By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, September 11: A Tibetan activist belonging to the Tibetan Youth Association Europe on Sunday was manhandled by the staff of Chinese Embassy in Basel, Switzerland, where Tibetans were peacefully demonstrating against China’s occupation of Tibet.
Migmar Dolma, former executive member of Tibetan Youth Association Europe (TYAE) was among ten other activists who staged a demonstration carrying placards calling for ‘Free Tibet’, ‘China, stop propaganda’ and many others during a Chinese festival.
Speaking to Phayul, Dolma said that ten activists of TYAE attended the Chinese festival that celebrates Shanghai and Basel city partnership and planned a peaceful demonstration by carrying placards when the ambassador of Chinese Embassy in Switzerland begins addressing the festival.
“Few seconds after Chinese ambassador started speaking, I took out the placard but couldn’t display it. A man standing close to stage was suspicious of my behavior, and pushed me down on the ground,” said Dolma.
She further noted, “We protested against city partnership of Shanghai and Basel and Confucius Institute at Basel University. We want Chinese propaganda to stop in Switzerland. They use this kind of partnership to export their propaganda to free and democratic countries and that’s something that we are opposed to.”
Another Tibetan activist Namtso was also manhandled by the Chinese ambassador’s security officials and broke her glasses. The Tibetan activists further followed the Chinese ambassador to her next destination carrying placard that reads “Free Tibet.”
Dolma also said that she had filed a case against the ambassador’s security personnel on charges of coercion, assault and vandalizing personal property. “Switzerland is a free country, their behavior is very shocking. I have filed a case against them so that they think twice before manhandling Tibetan protesters next time.”
Founded in 1970, Tibetan Youth Association Europe is the largest Tibetan youth organization in Europe, and works to strengthen the political awareness of Tibetan youth and promote solidarity among young Tibetans in exile.
