Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Dec. 10: On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) organised a “Write for Rights” campaign to draw attention to the plight of prisoners of conscience whose fundamental rights have been violated. The event took place on Tuesday outside the Thekchen Choeling Tsuglakhang temple in Dharamshala.
The campaign highlighted the cases of five Tibetan political prisoners currently detained under unjust charges. These individuals—Lhundrup Drakpa, A-nya Sengdra, Go Sherab Gyatso, Jampa Choephel, and Dorjee Tashi—are being held in Chinese custody on false charges, including inciting separatism, disturbing public order, provoking trouble, loan fraud, and endangering state security, among others.
“Through the ‘Write for Rights’ initiative, our organization has created 500 postcards and a petition for the public in Dharamshala, encouraging them to participate in the campaign actively,” said Tenzin Namgyal, the grassroots coordinator of the India-based SFT. “The signed postcards and petition will be sent to the Chinese government and its embassy, demanding the immediate release of these prisoners and an end to the ongoing human rights violations in Tibet.”
“The reason we are highlighting these five Tibetan political prisoners is to raise awareness about the ongoing repression faced by Tibetans, especially within the Tibetan community itself,” said Namgyal. “To achieve this, we are distributing flyers to the public, many of whom may not be fully aware of the severe human rights violations occurring inside Tibet. Our organisation’s chapters across the globe are also organising similar campaigns. For those unable to participate directly, we encourage them to visit our website, sign the petition, and add their voice to the call for justice.
In observance of the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Dharamshala-based Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), in collaboration with the Central Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) and the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), organised a “Run for Rights” event. The run, which took place from McLeod Ganj main square to Dali Lake in Upper Dharamshala, saw the participation of approximately 56 Tibetan and Indian youth. The event kicked off at around 6:50 AM.
“The 10th of December marks International Human Rights Day, a day of great significance for TCHRD. It was on this day in 1948 that the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a milestone document for the protection of human rights worldwide. As we commemorate its 76th anniversary, it is crucial to reflect on the human rights situation inside Tibet,” said Tenzin Dawa, Executive Director of TCHRD. “Given the current human rights conditions in Tibet, it is more important than ever to remind the international community of Tibet’s plight. China, despite being a signatory to the UDHR, has seen a worsening of human rights conditions both inside Tibet and across China. This serves as a reminder to the Chinese government of their responsibilities as a signatory to the UDHR.”
“The ‘Run for Rights’ event was also organised to raise awareness about Tibetan political prisoners and their ongoing plight,” Dawa continued. “Through this initiative, we aim to increase public consciousness about the suffering of Tibetan political prisoners under Chinese rule and highlight their critical situation.”
