Berlin, March 10th, 2011 - The Tibet Initiative Deutschland (TID) remembered the victims of the Tibetan Uprising in 1959 with a demonstration of solidarity in front of the Chinese embassy in Berlin. "Even today people in Tibet are risking their lives if they speak out for their legitimate rights", said Wolfgang Grader, chairman of the TID. "We demand, that our politicians advocate loud and clear the Tibetan people's right to self-determination and the improvement of human rights in Tibet. "
There are currently over 830 political prisoners in Tibet. Last year saw 188 new arrests. „The fact that journalists, writers and environmental activists have been singled out lately for persecution demonstrates that the Chinese Government is trying to destroy the Tibetan identity", Grader said. In light of the Tibetan people's nonviolent resistance, the actions of the Chinese administration deserve even more condemnation.
Along with the protest in Berlin, TID-Groups all over Germany organized demonstrations to highlight the situation of human rights in occupied Tibet. 1150 german cities, municipalities and counties participated in the TID's call to raise the Tibetan Flag at town halls, public buildings and on their websites. Participants included the regional capitals Bremen, Hannover, Magdeburg, Potsdam Saarbrücken, Stuttgart and Wiesbaden.
Every year people all over the world highlight the illegitimate occupation of Tibet on March 10th. With the Uprising of 1959, the Tibetans protested against this occupation and also tried to save the Dalai Lama from imprisonment. The Dalai Lama had to flee to Indian exile and tens of thousands of Tibetans died. In 2008, there were again uprisings in Lhasa. They spread over the entire country and were violently supressed by the Chinese government.
The Tibet Initiative Deutschland (TID), founded in 1989, advocates for the Tibetan people's right to self-determination and the protection of human rights in occupied Tibet. With 60 regional groups and nearly 2,000 members througout Germany, the TID is a strong voice for Tibet. Primary funding for the TID comes from membership dues and private, individual donations.
