The Chinese embassy in New Delhi today faced loud 
demonstrations from the members of Tibetan Youth Congress who were protesting against the July 1 launch of the Qinghai-Tibet railway that Tibetans believe will negatively impact the Tibetan identity, culture, economy and environment.
While a group of 44 protestors stood outside the embassy gates with banners denouncing the railway and its effects on the Tibetans inside Tibet and shouted slogans of “Free Tibet”, another small group of six Tibetans led by the General Secretary of TYC, Mr. Tsultrim Dorjee entered the compounds of the Chinese embassy and asked to meet the official concerned to submit a memorandum. Predictably, the staff ignored Mr. Dorjee’s request and refused to accept the memorandum. Inside the embassy gates, the group raised the banners in front of the embassy staff and shouted ‘Free Tibet’ slogans and in particular voiced their opposition to China’s construction of the railway line in Tibet that they alleged was another means to consolidate China’s illegal invasion of TIbet. All hell broke loose when the embassy guards and the police learnt about the gatecrash and as they struggled to beat them with lathis, a member of the group managed to burn a Chinese flag inside the compound.
Few Chinese flags were also burnt outside the embassy gates. All of the protestors were then beaten and arrested by the police. Some TYC executive members have received severe bruises on their backs due to police beatings. All of the 50 protestors are currently detained at the Chanakyapuri Police station in New Delhi. Nine out of those detained are women and 5 are nuns. There are also four to five elderly Tibetans above the age of 70.
The protestors are not considering bail-out as an option and are determined to continue the action even in detention. All of them had deliberately decided to let the police do their own thing and on the other hand, to continue with their protests. The Delhi-based TYC excutive member, Dhondup Dorjee said the current action was aimed at highlighting on a much greater scale the long term destruction the railway will bring to Tibet and its people. He further said China’s claims that the railway will bring economic benefits and prosperity to Tibet was nothing but an eyewash. “This demonstration sends a strong signal to China and the world that Tibetans in free countries who have freedom to speak unlike their fellow Tibetans in Tibet will speak out no matter what against the railway in strongest terms”.
