DHARAMSHALA, September 13: Tibetans and supporters yesterday carried out a protest in front of the Chinese Embassy in Brussels demanding an end to the ongoing crisis inside Tibet.

The activists, carrying Tibetan national flags and posters of the 'dissapeared' XIth Panchen Lama, shouted slogans demanding Tibet's independence outside the Embassy gates.

The campaign, organised by the Belgium regional chapter of the Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest pro-independence group in exile, ended with the singing of the Tibetan national anthem. A minute's silence was also observed in respect of the Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibet.

RTYC Belgium said that since the 2008 uprisings in Tibet, which were "forcibly and violently suppressed" by the Chinese government, repression inside Tibet has "worsened ever since."

"Tibet nowadays is like a huge Chinese prison for Tibetans who are living there, with hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers and numerous police and checkpoints. Since March 2011 there have been 51 self-immolations that are known."

The activists noted that the global desire for freedom and democracy should also manifest in Tibet and urged the United Nations to send an independent observer to Tibet to report on the region's human rights situation.

They also urged world leaders and the European Parliament to take thorough measures for a "peaceful and sustainable solution" for Tibet.

Based on a report submitted by By Dennis Barbion.