Tibetan Uprising Day rally held in Taiwan
DHARAMSALA, 9 March: Carrying the Tibetan flag and holding play cards with slogans such as: “Tibet belongs to Tibetans,” “Free Tibet” and “Stop killing in Tibet,” over a hundred demonstrators marched in Taiwan ahead of the 62nd anniversary of the Tibetan national uprising day.
The annual rally, held for the 18th year in Taiwan has been collectively organised by over 30 groups, including the Taiwan Tibetan Welfare Association, the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan, the Taiwan Parliament Group for Tibet, the Tibetan Youth Congress Taiwan and Students for a Free Tibet Taiwan among others, Taipei Times reported.
Additionally, representatives from several political parties, including the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the New Power Party (NPP), the Taiwan Statebuilding Party, Green Party Taiwan and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have attended the event held on Sunday.
According to the report, the participants gathered in front of the Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Station in Daan District and marching toward Taipei 101 in Xinyi District.
DPP Legislator Hung Sun-han , the vice-chair of the cross-party Taiwan Parliament Group for Tibet founded in 2016 has stated in his address that “In the past 50 to 60 years, Tibetans have been unable to go home,” and added that this is our “biggest wish”.
Another DPP Legislator Fan Yun , who is also a member of the Taiwan Parliament Group for Tibet has declared that “Tibet’s problem is Taiwan’s problem — to help Tibet is to help Taiwan.”
Taipei City Councilor Miao Po-ya of the SDP has remarked that “Today, Taiwanese, Tibetans and Hong Kongers stand together. What we pursue is democracy, freedom and dignity.”
The event also saw the protesters condemn the imposition of the infamous ‘Seventeen-Point Agreement’, an agreement thrust upon the then Tibetan government and people by the threat of arms.
As 23 May 2021 marks the 70th anniversary since the agreement was signed under duress, the protestors have called it a “lie,” the report added.
The organisers have further announced that they will lead a prayer at 7 pm (local time) on 10th March, the 62nd anniversary of the Tibetan national uprising day at Liberty Square in Taipei’s Zhongzheng District.
