Taipei — Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan organised it's 2025 Cycling for a Free Tibet on Wenesday. Activists from Tibet, Taiwan and Hong Kong joined the campaign and they called for the unity among the oppressed people to fight against the Chinese government to achieve freedom for all.
2025 Cycling for a Free Tibet, commemorating the 66th anniversary of the Tibetan Resistance, is organised by the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan and supported by the following organisations: Hong Kong Outlanders (香港邊城青年), Taiwan Association for Human Rights (台灣人權促進會), Covenants Watch (人權公約施行監督聯盟), Judical Reform Foundation (民間司法改革基金會), Taiwan Labor Front(台灣勞工陣線), Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty (廢除死刑推動聯盟), and the Students for a Free Tibet-Taiwan.
On February 5, 2025, around 9 am, activists from Tibet, Hong Kong, and Taiwan gathered outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei to launch the "Cycling for a Free Tibet" campaign. They chanted slogans such as: Freedom for Tibet, Tibet belongs to Tibetans, Chinese troops get out of Tibet, Tibet is for Tibetans, Taiwan is for Taiwanese, and Hong Kong is for Hong Kongers.
The organiser said, “Through this event, we hope to raise more people's understanding of the suffering of Tibet, and at the same time to speak out for those who are oppressed by China. We hope to show the will of the Tibetans, and we look forward to letting the people of Taiwan know more about the Tibet issue.”
Tashi Tsering, Secretary General of the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan : “His Holiness the Dalai Lama has always told Tibetans that we Tibetans in exile around the world are the representatives of Tibetans inside the Tibet,therefore, so I have been campaign for Tibet for 27 years. Some of my friends have asked me, “Your slogans have not changed.” I said, of course our slogans have not changed because the oppression of Tibetans by China has not changed either. Tibetans inside the Tibet have not given up protesting against China either. More than 160 Tibetans, mostly young people who have never met the Dalai Lama and have never been in exile, have set themselves on fire because of the Chinese government's repression and unfair treatment of Tibetans. China has killed 1.2 million Tibetans since it illegally occupied Tibet. in 1959, Tibetans went into exile, then Han Chinese went into exile, Uyghurs went into exile, and now many Hong Kong people are in exile, so we need to stand united against the Chinese government."
Gonpo Dhondup, President of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), said, “Under the leadership of Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, Chinese authorities try to eliminate identity of Tibetan people, 1.2 million Tibetans killded and millions are still suffering since the Chinese illegal occupation. Therefore, the situation inside the Tibet is very critical. Chinese authorities introduced so-called cultural genocide policy in Tibet, Chinese authorities taking away young as five and above kids away from their parents and they are force to attend Chinese colonial boarding schools. We are very concerned about cultural genocide policy and the Chinese colonial boarding school system in Tibet."
TYC President Gonpo said, “For 60 decades, we have been resisting the Chinese government, not only outside Tibet but also inside Tibet, sacrificing their lives for the just cause of Tibet. Thousands of Tibetans have lost their lives protesting against the Chinese government in 1987, 89 and 2008. Especially in 2008, Tibetans from three traditional regions of Tibet protested against the Chinese government and fought for the cause of Tibet. Since 2009, more than 160 Tibetans have self-immolated for the just cause of Tibet, for the freedom and independence of Tibet. We want to send a message to the Chinese government that we Tibetans will continue to fight and resist until our independence is restored.
"This year marks the 66th anniversary of the Tibetan Resistance Day or Tibetan Uprising Day, Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan has continued its activities of the past few years by launching the ’2025 Cycling for a Free Tibet” campaign. Cycling not only means riding a bicycle, but also means continuous cycling, and through this campaign, we hope to raise more people's understanding of the suffering of Tibet and to speak out for the people oppressed by China," The organiser mentioned.