Oslo, March 18 – Despite most of the families being out of the city for Easter holidays, over 200 protestors including members of Tibetan community in Norway and friends of Tibet gathered in front of the Stortinget, the Norwegian Parliament Building today to protest against the heavy handed crackdown of the uprising in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet. The protest, in solidarity with Tibetans inside Tibet, was organized by the Norwegian Tibet Committee and Amnesty International, Norway.
The gathering was first addressed by the Amnesty International general-secretary John Peder Egenæs and then by the head of the Norwegian Tibet Committee Ms. Chungdak Koren condemning the brutal rule of China over Tibet. Chinese embassy gate Representatives of some Norwegian political parties also expressed strong support and sympathy with the Tibetan people. After singing the Tibetan National Anthem, the protesters headed to the Chinese Embassy at Tuengen Alley.
Some ethnic Uighur activists from East Turkistan (so-called Chinese province of Xinjian) also joined the protestors in front of the Chinese Embassy, holding flags of East Turkistan and anti-Chinese banners.
The protesters shouted Free Tibet slogans and Ms. Chungdak Koren read the open letter from the Norwegian Tibet Committee to the Chinese Ambassador to Norway Mr. Gao Jian. Her attempt to hand over the letter to Ambassador Gao failed since nobody responded at the gate of the Chinese Embassy.
In the open letter, the Norwegian Tibet Committee called on the Chinese Government to engage in result-oriented dialogue with His Holiness the
Dalai Lama to solve the issue of Tibet and urged the Chinese Government to grant access to Tibet for International media and independent organizations to investigate the situation in Tibet.
The protest was carried out peacefully in the presence of a handful of policemen. Red and blue banded Tibetan National flags with pairs of snow lions – the symbol of the Snow Land and its independence – waving with pride and brilliance were in colourful contrast with the Chinese Embassy’s brown-brick building. Ironically, the Chinese red flag with golden stars was missing at the Embassy compound. Perhaps recent attacks on Chinese flags by Tibetan activists during protests all around the world has terrified the Embassy to take their flag down themselves.
The protest was broadcasted live on the Norwegian national TV and radio. Some major Norwegian media was also there including Reuters and AP.
The Norwegian Government has asked Chinese Government to let them visit Tibet to see the situation.
With input from the Norwegian Tibet Committee & Canzorig Davaa-ochir
