ranging from 2 to 10 years.
His nephew Lobsang Tsering, along with Pema Dhondup, Kalsang Gyatso, Lhamo Dhondup,Pema Tso, Dugkar Gyal and Yangmo Kyi were all arrested in relation to self-immolations and arbitrarily sentenced to various prison terms, according to Chinese state media.
"China wants to stop self-immolations by killing more Tibetans, giving them death sentences. That's the way a regime acts when it wants to annihilate an entire people.
They are just trying to find people to arrest, and they fail to understand or make any efforts to respectfully approach the issue." said Urgyen Badheytsang, National Director of Students for a Free Tibet Canada. "China must release all the arrested Tibetans and heed the demands of the Tibetan people if it truly wants a solution for Tibet."
Led by Students for a Free Tibet Canada and the Tibetan Women's Association of Ontario, the Tibetan community of Toronto has been observing Lhakar for more than a year since January of 2012, consistently participating in protests and flashmobs, prayer sessions and actions in solidarity with the Lhakar movement in Tibet.
Earlier that day, members of SFT in Toronto were also able to hand a copy of the Tibetan proclamation of Independence to a high official within the Chinese Consulate, who quickly rejected it as 'illegal material' and asked that it be removed from the Consulate.
