By Pema Choedon
New Delhi: April 9: Two young activists, one Indian and another, a Tibetan, were arrested around 12PM here today while attempting to storm into the Chinese Embassy located in Chanakyapuri.
Shibayan Raha from Kolkata and Migmar Tsering, a Delhi based Tibetan, are the two activists involved in the protesting act in their effort to demand the release of Gendhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama.
To Tibetans, Panchen Lama is the second most important religious figure, next only to the Dalai Lama.
The protest act was planned just in time before the forthcoming birthday of Panchen Lama, who will be turning 18 on April 25 this year. He has been held incommunicado by China since 1995 after he was recognized by the Dalai Lama as the next Panchen Lama. He was by then only six years old. After years of worldwide protests and routine international pressure, whereabouts of him still remains unknown.
Wearing a T-shirt that read, “Free Tibet – Free Panchen Lama” and holding a Tibetan national flag in his hand, Shibayan Raha, who has been managing the Delhi chapter of the Friends of Tibet for the last two years, tried to self-immolate and ran towards the main gate of the Chinese Embassy shouting slogans like “Tibet will be free”, “You cannot hold the boy” and, “UNO, we want justice.” Raha had started climbing the fence surrounding the Embassy before he was brought down by the security guards.
According to reliable sources, the two activists, currently detained in Chanakyapuri local police station, will be possibly transferred to the Tihar Central Jail later in the evening.
He was then handed over to the local police station. On being asked about his companion, he said that Migmar Tsering had been arrested while protesting in front of the other gate.
“As an Indian, I am ashamed of my government for constantly appeasing China in the name of Hindi-Chinni bhai bhai and for failing to take any action for Tibet,” said Raha.
This is one of the rare incidents in which a non-Tibetan activist has taken such an aggressive stance for the cause.
Following is the copy of appeal letter addressed to the Chinese Embassy by the activists
April 9, 2007
To,
His Excellency Mr. Sun Yuxi,
The Ambassador, People’s Republic of China,
Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, India
His Excellency,
Ever since Gendhun Choekyi Nyima was recognized as the 11th Panchen Lama, the second important religious leader of Tibet after The Dalai Lama in 1995 at the age of 6, he along with his parents had been held incommunicado by the Government of People’s Republic of China. The Chinese government had turned down repeated appeals for his release from UNO, European Union and leading human rights organizations. His ongoing detention is a gross violation of the United Nation’s Charter on the Rights of the Child.
In his place, The Government of People’s Republic of China, which calls itself secular, had installed their own Panchen Lama in their final push to erase the Tibetan Freedom Movement.
We the undersigned won’t let the world and the Chinese Government sit in peace till the 11th Panchen Lama is released. Till out last breath we will continue to protest his ongoing detention. We will remain non violent and protest just as we are doing today and will continue to do so to remind the world of Chinese atrocities in Tibet and the 11th Panchen Lama who is the World’s Youngest Political prisoner and turning 18 years on 25th April, 2007.
We urge the Chinese Government through you to release the 11th Panchen Lama immediately and let him have his freedom and take his seat in the Tashi Lhunpo monastery, the official seat of the Panchen Lama
Yours truly,
Migmar, Topten, Shibayan
