By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, September 29: The Tibetan Youth Congress yesterday initiated a peace rally followed by protests in front of the UN office in the Indian capital as the indefinite hunger strike by three executive members of the largest pro-independence group in exile entered its nineteenth day. The peace rally participated by around 500 TYC members and supporters began from South Delhi’s Khan Market and ended at the UN office in New Delhi.
TYC President Tenzing Jigme told Phayul that the initiative commemorates in part the anniversary of the Sep. 27, 1987 Lhasa demonstrations by Tibetans, one of the most vociferous protests against Chinese rule in Tibet since its invasion in 1959. “We marked that day (27 Sep) of 1987 as it was an important day to remember in our struggle but this year as the 27th has fallen on a Sunday when public offices like UN were closed, we commemorated it on to the next day to remember those people who laid down their lives and who faced lengthy prison terms, and more importantly to draw the attention of the UN .”
A delegation of five people, TYC President Tenzing Jigme, the three hunger strikers, Vice President Tamdin Hrichoe, Information and International Relations Secretary Tsewang Dolma and Finance Secretary Tenzin Wangchuk and former TYC executive and MP Karma Yeshi met with the representatives of the United Nations in Delhi. “We were assured by the representatives that the memorandum and our grievances will be forwarded to the UN headquarters in New York”, said Jigme.
TYC VP Tamdin Hrichoe, one of the participants of the Indefinite Hunger Strike said, “Reports that the US and EU have raised the issue of Tibet at the Human Rights Council session is welcoming and which was one of our demands, but we will continue until the aims and objectives are met”.
The TYC President also said that the health of the three activists is only deteriorating having sat without food for 20 days as of today. “Problems of difficulty with intake of water and body ache are exacerbated.”
Experts say drastic ramifications are to expect after the body reaches the threshold of 3 weeks which the three Tibetan hunger strikers will enter on Wednesday.
The body of a hunger striker begins to break down stores of energy in fat and muscle, essentially cannibalizing itself to survive. More seriously the body begins to lose basic motor control, double vision, permanent damage to vital organs, episodes of vomiting and lowered blood pressure that in essence brings forth many complications.
However, the three hunger strikers are steadfast in their resolve to undergo any physical agony to have the organization’s five demands to the UN fulfilled. TYC President Tenzing Jigme concludes, “The situation is now getting graver by the moment, it falls on establishment like UN to grasp the full impact of China’s treatment of Tibetans in Tibet. It is their responsibility to look at us when we are asking for help”.
