SFT highlights grave ‘Human Rights’ condition inside Tibet on Human Rights Day

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, Dec 10: Students for a Free Tibet (SFT)- India organised a photo action cum poetry reading session at the entrance of Tsug-lak-Khang, the main temple in McLeod Ganj today to mark the 69th International Human Rights Day.

“To date, there have been 150 confirmed self-immolations in Tibet, in which many of protesters call for freedom for Tibet and the return of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama,” SFT stated in its statement highlighting the grave situation prevalent under the Chinese occupation inside Tibet.

The Students for a Free Tibet’s photo action campaign on the 69th International Human Rights Day aims to remind the international community about the sufferings of theTibetans inside Tibet under Chinese rule devoid of basic human rights, the activist groups press statement said.

Tibetans and Tibet supporters took part in the photo action campaign of SFT and posted with Pictures of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Tibetan National flag which Beijing considers a sign of dissident and separatist under its rule in Tibet and the mere possession of it could spell lengthy terms behind bar or torture inside numerous detention centres. Ironically, the pictures were taken inside a cutout frame of social media app, ‘Instagram’ which happens to be banned in China.

Human Rights Day unlike in free world countries, is no celebratory event for Tibet as the human rights condition inside Tibet under the Chinese rule remains of grave concern and the activist group aims to bring global attention to the issue on international Human Rights Day through their campaign, SFT India’s Grassroots Director Rinzin Choedon told reporters.

“This Human Rights Day we call on world’s governments and international institutions to express strong public condemnation of china’s intensifying religious and cultural repression in Tibet. The International community must stand together and work in partnership to build a multilateral response to this crisis in Tibet that will increase pressure on China to address the Tibetan people’s desire for freedom and return of the Dalai Lama,” Rinzin Choedon said