Tibetans and Buddhist leaders in northern India on Wednesday participated in a march to point out their solidarity with Tibetans in southwestern China’s Sichuan province arrested for peacefully protesting the deliberate building of a dam.
Comparable solidarity rallies had been held in London and different cities the identical day.
The massive Buddhist group in Ladakh – in Jammu and Kashmir – expressed issues that the dam mission will submerge a number of vital monasteries with historical murals that date again to the thirteenth century.
The Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, which organized the march and rally, mentioned Buddhists there have been involved concerning the humanitarian scenario and the violation of cultural and spiritual rights stemming from the anticipated impression of the dam on a number of monasteries and villages close to the Drichu River.
On Feb. 23, police arrested greater than 1,000 Tibetans, together with monks and residents, of Dege county in Sichuan’s Kardze Autonomous Tibetan Prefecture, who had been protesting the development of the Gangtuo Dam, meant to generate electrical energy.
If constructed, the ability station might submerge monasteries in Dege’s Wangbuding township and power residents of at the very least two villages close to the Drichu River to relocate, sources instructed RFA.
Rigzin Dorjey, president of the youth wing of the Ladakh Buddhist Affiliation Leh, mentioned there may be an pressing want to deal with the continued human rights abuses and environmental destruction perpetrated by China’s communist authorities.
He underscored the interconnectedness of world Buddhist communities and the shared duty to face in solidarity with Tibetans of their wrestle for justice, freedom and dignity.
‘Collective dedication’
Lobsang Tsering, vp of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of Ladakh, mentioned the rally serves as “an expression of solidarity and assist for Tibetans going through challenges and oppression in Dege county.”
“It symbolizes a collective dedication to standing up in opposition to oppression, selling human rights and preserving Tibetan tradition and identification within the face of adversity,” Tsering mentioned.
Tenzin Peldon, who participated within the march in Ladakh mentioned whereas Tibetans in all places often collect to boost their voices in opposition to China on politically vital dates similar to March 10, often known as Tibetan Rebellion Day – which commemorates the 1000’s of lives misplaced within the 1959 rebellion in opposition to China’s invasion and occupation of their homeland – it’s essential that they arrive collectively throughout dire conditions just like the one being confronted by Tibetans in Dege to collectively communicate up in opposition to China’s oppression.
“I urge all Tibetans in exile not to surrender hope and to proceed to boost consciousness on on-line platforms concerning the plight of Tibetans in Dege county,” she mentioned.
Different protests had been held in Bir village and Clement city in India, and in London, the place Tibetans demonstrated exterior the Chinese language Embassy to point out their assist for the Dege county protesters, demand the discharge of the detainees, and name for a right away halt to the dam building.
“Risking arrest and torture, Tibetan residents of Kham Derge [Dege county] have shared pictures and movies of the protest with the skin world,” the Tibetan Neighborhood UK mentioned in an announcement. “They need the worldwide group within the free world to learn about their plight and to boost their voice.”
Authorities launched about 40 of the arrested monks on Feb. 26 and 27, RFA reported on Tuesday.
Chinese language authorities launched about 20 monks every on Monday and Tuesday, mentioned the sources who spoke on situation of anonymity for security causes.
Additionally on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch known as on Chinese language authorities to right away launch the detained Tibetan monks.
“The Chinese language authorities have lengthy been hostile to public protests, however their response is particularly brutal when the protests are by Tibetans and different ethnic teams,” mentioned Maya Wang, the group’s appearing China director, in an announcement.
“Different governments ought to press Beijing to free these protesters, who’ve been wrongfully detained for exercising their primary rights,” she mentioned.
Translated by Tenzin Dickyi and Tenzin Pema for RFA Tibetan. Extra reporting by Pelbar for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.