New Delhi, March 12, 2014: A group of 20 Tibetan girls, all studying at the Delhi University, stormed the Chinese Embassy today shouting slogans like "stop killing in tibet", "long live Dalai Lama", and carrying banners reading "Tibet is burning, free Tibet now".
The protest was carried out to mark the 55th Tibetan Women's Uprising Day. On March 12, 1959, thousands of Tibetan women gathered in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, peacefully protesting China's occupation of Tibet. It is organised by the Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest international Tibetan nongovernmental organization in exile.
Chinese authorities responded by restoring to brute force, resulting in the deaths, torture, and arrests of a large number of women. However, these epressive measures did not dampen the women's courage, they did not let themsleves be covered by the Chinese.
The girls, member the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Rohini, carried out their protest outside of the Chinese Embassy at around 2:00pm.
"Till now, there are 127 self-immolations, including more than 10 Tibetan women who have sacrificed their lives for the just cause of Tibet. We condemn the Chinese authorities for such extreme steps," Kunsang Tsephel, head of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Rohini told the Tibet Post International.
"The goal of the demonstration to raise the voice of the 127 self-immolators," Tsephel said, adding that "the Chinese government must positively respond to their demands, including the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.
With their faces painted in Tibetan national flags and wearing t-shirts carrying pictures of Tibetan self-immolators, the girls locked themselves together and shouted slogans calling for "Tibet’s freedom, human rights in Tibet."
Organisers said today's protest was especially dedicated to the 127 Tibetans who have set themselves on fire protesting China's occupation and demanding freedom for Tibetans and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.
The protest was also aimed at condemning the human rights violation and Chinese crackdown on Tibetans and culture and religious repression in Tibet. "What we're asking is that the Chinese government must respect the human rights and freedoms of the Tibetan people," Wangmo, a Tibetan student who participated in the protest.
Indian police have arrested the protester and taken to the Chanakya Puri Police Station. They were released on the evening of the day.
They then received a warm welcome with traditional white scarves from the local Tibetan community at the monastery of the Tibetan colony, Majnu ka Tilla in Delhi at 7pm, where one of their member shared their expriences.
A group of 55 members from the TYC have concluded their 31-day March from Dharamshala to Delhi on March 10, the 55th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day at the Jantar Mantar, where they staged a rally joined by hundreds of Tibetans and Indian supporters.
TYC urged other nations to support and pressure China to respect the wishes and demands of the Tibetan people.
The five demands demands to the Chinese government are:
1. The Chinese government must positively respond to the demands of the self-immolators, who have called for, among many other things, the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.
2. Free all political prisoners, including 11th Panchen Lama Gendun Choekyi Nyima, Tulku Tenzin Delek and Rongye Adak who are in Chinese jails.
3. China must allow the world media and an independent international youth group into Tibet to find out the ground reality.
4. Immediately cease population transfer into Tibet and stop insidious 'Patriotic re-education campaign' that is being forced upon the Tibetan people.
5. Stop nuclear testing, excessive mining and damming of rivers on the Tibetan Plateau which impact millions of people in Asia.
