The Tibetans communities and friends of Tibet in Minnesota will commemorate the 45th uprising day of Tibet with march from Downtown Minneapolis to State Capitol, St. Paul and 8 hrs hungerstrike at downtown Minneapolis will also be observed. His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 10th March statement will be read. Ms. Jennifer Prestholdt, Deputy Director of Minnesota advocates for human rights will be the day’s guest speaker. More than 600 people are expected to attend. Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC), Tibetan Women Association (TWA) and Tibetan American Foundation, Minnesota (TAFM) will collectively organize this event. The main aim of this event is to pay respect to all those people who had sacrificed their lives and to salute the heroes who are raising their voices against the Chinese. This event will also raise the critical issues imposed by the brutal Chinese regime in Tibet and to question United Nation’s silence.
45 years ago, in March 10, 1959, Tibetans assembled in Capitol, Lhasa to shield the young Dalai Lama from the brutal Chinese army and to resist their occupation that resulted in the execution of thousands of unarmed Tibetans men, women, and children. Since then, Tibetans in exile and their supporters all over the world have commemorated March 10 with rallies and vigils.
On April 7, 2002, the Chinese arrested Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and his accomplice Lobsang Dhondup on charge of bombing and conspiracy and were sentenced to death. The Chinese have yet to establish any conclusive evidence of their involvement. However, Losang Dhondup was secretly executed on 26 Jan 2003. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s execution was postponed by two years.He could be executed any time between April and December this year. They did not get any transparent trial. On this note, RTYC organized a bus trip on 26 Jan, 2004 to protest in front of Chinese embassy in Chicago to demand Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s immediate release, to warn China not to ensue with his execution and to condemn Lobsang Dhondup’s execution.
The issue of where about of young 11th Panchen Lama (Gedhun Choekyi Nyima), recognized by Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of 10th Panchen Lama is still unknown. He is the world’s youngest political prisoner. China had kept him incommunicable since his recognition.
There are lot’s of other abuses going on inside Tibet; massive population transfer, forced abortions and sterilizations, dumping of nuclear wastes, human rights violations systematic destruction of Tibet’s unique civilization etc. Until now, the democratic countries have turned down these issues with deaf ears, which further encourage the Chinese to continue these practices. Therefore, we urge all the freedom respecting people to communicate in any capacity with the world leaders, your representatives in local, state, federal/central governments for their immediate intervention to undo the injustices being done in Tibet.
When: 10th March, 2004
9am-6pm
Where: Peavey Plaza, Minneapolis, MN
TIBET NEEDS YOUR HELP.
HELP TIBET FREE FROM COMMUNIST CHINA.
HELP RELEASE PANCHEN LAMA AND TENZIN DELEK RINPOCHE
STOP ETHNIC CLEANSING IN TIBET
BOYCOTT PRODUCTS MADE IN CHINA
Contact: Tenzin Gawa (612-226-6146) or email at rtyc_mn@yahoo.com
