Chennai, (Madras) September 5: Over 160 members of the Tibetan Students Association of Madras (TSAM) held protest demonstration as China’s national hockey team for the 2008 Olympic Games played against Korea at the 7th Asia Men’s Hockey Tournament in Chennai (old name: Madras).
Wearing a uniform T-shirt with the message -“No Olympic in China until Tibet is Free”, and forming “FREE TIBET” human chain letters, the group captured one part of the stadium and continuously shouted slogans calling for ‘No Olympics in China’.
The group was also heard simultaneously shouting ‘Free Tibet’ in English as well as in Chinese, the latter of which they say is for the “benefit of the Chinese players”. The students also sung “We shall overcome” and other songs and remained unmoved as it kept raining heavily halfway through the match.
As distraction to the game continued, police later had to ask the students to remove the two Tibetan National flags and a banner reading ‘Long Live His Holiness the Dalai Lama” held by them.
TSAM members said they were already inside the stadium by 3:00pm since they knew that the match between the two teams was scheduled to kick start at 5:00 pm.
Their protesting presence in the stadium was visible enough to draw attention of spectators and press people and was even televised live by national DD sports and other channels.
The group later stood up to sing Tibetan National Anthem at the end of the match.
Eleven countries, including China are taking part in the tournament that began on August 31 and will close on Saturday this week.
This is “A message well put across to the Chinese government through the Chinese national hockey team” the members of TSAM family claim in relief.
Based on report filed by Tenzin Tsering of TSAM
