By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, July 5: Indian Americans, Tibetans and members of the Taiwanese community held a protest against China at Times Square, New York on Friday. Their statement sought “diplomatic isolation and economic boycott of the CCP” and urged PM Modi, President Trump, and PM Shinzo Abe to lead a global coalition against China.
Jagdish Sewhani, President of the American Indian Public Affairs Committee, said that as the international community battled with COVID-19, China chose to show its true intentions by displaying aggression against its neighbours including India. “I say it rogue, because the way China is treating people in Hong Kong, repression against the peace-loving people of Tibet. And now it is doing the same against the Muslims / Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China. Its entire population is under constant surveillance, and now it wants to convert the entire world into a surveillance state,” remarked the president.
Dorjee Tseten, MP of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, condemned the Chinese military invasion on India’s territory and noted that Tibet stands in solidarity with India. He urged the international community to take immediate multilateral action against China’s authoritarian rule by rejecting the ‘One China Policy’ in theory and practice. The group claimed that Modi’s India would give a befitting reply to China’s aggression as its image has never been as worse as it is today.
Organiser Sewhani said that China needs to be confronted on three fronts: Trade, Tibet and Taiwan. The world needs to boycott Chinese products, support the independence of Tibet, and come out in support of Taiwan. He further demanded the leaders of India, US, and Japan to form a structured coalition against the CCP.
The protest raised Indian and Tibetan national flags, along with slogans such as ‘Stand with India’, ‘Victory to India’, ‘Shame on China’, ‘China lied people died’, ‘Boycott Made in China’ and ‘Tibet’s independence is India’s security’ were also raised. Similar protests were held by Tibetans in the US and Canada earlier this week following the violent clashes at Galwan valley on June 15 where 20 Indian soldiers died.
