Turin – Members of the Tibetan Youth Congress and Palden Gyatso, 75 year old former political prisoner and activist announced an indefinite hunger strike at a press conference organised by the Tibetan Community in Italy, The protest action against the Olympics 2008 starts on Monday February 13th.
Palden Gyatso recalled that the IOC has stated that if there is no improvement in the overall human rights situation the decision to hold the Games in Beijing will have to be reconsidered. But so far nothing has happened despite worsening conditions in Tibet. He said that it was a spontaneous decision to make this long trip from India to Torino. And he is happy to participate in this action despite his poor health.
Pema Yangchen, board member of Tibetan Youth Congress, concluded her remarks about the present situation in Tibet with the demand: “No Olympics in China until Tibet is free”. Other speakers were Kelsang Phuntsog Godrugpa, Gianni Mello from Italia-Tibet Association and Claudio Tecchio, a local supporter from “Solidarity Campaign with Tibetan People”.
On behalf of ITSN a written statement was delivered by Wangpo Tethong calling upon the athletes and the international community to use the opportunity of the games to voice their solidarity with the Tibetan people in Beijing in 2008. He strongly denounced the IOC for paying only lip services to human rights concerns since its in 2001 decision to award the 2008 Olympics to Beijing,.
Rosanna Degiovanni from the radical party in Torino moderated the press conference and called the public to support the Tibetans and their demands.
