Dharamshala: To express their discontent with the intensified crackdown inside Tibet, the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress in Belgium (RTYC) organised a demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy in Brussels, on Wednesday, September 12.
20 people in total participated in the demonstration; among them were four Western Tibet supporters. There was also a representative from the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), to show their support for the Tibetan cause.
A reliable source said, “Although there were not too many people at the demonstration, this action has upset those working at the Chinese embassy. Several people visited the embassy that day, thus witnessing the protest.”
The demonstration ended with the singing of the Tibetan National Anthem, followed by a minute of silence for those Tibetans that died under the Chinese regime.
Ever since the peaceful demonstrations during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China has continued to violently suppress any form of expression, enforcing a crackdown on media and travel inside Tibet. As a repercussion to this, Tibetans are driven to take up more extreme ways to be noticed and heard.
Since March 2009, 51 Tibetans have set themselves on fire to publicly protest against China’s rule in Tibet and to call for the return of their spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, to Tibet.
This form of protest was undertaken to call on world leaders and organizations, such as the United Nations to intervene and help find a peaceful solution to the Tibetan issue.
The RTYC Belgium believes that the global desire for freedom and democracy should also manifest itself in Tibet.
The aim of the demonstration was to urge the UN to send an independent observer to assess the on-going situation in Tibet, to demand that world leaders and international bodies; such as the European Parliament, take thorough measures for a peaceful and sustainable solution for Tibet, to release all political prisoners and lastly, to commence negotiations between China and Tibet.
The RTYC Belgium calls upon all regional, national and European politicians, as well as the general public to learn about the real situation in Tibet and support their peaceful struggle for freedom.
