Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, April 8: Tibetan activists from the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) chapters of New York and New Jersey have launched a 90-hour hunger strike protest in front of the United Nations Headquarters, aiming to draw urgent international attention to the deteriorating situation inside Tibet. The protest commenced on April 6 at 5 PM and is scheduled to continue until April 10 at 12 PM.
Speaking to Phayul, Lobsang Tsering, President of the TYC New York and New Jersey chapters, said the protest marks the 19th edition of the ongoing “10th Day Movement,” a monthly campaign initiated by the 18th executive committee. Since assuming office in June 2024, the group has observed the campaign consistently on the 10th day of each month beginning in August 2024. “Since its inception, the movement has included a wide range of activities such as marches, relay runs, and demonstrations outside the Chinese Consulate, carried out regardless of weather conditions or varying levels of participation,” he said.
Tsering expressed concern over what he described as limited engagement from the broader Tibetan community, noting that New York and New Jersey are home to at least 15,000 Tibetans. “Despite the significance of the campaign, participation levels remain modest. A small group of dedicated individuals continues the hunger strike, but wider community involvement has been limited,” he stated. He emphasised the importance of collective responsibility, urging Tibetans worldwide to contribute in any capacity—through active participation, financial assistance, or expressions of solidarity.
The protest, he added, is intended to highlight the critical situation inside Tibet and to warn that continued inaction could weaken the Tibetan struggle for freedom and cultural survival. “The United Nations remains a key avenue for raising global awareness and pressing for accountability,” he said.
Outlining the key demands of the protest, Tsering told Phayul that the current demonstration calls for the immediate and unconditional release of 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who was detained at the age of six on May 17, 1995, and has remained disappeared for over three decades.
The activists further call for an end to policies they describe as harmful, including the establishment of colonial boarding schools aimed at erasing Tibetan language, culture, and religious identity. Environmental concerns also feature prominently, with demands to halt Chinese government projects, such as deforestation, mining, and dam construction, on the Tibetan Plateau, which activists say pose serious risks to regional and global ecological stability.
The protesters additionally urged China to refrain from interfering in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of recognizing reincarnations, asserting that such authority rests solely with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the Gaden Phodrang Trust. They also called for the repeal of the recently enacted “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress,” which they argue enforces assimilation policies targeting minority nationalities, particularly Tibetans.
Furthermore, the activists condemned all forms of transnational repression, including intimidation and coercion directed at Tibetan families both inside Tibet and in exile. The demonstrators will also appeal to the United Nations and the broader international community to extend stronger and sustained support for the Tibetan cause, urging governments to pressure China to engage in meaningful dialogue without preconditions to resolve the Tibet-China issue.
