RTYC New York’s Candle Light Vigil at UN
In the corner of the 42nd Street and 1st Avenue, Gyatso la, former Vice President of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of Gangtok and one of the three TYC Resort’s Hunger Striker ‘04, with the bunch of flyers and a Tibetan national flag, still persistent with his demands for the immediate and unconditional release of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche. The flyer campaign at the United Nations in New York was organized by the RTYC NY & NJ since November 8th 2004. Everyday, one or two executive members with some of the volunteers distribute flyers to the UN officials. The flyer campaign will last until December 2, 2004.
In this freezing cold weather of New York and after his night long shift (from 9.00 pm to 9.00 am) in a grocery store in downtown Manhattan, Gyatso la, wearing a Tibetan Chupa distributes flyers in front of the UN building to the UN officials and passersby with a firm hope that his long awaited aspiration and hope will be realized. “I can’t sleep, though I work for 12 hours straight in a night. At this time I consider my sleep as a complete waste. We don’t have that much time to save our Rinpoche. If we lose Rinpoche, I am afraid that this will result to a big blow to the sprit of the Tibetans in Tibet, which I think should stay alive.” says Gyatso la.
Sustaining his body with only a couple of glasses of water a day for about 32 days during the Hunger Strike early this year in front of the United Nation’s building in New York, Gyatso la is still determined to take some broader steps so that his words could be heard more clearly. “I volunteered myself for the hunger strike with a hope that I’ll come out with a fruitful result. I won’t consider myself as a determined Tibetan until my demands are fulfilled. If not, I won’t hesitate to take another step. The Strike is not over yet.” Gyatso la is presently one of the most active member of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of New York and New Jersey.
On November 23rd 2004, RTYC NY & NJ organized a Candle Light Vigil in front of the United Nations in New York as a part of their campaign for the immediate release of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche. The vigil lasted for about two hours and was culminated with anti-Chinese slogans, prayers and Tibetan national anthem. RTYC NY & NJ will be organizing a Fasting and a Demonstration at the Chinese Mission in New York on December 2nd 2004 and a mass rally from UN to Chinese Consulate on December 10, 2004.
