Tibetans in Mumbai sign petition, protest for peace in their country

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Hindustan Times

Mumbai-- Amid the din of protest slogans and cries for independence, more than 30 Tibetans in the city participated in a peace protest at the Azad Maidan grounds on Wednesday.  

Tibetan exiles march at a protest in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. Hundreds of Tibetan activists marched through the streets of New Delhi, calling for freedom for their homeland and decrying Chinese rule. (AP Photo/ Mustafa Quraishi)

Last week, the Central Tibetan Administration had called for worldwide vigils on February 8 in view of the  critical situation in Tibet following a series of self-immolations and alleged killing of Tibetan protesters by the Chinese security forces.

In Mumbai, the participants signed a written petition to be sent to Kalon Tripa, prime minister of the Tibetan government in exile, demanding an intervention from the United Nations to set up a fact-finding delegation to curb violence in Tibet. "Since January 2012, there have already been seven cases of self-immolations that have been reported. We are living in constant fear," said Tenzin Dolkar, a banker, who participated in the protest.  

"I have not met my in-laws for more than two decades. There is extreme coercion by the Chinese government back home. They indulge in human rights' violation," said Tsering Dolkar, 49, a Tibetan sweater seller, who moved to India in 1990. "As China's repression has escalated over the years, the number of innocents driven to self-immolation has also increased," she added.