By Tenam
Paris, 10 March: More than a thousand people marched in the streets of Paris till the Chinese Embassy to mark the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day. They were joined by French lawmakers, Mayors of cities around Paris, Chinese democracy activists, Taiwanese students, Uighurs and Vietnamese people.
The commemoration started with a minute long silence to pay tribute to Tibetan martyrs on a windy, cold day in centre of Paris.
Calling France the second home for many Tibetans today, “I take this opportunity to thank the French president for meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama, despite immense pressure by the Chinese government,” said Thupten Gyatso, President of Tibetan Community of France.
Today though the Chinese propaganda has created this “myth of March 14 riots,” what Tibetans are “fighting for is for their rights and will continue to do so”, he added.
Half way thorough the 3 km route, the marchers were joined by French MPs led by Mr Lionel Lucas, the President of Tibet Group, the largest such group at the French parliament.
“We are here to show our support for the just cause of Tibet and to ensure that Tibet does not fall into oblivion,” Mr Lucas said.
Mr. Wangpo Bashi from Office of Tibet read the statement of His Holiness in French.
On France2 Television, in response to the Chinese allegation that the Dalai lama is spreading “lies”, Rama Yade, Secretary of State for Human rights said that His Holiness is a “man of peace.”
“The Dalai Lama is not a dangerous man, but a man of dialogue, an apostle of non-violence. It is for this reason that he is respected by us,” she was quoted by Nouvel Observator.
“What we wish is that China respect the spiritual and religious identity of Tibet”, she affirmed.
In a letter to the Tibetan Community of France, Paris Mayor, Bertrand Delanoe said that the city council will observe minute-long silence on 9 and 10 March to pay homage to the victims of repression in Tibet.
“While we will fly the Tibetan National flag at the city hall as always on 10 March, we would also like to show our solidarity by personally handing the title of ‘Citizen of Honour’ that was passed last year, to His Holiness when he visits Paris again”, the Mayor wrote.
The decision to raise the Tibetan flag at the city hall was passed in January 2006, an initiative led by the Mayor of 11^th district of Paris, Mr. Patrick Bloche and supported by the Green party “to commemorate the uprising of the Tibetan people against Chinese occupation”.
Similar marches were organised by Tibetan supporters in other French cities.
The evening saw a film screening and a round table discussion organised by Patrick Bloche, the mayor of the 11 district of Paris. It was attended by Wangpo Bashi, Bureau du Tibet, Thupten Gyatso, Lionel Lucas and Marcelle Roux, France Tibet.
