Tibetan govt in exile extends solidarity with those affected by China's 'Zero Covid' policy

The Tibetan govt in exile extended solidarity with the impacted people and said China needs to enforce a humane approach in dealing with these public outbursts.

Dharamshala, Dec 03: With the unrest in China growing as people protest against China's stringent 'Zero Covid' policy, the Tibetan government in exile has extended solidarity to the people and expressed deep concern.

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) issued a statement and said, "The Central Tibetan Administration expresses its deep concern and stands in solidarity. The Kashag reiterates its statement regarding the Covid situation in Tibet: China's mismanaged zero-covid policy endangers Tibetan lives in Tibet dated 26 September 2022."

Over 300 million people in China have been placed under severe lockdown since the end of August this year. The places where the lockdown was imposed included Lhasa and Urumqi. The lockdown exceeded for over 100 days, the statement said.

Because of this, people have immeasurable hardship as people faced extreme restrictions on movement, inadequate access to food and medicine, loss of livelihood and mental anguish.

The unforgiving Covid curbs have resulted in widespread protests in various cities and universities in China, with the protesters also calling for freedom and democracy.

As Covid-19 started spreading again in the mainland, the Chinese administration imposed a zero-Covid Policy with stringent measures. Following that, several Chinese cities, including the capital city of Beijing and Shanghai, witnessed mass protests.

"The devastation caused by the pandemic has resulted in innumerable deaths, casualties and economic hardship across the world. The world has taken measures based on sound scientific findings to contain the spread of Covid-19, which has brought about a relative state of normalcy," read the statement.

"This is evident from the fact that millions of unmasked people have gathered in the Middle East to celebrate the FIFA World Cup in great fervour," it said.

Besides, 150 Tibetan exiles took to the road in New Delhi to express solidarity with people in China protesting its "zero COVID" policy.

The statement further said that China cannot sever its ties with the rest of humanity.

"Being part of the global community, China cannot sever its ties with the rest of humanity. The pandemic must be faced as a collective challenge and the spread of the pandemic does not discriminate between different forms of governance."

The Tibetans in exile also said that the Beijing leadership to enforce a humane approach in dealing with these public outbursts, adding that immediate course correction should be initiated by modelling on measures undertaken by international communities and governments.

"We strongly urge that no one should be subjected to any reprisal for taking part in any form of protests against the zero-Covid policy and those who have called for Freedom and Democracy. We hope that China will soon transcend to normalcy from the pandemic," read the statement.

Protests against China's zero-Covid policy:

Several Chinese key cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Guangzhou witnessed severe protests against the stringent Covid lockdowns. The protests took place in Chinese universities too where students participated in the agitation.

However, the Chinese administration deployed police forces to crack down on the protestors. The police have sealed the site of the protest where the anti-government protests took place. Students have been asked to go to their hometowns after it was found that they took part in anti-government protests.

The agitated protestors also protested against Chinese President Xi Jinping, which has been chosen for the third term as the President.

Protesters in Shanghai on Saturday and Sunday called on Chinese President Xi Jinping and the ruling Communist Party to step down besides opposing the lockdowns and forcible evictions of people into coronavirus medical shelters. Student protests also broke out at the Tsinghua University in Beijing and Communication University in Nanjing.

China also detained a BBC journalist who was covering the ongoing protests against the stringent zero-Covid policy in China.

(With input from ANI)