Tibetans on hunger strike in protest against Chinese oppression

Bhubaneswar, Mar 24 (UNI) More than two hundred Tibetans in Orissa today launched a hunger strike to protest the Chinese oppression in Lhasa.

The Tibetans, living in Phuntsokling Tibetan Refugee Settlement at Chandragiri in Gajapati district, under the banner of four local organisations--Local Tibetan Assembly(LTA), Representative Office (RO), Regional Tibetan Youth Congress(RTYC) and the Regional Tibetan Women's Association(RTWA) -- launched the hunger strike and appealed to the people to join them and demand that the Chinese government revoke the repressive policies pursued in Tibet.

LTA Chairman Karma Khedu, RO Secretary Sonam Sangpo, RTYC Executive Member Tenzinthokney and RTWA President Tshering Dolma alleged that the Chinese authorities were denying Tibetans the freedom of religion, freedom of expression and trying to destroy their culture and tradition. When the Tibetans raised their voice in protest on March 10 last, the Chinese government suppressed them by force and coercion, they said.

The Chinese government had taken a number of Tibetans to custody and was not allowing the media to operate in Tibet, they alleged.

They claimed that more than one hundred Tibetans were killed and an unspecified number of people sustained injury while fighting for their rights during the last few days.

The Tibetans appealed to the UNO to intervene and depute a fact finding team to inquire into the recent genocide in Tibet, to stop blood bath and unconditional release of all Tibetans arrested by the Chinese government who demonstrated in their own country for their fundamental rights.

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