By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, Mar. 9: Hundreds of demonstrators marched in Taipei ahead of the 62nd anniversary of the 1959 uprising day with dozens of Tibetan protestors and many Taiwanese politicians across party lines on Sunday. The demonstrators called for Tibetan independence, carried national flags and held signs that read, “Tibet belongs to Tibetans”, “Free Tibet”, and “Stop Killing in Tibet”. Taiwan has been observing Tibet rallies for the past 17 years.
The demonstration was held in front of the Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station in Daan District before the march towards Taipei 101 in Xinyi District, according to Taipei Times. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), New Power Party (NPP), Taiwan Statebuilding Party, Green Party Taiwan and Social Democratic Party (SDP) attended the event.
“Does anyone need permission to go home? We Tibetans have been trying for 62 years to go home,” said Tashi Tsering, President of one of the key organizers, Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan (HRNTT). DPP Legislator Hung Sun-han, the Vice-chair of the cross-party Taiwan Parliament Group for Tibet said, “In the past 50 to 60 years, Tibetans have been unable to go home . . . The path is very, very long.” Legislator Fan Yun addressed the event by arguing that Tibet’s problem is Taiwan’s problem, “To help Tibet is to help Taiwan.”
The organizers have also planned another gathering event on March 10 at Freedom Square in Taipei to commemorate the 62nd anniversary. The rally also marked the 70th anniversary of signing of the Seventeen-Point Agreement, by calling the treaty as a “lie” as it was considered to be singed under duress. Taipei City Councilor Miao Po-ya of the SDP noted the presence of a “Free Hong Kong, Revolution Now” flag in the rally and remarked, “Today, Taiwanese, Tibetans and Hong Kongers stand together. What we pursue is democracy, freedom and dignity.”
The annual rally was organized by more than 30 groups including the Taiwan Tibetan Welfare Association, Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan, Taiwan Parliament Group for Tibet, Tibetan Youth Congress- Taiwan and Students for a Free Tibet- Taiwan. Moreover, other organizations also took part in the event including the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, Judicial Reform Foundation, Taiwan Labour Front, Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy, and Taiwan Alliance for Thai Democracy.
