Tibetans to protest against China in Meghalaya

Shillong, Mar 30: Hundred of Tibetans in Meghalaya will come out on the streets tomorrow in protest against China's crackdown on Tibetan protestors and the bringing of Olympic torch to Tibet.

The Tibetans also warned the Olympic torch relay would further provoke unrest in Tibet, leading to more high-handed suppression by Chinese authorities. ''Our peaceful demonstration will be part of the worldwide protest against the ongoing crackdown by China on our fellow brothers and sisters inside our sovereign Tibet homeland,'' Tibetan Freedom Movement Shillong (TFMS) President Gyaltsen Chompel told UNI here today. The international protest will start with a prayer ceremony at the Tibetan Monastery in Upper Lumparing and march to downtown Shillong to stage a 10-hour peaceful sit-in in front of Glory's Plaza. ''Bringing China's Olympic torch to Tibet is an insult to values of the torch as thousands of Tibetans are being tortured and imprisoned, while others are mourning the death of their loved ones he said.

Urging the Chinese authorities to immediately stop violence, the TFMS leader said the Tibetans would continue to seek support from the international community perssurise to pressure Beijing to release all political prisoners and allow journalists to get access to Tibetan areas.

''There has been a massive build-up of Chinese troops in China and the ethnically Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu, while journalists are being barred to enter Tibet,'' Mr Chompel said.

UNI