The message could not be clearer. Wake up world and take notice. More than 150 people gathered on Friday March 2 in McLeod Ganj for a candle light vigil to honour those Tibetans who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, self immolation. As the sun set over the main square, supporters solemnly walked the streets in single file, chanting prayers and gripping candles before gathering for a presentation from Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) members on the current situation in Tibet and the 3 Tibetans on an indefinite hunger strike in New York.
The current campaign of TYC, FASTFORTIBET- an indefinite hunger strike – was instigated at the beginning of Losar. Three Tibetans are protesting outside the UN building in New York City, as of March 7, they are in day 15 of the strike – no food, no shelter and braving the cold New York winter, they continue to suffer in protest.
Presenters from TYC shared with the mixed crowd of locals and foreigners in McLeod Ganj, information about the protestors and their five key requests. According to the TYC website, “We’re appealing to the United Nations to send a fact-finding delegation to Tibet, appealing to the United Nations to pressure China to stop the undeclared marshal law in Tibet, appealing to United Nations to stop the patriotic re-education campaign in Tibet, and appealing to United Nations to pressure China to release all political prisoners inside Tibet.”
To date there has been no official response from the UN. A brief film was shown depicting the scene in New York where supporters had turned out in force to send a clear message to the UN and to demonstrate the desperate situation in Tibet. There have been 30 self immolations in Tibet since 2009.
For more information and up to date coverage of the hunger strike, please visit www.fastfortibet.tibetanyouthcongress.org.
Print
Email