The inaugural date of the controversial Qinghai-Tibet railway on July 1, 2006 will be observed as a “Black Day” by exile Tibetan activists by launching global demonstrations in front of Chinese embassies and consulates, the India chapter of the Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) said in a press release dated June 18.
Tibetans all over the world and their supporters were urged to wear black armbands in the run-up to the July 1 railway launch in a symbolic gesture to ‘reject the railway’ and to show solidarity to the long-suffering Tibetans inside Tibet under Chinese occupation. “Beijing may have built the railway but the fight is not over and Tibetans will continue to resist China’s illegal occupation of Tibet.” the release said.
“The Chinese government claims that this railway will benefit Tibetans and is a project that all Tibetans want. On July 1st they will tell the media and the world that the railway will bring progress and positive benefits to Tibetans, but we know the truth: China’s railway to Tibet is not meant to benefit Tibetans and is only meant to consolidate Beijing’s control over the region”, it added.
SFT activists kicked off the “black armband” campaign yesterday in Dharamsala. The
campaign will go on till July 1.
