By Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, April 25 – Three executive members of the largest pro-independence group of the exile Tibetan community began an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in the Indian capital today as situation in Tibet’s Kirti monastery continue to deteriorate with the Chinese authorities detaining over 300 monks and beating to death two elderly Tibetans on Thursday.
The three executive members of Tibetan Youth Congress – Dhondup Lhadar (Vice President), Tenzin Norsang (Joint Secretary) and Konchok Yangphel (Finance Secretary) have vowed to protest the Chinese government’s ongoing clampdown in Kirti monastery with an indefinite fast until the organization’s demands are fulfilled.
The TYC demands an immediate withdrawal of the Chinese troops from the Kirti monastery and end to the so-called “Patriotic re-education” campaign being forced onto the monks since past few weeks.
The organization that started a relay hunger strike here last week in protest against the Chinese government’s ongoing crackdown in Ngaba also demanded that China unconditionally release all political prisoners including all those arrested recently from Ngaba.
The TYC also wants China to allow a delegation of Tibetan Youth Congress to assess the situation of political prisoners inside Tibet.
“The continuing siege of Kirti Monastery, kidnapping of over 300 monks and killing of three elderly Tibetan by Chinese army recently is clear violation of human rights of the Tibetan people and I strongly urge the international community to support the Tibetan people,” Tsewang Rigzin, President of the Tibetan Youth Congress said at the start of the hunger strike.
He further added, “the critical situation in Ngaba, Tibet needs to addressed by the UN and also in the China-US annual human rights meeting this week”.
Chinese authorities have tightened security and its stranglehold on Ngaba in general and the Kirti monastery in particular since March 16 this year when a Tibetan monk named Phuntsok set himself ablaze in protest against China marking exactly 3 years since the bloody crackdown by Chinese troops on Tibetans of Ngaba in 2008.
Monks of the region’s most prominent monastery continue to be subjected to “patriotic reeducation” sessions whereby they are forced to denounce the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, sources said.
