By Tenzin Dharpo
Dharamsala, July, 24: The Chinese consulate in Sydney saw a protest break out in their compound on July 22 when around 50 Tibetans stormed through the gate of the consulate in protest against the death of Tulku Tenzin Delek and mistreatment of his kin by Chinese authorities in Tibet.
The Tibetans initially protesting outside the Chinese consulate stormed through the gate once it was opened to let through a truck. The group carried Tibetan flags, banners and portrait of the deceased lama amid chants of ‘Bhod Gyalo’ (Victory to Tibet). One protester had even scaled the flag pole and pulled down the Chinese flag.
One of the protesters, Tenzin Datsatsang from the Sydney Regional Tibetan Youth Congress told ABC online, “they went into the consulate to express their emotion and show the Chinese government, especially the Chinese consulate, that what they are doing is wrong.”
“He was just a simple Buddhist monk, who worked tirelessly to preserve the Tibetan culture and identity,” she was quoted as saying.
Eight people have been charged with offences of ‘trespassing’ and a 38 year old Tibetan women with ‘assault’ for allegedly assaulting a consular officer. The Chinese Government had issued a statement asking the Australian government to impose harsher penalties while reprimanding the security lax in allowing such incident to occur.
The incident comes after the alleged ‘murder through poisoning’ of revered Tibetan teacher, his hasty cremation, the seizure of his ashes and the arrest of Tulku’s kin Dolkar Lhamo, 55, and her daughter Nyima Lhamo, 25, without charges.
Tulku Tenzin Delek died in a Chinese prison on July 12, 2015 in Chengdu, Sichuan province while serving the 13th year of a life sentence on charges of ‘inciting separatism’ and ‘involvement in an explosion’ in the region.
