Tibetans gear up for protests ahead of Beijing Olympics

Tibetan groups across the country have planned a series of protests against China, including a “long march” to Tibet, to put India in a diplomatically uncomfortable position ahead of the Beijing Olympics. Though India maintains the policy of not letting its soil to be used for “any political activity” by Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama and the community in exile here, the protest programmes have the potential of being political. Five leading Tibetan organisations have already announced the launch of the “Tibetan People’s Uprising Movement”, a new “coordinated Tibetan resistance” effort in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“The Games will take place only months before the 50th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan National Uprising against the Chinese invasion of Tibet. The movement’s organisers are calling on Tibetans worldwide to join protests during the Beijing Olympics and support a return march of exile Tibetans to their homeland,” said Tsewang Rigzin, President of Tibetan Youth Congress, one of the organisers of the event.

“We are calling on Tibetans worldwide to join us at this critical moment when China is trying to spread its Olympics propaganda,” said B Tsering, president of the Tibetan Women’s Association. “Together, we will seize this opportunity to voice Tibetan resistance and reinvigorate our freedom struggle,” she said.

The march will commence on March 10 from Dharamsala, the seat of Dalai Lama. Tibetans worldwide will also engage in non-violent direct actions and mass protests during Olympics.