By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, July 1: As the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) celebrated its 100th year anniversary on Thursday, Tibetans across the world carried out demonstrations to reject the ‘bloody’ rule in Tibet for the last 60 years. Rights groups also expressed messages of solidarity with Uyghur, Southern Mongolian, Hong Konger, Taiwanese movements that have also borne the brunt of repression under the CCP regime.
The President of the exile Tibetan government known officially as the Central Tibetan Administration Penpa Tsering said that it is evident that many minorities in China are not content with the Chinese governance, “Usually, most countries across the globe invest in ways to defend it from outside forces, but it is only China that heavily invests to restrict its own people to curb potential conflict. From the standpoint of the CTA, be it CCP’s 100th year or the ensuing 70 years for Tibet, it is important for the CCP to acknowledge grievances of the Tibetan people over their right to expression, religion and tradition.” Tsering also remarked that there is an urgent need to preserve Tibet’s ecological system that not only impacts China but also the neighboring countries that benefit from the rivers of the Tibetan plateau.
The Students for a Free Tibet (SFT- India) today staged a vivid demonstration where an activist pretending to be the Chinese President Xi Jinping laid in a ‘bloody’ bathtub with a sign that read ‘Nothing to Celebrate’. “This right here symbolizes millions of people murdered and butchered by Chinese Communist government. We have this clear message saying that there’s nothing to celebrate over the CPC’s 100 years,” SFT Director Rinzin Choedon spoke to Phayul at the protest site. Rinzin also noted that the recent video of Potala Palace in Lhasa captured by a distressed Tibetan woman infuriated her, “We know for a fact what’s happening in Tibet but we hardly receive any evidence or footage such as this”.
Moreover, 10 TYC activists stormed the street near the Chinese embassy in New Delhi and protested against the rapidly deteriorating human rights record by the CCP government. TYC General Secretary Sonam Tsering told Phayul, “We are particularly concerned how the centenary celebration has totally ignored the plight of Tibetans. Today’s demonstration has three demands; release all political prisoners; save Tibet’s ecological system; and that we boycott Beijing Winter Olympics which is to be held in Feb next year.” Several protests by NGOs in the west were observed to make public their rejection of the ruling party ahead of the celebrations.
The 100th anniversary celebrations at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square saw military jets fly past, cannon salutations and patriotic songs played at the centenary event, in what is seen as the party’s show of strength and purpose. President Xi Jinping reiterated the role of the CCP in modern China and also said the country would not be ‘bullied’ anymore, “Anyone who dares try to do that will have their heads bashed bloody against the Great Wall of Steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people.”
