Germany, March 22 – Germany Tibetan Association (Verein der Tibeter in Deutschland) launched its first ever peace march on German soil in support of the Tibetan people inside Tibet who bravely rose up against the authoritarian government of the Peoples Republic of China.
The peace march took off today from Regensburg, a small city in Bavaria, and is planned to end in Munich on 29th March to celebrate the passage of the “Olympic torch for Tibet” which is being organised by Tibet Initiative Deutscland (TID) and Germany Tibetan Association. The march will pass through many German cities including Kelheim, Landhat, Freesing, Erding, Neufahrn and so on.
More than 25 people including 21 Tibetans and several German Tibet supporters, ages ranging between 20 and 50, will walk for more than 5 days covering a distance of 25 kilometres per day until they reach Munich. Although the expected distance to be covered is a little more than 116 kilometres, it may vary depending on whether the organizer can procure relevant permissions to pass through different cities.
Since the 10th of March a number of demonstrations were carried out in various parts of the country, primarily in Berlin, Frankfurt, Duesseldorf, Köln, Bonn, Bamberg, Coburg, Hamburg, Munich, Münster, Konstanz, Rosenheim, Schwäbisch Hall, Stuttgart, Freiburg, and Koblenz.
In Frankfurt, on 15th March, a young Tibetan successfully climbed the flag pole in front of the Chinese consulate and took down the Red Star flag and unfurled the Tibetan flag amidst loud cheering from the demonstrators. Organised by the Regional TID, an unusually large gathering of 500 Tibetans and Tibet supporters gathered in Freiburg and staged a peaceful demonstration on the19th of March.
Tibetans from various parts of Germany are taking part in this unprecedented march. Invigorated by the courage and strength of the Tibetans inside Tibet and determined to show the world the true face of the Chinese leadership, the participants will demand for China to end the violence in Tibet and to immediately initiate negotiation with the Exile Tibetan leadership.
Reported by Phuntsok Tsering and Khyunglho Tsetan for Verein der Tibeter in Deutschland.
