By Tenzin Choephel
IMAGEIMAGE Kathmandu 11th May 2008-Scores of aged Tibetan women took to the streets in Kathmandu this afternoon to participate in ‘An All Women Silent Appeal March’. The old women marched alongside other Tibetan women in the Nepalese capital. The police arrested 567 Tibetan women, which included many over 60.
The women gathered at Lainchour Ground this afternoon for a march to Thamel but Police blocked their passage and arrested them. The Nepal Tibetan Solidarity Committee who organized the
march, in a press release, said that the women were protesting against the recent sentencing of 30 Tibetans without fair trial. The women wore black ‘chupa’ to symbolically register their protest.
On being stopped by the police, the women protested and shouted slogans like ‘Free Tibet’, Long Live Dalai Lama’, ‘China Liar’, ‘Stop killing in Tibet’ etc. The emotionally charged women while tackling the forced evacuation from the site were manhandled by the women police. The policewomen grabbed several senior Tibetan women by hair while attempting to put them in waiting vans.
IMAGEIMAGE A Tibetan woman while expressing her displeasure over the police behavior said, “how could Police drag our old ladies like this, how could Police treat women like this, it is a shame for Nepal Government and Police”. A member of Tibetan Youth Congress also told Phayul that around 200 Tibetan women were arrested at Bouda while trying to go to Lainchour.
Another group of about 50 Tibetan women protested near the Chinese Consulate at Hattisar but they were stopped from reaching the Consulate gate and arrested. However, while Police were busy controlling and arresting both planned and sporadic protest by Tibetan women at different locations in the city, a group of over 200 Tibetan women including nuns went on a silent march towards New Road, Ason and Thamel and succeeded in carrying out the ‘March’. Police did not allow them to say prayers at Thamel Chowk and forced them to leave the area. Tsering Dolma who led the march told Phayul, “we are sad that more than 500 Tibetan women including senior Tibetans faced arrest and police manhandling, nevertheless we are happy that we actually succeeded in carrying out the march as planned”.
