News and Views on Tibet

Tibetan Hunger Strikers Released From Tihar

Share on facebook
Share on google
Share on twitter

Thirty-two Tibetans detained in Tihar jail on January 30 for demonstrating outside the Chinese embassy were released yesterday evening. They had been on hunger strike for three consecutive days since their detention.

Two Tibetans are in critical condition. Kalsang , a 20-yr-old student from Delhi University and Lobsang (32) first taken to Deen Dayal Government Hospital by the jail authorities on January 31 after they were found in weak condition. At the hospital, both protested against any kind of treatment and refused to take medicines and meals; in keeping with the hunger strike that was in progress at Tihar. Hospital staff had to give in and the two Tibetan men sat on hunger strike from their hospital beds.

Talking to Phayul, Kalsang said, “I didn’t feel weak at all; all through I was thinking about the Tibetans in Tibet, how they are suffering and I felt happy and proud because I was doing something to keep the hope of Tibetans in Tibet alive”.

Yeshi, aged 65 was the oldest among those released. She wears a tired look on her sunken face but there was a mysterious determination and strength in her when she walked out of the jail. She needed no shoulder to support her. She says, ” I felt no hunger and weakness and I’m not surprised; I know it is all His Holiness’ blessings”. Seven years back, Yeshi was one of the participants in a Peace march that toured India for two months. She was 59 then.

The protest demonstration was taken out jointly by Tibetan Women’s Association(TWA), Tibetan Youth Congress(TYC) and Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet against the recent execution of a 28 years old Tibetan in Chinese occupied Tibet.

Lobsang Dhondup was executed in Ganzi town of Chinese occupied Tibet on January 26 after a secret retrial at the Sichuan Higher People’s Court on bombing charges. Along with him, Trulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was also handed death sentence with two years suspension by a Chinese court on similar charges. Ten more Tibetans were held by the Chinese authorities in connection with the case. The fate of Trulku and the ten Tibetans are still unknown.

Issued by TWA, TYC and Gu Chu Sum

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *