DHARAMSHALA, October 12: Responding to the critical situation inside Tibet, the exiled Tibetan administration took the lead in calling for immediate international intervention in the growing cases of self immolation inside Tibet and announced a series of mass campaigns.
In a joint press conference, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) under Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay and the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE) headed by Speaker Penpa Tsering sent out a clear message of “solidarity” with those who have sacrificed their lives for the Tibetan cause and the many Tibetans who are incarcerated for their “courage to speak up for the rights of the Tibetan people”.
“To our brothers and sisters in Tibet, we stand with you in fulfilling our common aspirations, and we share the pain of your sacrifice,” the democratically chosen heads of the exile administration told reporters earlier today.
Announcing a series of mass campaigns with global outreach, speaker Penpa Tsering said that a majority of Tibetan parliamentarians will kick-off the campaign with a 24-hour hunger strike in the Indian capital New Delhi on October 18.
The Speaker also appealed to Tibetans living in the Indian subcontinent to converge in New Delhi for a three-day hunger strike from October 19-21.
“We appeal to Tibetans living in India, Nepal, and Bhutan to stand up to the calls for freedom being made by Tibetans inside Tibet at the cost of their lives,” the speaker said.
“Given the undeclared martial law in Tibet and the increasing cases of self-immolation,” the joint press release said that the exile administration expects at least 3000 Tibetans to gather in New Delhi to “press the government of People’s Republic of China to restore freedom and resolve the issue of Tibet”.
The Speaker said that a delegation of the TPiE will be visiting the embassies of various countries in New Delhi and urge the respective governments to “show their support and solidarity with the Tibetan people at this critical stage”.
“In this light, we urge the international community and the media to send fact-finding delegations to ascertain the situation on the ground inside Tibet,” the joint statement said.
Calling upon “all Tibetans and Tibet supporters in the free world to join efforts and organise activities in their respective regions”, Kalon Tripa Dr Lobsang Sangay announced that on October 19, the CTA will “offer day-long prayers” and encouraged all Tibetans to fast on that day as a “gesture of solidarity with Tibetans in Tibet”.
When asked about the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s statement blaming the Dalai Lama for inciting the self immolations, Dr Sangay said that China is blaming the Tibetans in exile to divert attention.
“Instead of addressing the real problems and ending the repressive policies, China is trying to divert the attention by blaming the Dalai Lama and Tibetans in exile,” said Dr Sangay.
