Nonviolent Action 'DIE-IN PROTEST' in Dharamshala

A die-in protest for Tibetan self-immolators at the main square in Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala on August 29, 20August 29: Tibetans in exile have pledged to intensify their actions as the number of self-immolations inside Tibet crossed the “tragic milestone” of 50 this week. Monday’s fiery protest by two young Tibetans, Lobsang Kalsang and Dhamchoe in the beleaguered region of Ngaba, eastern Tibet, took Tibet’s self-immolation toll, since the ongoing fiery wave began in 2009, to 51. Pledging greater activism, the Tibetan Women’s Association and the Student for Free Tibet, India earlier today organised a die-in protest in the Tibetan exile headquarters of Dharamshala, demanding global diplomatic intervention to end China’s failed policies in Tibet. Activists took part in the die-in protest at the main square in Mcleod Ganj, symbolic of the Tibetans who have set themselves on fire demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet. The activists carried pictures and names of the self-immolators, as they lay motionless on the ground, surrounded by people bearing Tibetan national flags. “The tragic cases of self-immolations happening inside Tibet are a clear sign of failed Chinese polices,” Tashi Dolma, president of TWA said. “We request global intervention to save Tibetan lives; we ask world governments to apply multilateral pressure and take action against China to end the crackdown.” Dolma further expressed her sadness over India’s silence on the self-immolations and requested the Indian government for “concrete tangible support.” In a release, the groups said that self-immolation as a “political act against Chinese rule” has emerged as the “most direct and drastic” form of protest in Tibet with 49 self-immolations having taken place in the past 12 months alone. “Chinese authorities have responded with violent force, sometimes even beating Tibetans while they are still on fire and overseeing a massive security clampdown in areas where the self-immolations have occurred, including in Lhasa, Tibet's capital,” the release said. Dorjee Tseten, national director of SFT, India called on India to join “like-minded governments to immediately establish strong, public, multilateral mechanisms to hold Beijing accountable for its atrocities in Tibet.” “We have launched a petition urging Shri S.M. Krishna, the Minister of External Affairs, to support a strong multilateral action for Tibet and will deliver the petition to his office on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti,” Tseten said. The release added that SFT members in “several continents” are carrying out urgent response protests and will be joining a ‘Global Day of Action’ on September 5 to urge Foreign Ministries to take joint action for Tibet during the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council and General Assembly meetings in September. Today’s Global day of Action was also marked by activists in the Indian capital New Delhi.