By Tenzin Chodon

Dharamsala May 29: With the authorities confiscating the fourth and last supply truck carrying the kitchen utilities to make food for the marchers, there is an imminent fear of food supply shortage. The police have obstructed the marchers’ movement to and from their campsite 80 km from Almora and are keeping vigilant on anyone entering the site.

Almost 200kms from the Indo-Tibet border, the marchers are however determined to continue with their march and have made their decision clear to the authorities that they would be willing to forego on food for their resolve in realizing what they set out to achieve.

“In the past months, the March to Tibet has grown into a nonviolent force of 300 determined marchers and even now many Tibetans are on the move to join us,” said Sherab Woeser, a coordinator of the March to Tibet. “The Indian authorities are escalating the situation in their efforts to stop the march, with many hundreds of police stationed along the road, but the 300 marchers remain committed to returning to Tibet.”

On May 27 an estimated force of 1000 police blocked the camp entrance and ordered the marchers to turn back or risk being arrested. Crossing a dry riverbed, the marchers peacefully resorted to a Gandhian style sit-in. They sang the Tibetan National Anthem and chanted prayers for an hour before the police retreated and eventually left the campsite. The same scenario occurred again on May 28. The marchers will continue with their sit-in until the six leaders are released.

“At a time when Tibetans inside Tibet continue to be detained, disappeared, tortured and killed for their beliefs it is our responsibility to tell the world of their suffering and show China that Tibetans everywhere are determined to regain our freedom,” said Karma Sichoe, a member of the organizing committee who participated in the 1998 hunger strike that ended in Thupten Ngodup’s self-immolation. “With the Olympics less than three months away, and Tibetans suffering behind the curtain of silence Chinese leaders have drawn around Tibet, we are calling on Tibetans everywhere to rise up and join us.”

The heads of the five non governmental organizations organizing the march along with one march coordinator detained on the 27th of May were transferred to the police station at Haldwani, Uttaranchal State. According to latest reports they are being taken away by the authorities to Dehradun.

Calling on the Indian authorities to allow the march to continue the marchers have declared that they are “marching in solidarity and support for our Tibetan brothers and sisters inside Tibet who are living under a state of siege by Chinese authorities”.

According to the authorities they have received orders from the Central Government to stop the march. However, they still remain unclear on orders to arrest the marchers.