Dharamshala -Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), the largest youth group in exile urged the leaders of the world to stand up for Tibet.
"Since February 2009, 120 Tibetans are confirmed to have self-immolated of which 103 have reportedly resulted in deaths. These events are unprecedented in number and unimaginable in nature. Little known of the fate of the others who survived but whose survival might be hanging by a thin threat," TYC said in a press statement issued on September 23, 2013.
"On July 20, 2013, 18-year old monk named Konchok Sonam lit himself on fire in Tibet to protest China's military occupation. The majority of the self-immolation are taking place in Ngaba County, north-eastern Tibet (Chinese: Aba County, Sichuan Province). Chinese military presence has surged in the county and other Tibetan areas, including armed blockades, blocked roads, and shut down internet services," the statement said.
"In a deepening crackdown on self-immolation protests in Tibet, Chinese authorities in Ngaba Tibetan and Quiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, have given death sentence to a Tibetan man for allegedly killing his wife, Konchok Wangmo, 29 in Dzode (Chinese: Rue' rgai) County in Ngaba Tibetan Prefecture, according to a Xinhua report carried out on the official Chinese website of www.china.org and Global Times," TYC stated.
The youth congress said it "has initiated a letter writing campaign to the leaders of the world, urging them to 'Stand up for Tibet. This letter will be delivered to them at the ongoing United nations General Assembly taking place in New York. Regonal TYC New York/New Jersey will also organise a protest at the UN headquarter in New York on September 27, when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to speak to the UN General Assembly."
"Working Group where China's Human Rights record will reviewed by the UN. TYC chapters of Belgium and Paris will jointly organise this protest in Geneva," it added.
The Tibetan youth group calls on the UN leaders to:
- Seel immediate intervention to ensure that Dolma Kyab's rights are respected and protected.
- Initiate dialogue with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his delegation about the crisis in Tibet.
- Join other like-minded leaders to immediately adopt a new approach to finding a solution to the Tibet crisis, through a coordinated, multilateral initiative that will bring an end to Tibetan suffering.
TYC President Tenzing Jigme states "China needs the world more than the world needs China and it is time for world leaders to really hold China accountable for their actions in Tibet".
TYC is the largest Tibetan NGO in exile working for the freedom of Tibetan people and and urges UN and its members to heed to the demands of the Tibetans' suffering in Tibet.
