Three Tibetan Activists Begin Rangzen Walk from The Hague to Brussels

By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSALA, 6 Oct: Three Tibetan activists set out on a 180-kilometre “Rangzen Walk for the Justice of Tibet” from the International Criminal Court in The Hague to the European Parliament in Brussels on Monday, calling for international attention to human rights abuses, cultural suppression and the cause of Tibetan independence.

Organised by the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress Belgium, the march entered its second day on Tuesday. The trio, Jampa from France and Dorje Tsering and Lobsang Thai from Belgium, set off at 7:00 a.m. and had passed through Rotterdam by mid-afternoon, making steady progress toward the Belgian border. 

Although the group initially aimed to complete the journey by Wednesday, the timeline is expected to change to accommodate formal meetings with European parliamentarians and other dignitaries upon their arrival in Brussels.

Along the route, the marchers have distributed pamphlets, placed campaign material in neighbourhood mailboxes, and spoken directly with local residents to explain their cause.

Before departing from The Hague, the activists submitted a formal petition to the International Criminal Court. Their appeal calls for independent media investigations into Chinese government narratives, particularly regarding reports of deaths and injuries of Tibetans along the Nepal–Tibet border. The campaign also raises concerns over China’s “Ethnic Unity and Progress Law,” which the organisers say threatens Tibetan language, religion and culture.

At the core of their demands are critical human rights issues inside occupied Tibet, including the detention of political prisoners, reports that young children are being forcibly separated from their families, and unexplained deaths occurring in police custody or medical facilities.

The marchers are also pressing for justice and international recognition for Tibetan self-immolators, specifically highlighting the case of activist Lobga Rangzen, who set himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on 2 July. Beyond grassroots advocacy, the group is raising concerns about digital censorship and the removal of Tibetan human rights content from social media platforms.