Human Rights organizations rallied jointly to speak out for those who suffered and who are still suffering from Chinese government’s human rights abuses on International Human Rights Day.
Toronto, 10th December – Hundreds gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate in Toronto to commemorate the 58th International Human Rights day and to remember the victims of the Human Rights abuses in China. The rally was organized by the China Rights Network which is comprised of: Amnesty International, Toronto Association for Democracy in China, Federation for a democratic China, Uyghur Canadian Association, Formosa Association for Public Affairs, Canada Tibet Committee-Toronto, Tibetan Women’s Association of Ontario, and Tibetan Youth Congress-Toronto. The keynote speaker for the event was Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, president of World Uyghur Congress. She spoke against China’s human rights abuses in Tibet, East Turkestan (Xianjiang) and Inner Mongolia. She has been detained as a prisoner of conscience by Chinese authorities since 1999 until her medical parole last year in U.S. Her children are still in Chinese custody. She applauded the Dalai Lama for leading the Tibetans and raising the Issue of Tibet on the world stage which the other oppressed minorities such as Uyghurs and Mongolians have not been that successful. Representatives of each organization spoke to the crowd. From the Tibetan organizations, Dasey Wangkhang from Canada Tibet Committee-Toronto and Tenzin Dolma, secretary of Tibetan Youth Congress-Toronto spoke to the crowd. The statement of the Tibetan Youth Congress on World Human Rights Day was read as well. An excerpt from the statement echoes the unrelenting use of brutality by Chinese authorities on Tibetans.
“Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) demands an independent investigation by the UN Human Rights Council into the September 30 Killings at Nangpa Pass by Chinese border security forces and the immediate release of all the arrested Tibetans. TYC believes that when such crimes such as these which have been continuously carried on by the communist Chinese inside Tibet go unpunished, it is not only a breach of the victim’s liberty but also an abuse of the human rights of the innocent all over the world”.
The speeches were followed by rounds of chants for human rights in Tibet and prayers from the Tibetans in the crowd. It ended around dusk with the Tibetan national anthem. The rally was a success with Tibetan, Taiwanese and East Turkestan flags waving proudly in the sea of protest and prayers with flickering candles row after row emanating a sense of hope for all involved.
