Bylakuppe: Last evening, in Solidarity with the Tibetan school students' ongoing Protest in Tibet, over 655 Tibetan school students from 3 major schools of Bylakuppe namely SOS TCV School, CST Main School and CVP CST School staged a Candle Light Vigil protest against the Chinese Government in the Lugsam 1st Camp.
The 'Candle Light Vigil Protest' which was solely organized and coordinated by the school captains and the senior students of the 3 schools began around 5 p.m, with the raising of slogans including "We support the Tibetan students' movement in Tibet", "Equality of Nationality, Equality of Language", "Protect the Language of Tibet" and "Stop Cultural and Language Genocide in Tibet". The students also displayed huge banners with photos of Tibetan students' Protest in Tibet and also carried placards with various protest messages.
Later, Ms Dekyi Tsomo, the School Captain of CVP CST read out the programme details and commenced the Vigil with a singing of Tibetan National Anthem, 1 minute silence to mourn the martyrs of Tibet followed by invocation prayers.
Mr. Wangyal, a senior student from SOS TCV School gave an introductory speech in Tibetan regarding the ongoing protest in Tibet. He stressed the need to support the protest in Tibet by the exile school students and highlight the Chinese Government's vicious campaign to wipe out the Tibetan culture and language through the introduction of new restrictions on Tibetan language beginning 2015 in Tsinghai and other parts of Tibet. "This is in gross violation of not only the UN Declaration of Human Rights but also the PRC'S so-called Constitution's article 10 and 47 on National Regional Autonomy Laws," he said.
Mr. Wangyal's speech was followed by a speech in English by Ms Tenzin Lhamo of SOS TCV School who stressed that after Chinese Government's curbing of Tibetan language in Senior Schools and Colleges in Tibet, this new restriction might even happen in primary and high schools and would mean an end to the survival of Tibetan language in Tibet. This is a direct threat to our identity and the Tibetan as a race, she emphasized.
Following this was a thank you speech by Mr. Tenzin Wangjor, School Captain of CST Main School. Later slogans were raised and a Candle Light Vigil around the Jangchup Chorten continued for several minutes. During the protest, the students also signed a petition condemning PRC's violation of the Chinese Constitution Article 10 and 47 that specifies the right to language in National Regional Autonomy Laws. The students also demanded the immediate release of the arrested students in Tibet.
