Tibetans march against 2008 Beijing Olympics

Varanasi, July 19 (UNI) Buddhist monks and Tibetan youths marched on the streets of this holy city to mobilise global support against 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The protest march carried out yesterday from the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (CIHTS) to the Buddhist pilgrimage of Sarnath, saw young Tibetans raising a voice against hosting of 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Citing massive human rights violations in Tibet by the Chinese regime, Tibetan Buddhist Youth Federation and Tibetan Buddhist Women Federation members called for global boycott of the quadrennial sports extravaganza in China next year.

''We want to appeal the world, especially Indians to back us in preventing Olympics from being held in China,' said Jiang Dorej, a member of Tibetan Buddhist Youth Federation.

The protestors also demanded the Chinese government to immediately release 11th Panchen Lama.

''We also want permission from the Chinese government to meet Panchen Lama,'' Mr Dorej said.

A boy, Gedhun Choekyl Nyima, whom the Dalai Lama had picked to succeed him, is believed to have been under house arrest in China since May 17, 1995. Human rights groups have termed Nyima as world's youngest political prisoner.

UNI