| Phayul[Thursday, August 09, 2007 18:49] |
By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, Aug 9: The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) led Indefinite Hunger Strike has been called off this morning at 10:00.
The details of the decision to call off the hunger strike could not be confirmed. TYC officials have declined to give out the details.
Fourteen Tibetan exiles have been protesting the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and demanding a meaningful change in Tibet.
When the hunger strike was launched last month, TYC demanded direct response from the Chinese Government to a list of human rights violations being commtited against Tibetan people inside Tibet.
The decision to end the hunger strike came following a strong appeal from the Dalai Lama and Indian lawmakers.
However, no specific statements have been released so far for ending the hunger strike.
The Indefinite Hunger Strike began on July 8 and was going on for 33 days by Thursday.
George Fernandes, former Indian defense minister and a supporter of the Tibetan cause, offered fruit juices to the 14 Tibetans to mark the end of the hunger strike.
Mr Fernandes has promised to raise their demands in India's Parliament when it meets next week.
Kalon Tempa Tsering, Minister for Department of Information and International Relations of the Tibetan Government in Exile and Jaya Jaitley, former Samata Party president were also present when the hunger strike was called off.
The ambitious campaign by TYC to lead a major Mass Tibetan People’s Movement by launching an Indefinite Hunger Strike in New Delhi has ceased now, with 14 Tibetan Hunger Strikers reportedly in critical health condition and admitted to hospitals.
Phayul’s Delhi reporter could not ascertain the hospital in which the 14 hunger strikers have been taken to. TYC heads have declined to give the details either.
Earlier during a media interview, one of the hunger strikers, Mr Tashi Wangdu said, “Tibetans proved Chinese wrong with their miscalculated notion that the issue of Tibet rests on His Holiness the Dalai Lama.”
“With such a large number of Tibetan people coming to Delhi take part in people’s movement, China must now understand that the issue of Tibet is the struggle of Tibetan people and not just one Dalai Lama,” He said
In the meanwhile, thousands of Tibetans who have gathered in Delhi to take part in the massive movement called on by TYC has been stalled without any further planned action campaigns.
Amid tight security restrictions placed upon by Indian authorities, an estimated more than 10, 000 Tibetans, mostly from India and Nepal who have rallied in Delhi yesterday and gathered at the site of the hunger strike were turned back from the site later in the same evening.
Many of these people, who have come from as far as remote places in Nepal, are said to be frustrated with the lack of inaction and, directions from the organisers.
The organising leaders have already told them to return back to their settlements. But many seemed to have come with strong determination hoping to make a difference to the long stagnated Tibet struggle.
The once lofty claims by TYC to spearhead a major and massive movement against China seems to have slowed down suddenly.
“When I first heard TYC leaders asking for public support in our settlement, I thought something is going to happen this time. They even told us of leading a possible march into Tibet or, storming into the Chinese Embassy here in Delhi,” Tsering Choeden, 30, from Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlement in South India told Phayul.
“But after reaching here (New Delhi), they don’t seem to have any plan” he said.
“It’s been just a day, and they have already told us to go back. I am frustrated,” he said.
“When I decided to take part in this campaign, I gave up everything and made up my mind to do anything for Tibet,” Tsering said. But now, he seemed little confused. “I don’t know what to do now, and everyone seemed confused as well” he says.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed report has surfaced that a group of Tibetan youths have been held in ChanakyaPuri jail in South Delhi for reportedly trying to storm into the Chinese Embassy located in the area. | |
