Dharamshala:- As part of the pledge to intensify global actions on the on-going wave of self-immolations, Tibetan activists (Students for a Free Tibet, India & Regional Tibetan Youth Congress) have launched a protest for the arrival of the China's Defense Minister, Liang Guanglie and commander of the Tibet's military district, Yang Jinshan.
On early morning of the 5th of September, crowd gathered in front of the Chinese Embassy in Delhi where they unfurled charts reading ‘51 Self-immolated: Tibetans are dying for Freedom' and ‘Tibet's Independence, India's Security' followed by burning of the China's national flag.
"As the world's largest democracy with history of struggle based on Mahatma Gandhi's principles of non-violence and non-cooperation, India has a moral obligation to stand in solidarity with the Tibetan people's nonviolent struggle for freedom," said Dorjee Tsetan, National Director of Students for a Free Tibet, India. "Now is a critical time for India to add her voice to the multilateral pressure on China to stop the crackdown in Tibet. Tibet's resolution can only bring a true solution to the current Sino-India matter."
With recent two self-immolations of 18 years old monk Lobsang Kelsang from Kirti Monastery, and 17 years old Damchoe, on the 27th of August, the total number of the self sacrifices have reached 51.
Self-immolation, as a non-violent protest action against Chinese rule, has emerged as the most direct and drastic form of protest in Tibet. A staggering five decades of self-immolations have taken place since 2009. The call of freedom for Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama have been on the lips of self-immolators and thousands of other protestors. These actions were met by the Chinese authorities with violent force- open fire on the crowds, arrests and ‘disappearances' followed by security strengthening in the self-immolation areas.
"We call on India to join like-minded governments to immediately establish strong, public, multilateral mechanisms to hold Beijing accountable for its atrocities in Tibet," said Dorjee Tseten. "The global community cannot stand by while China commits atrocities in Tibet. We've planned series of actions to unwelcome the visit of Liang Guanglie. "
Tibet's support groups in several continents joined a Global Day of Action on September the 5th to urge Foreign Ministries to take joint action for Tibet during upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council and General Assembly meetings in September. Calls for more public and visible multi-lateral action on the situation in Tibet received a significant boost in August when US Congressmen Frank Wolf and James McGovern have sent a letter to the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which whey requested the US government to host an international conference on Tibet's issue, hold periodic public meetings and set up a group of like-minded governments at the UN General Assembly.
