One youth attempted self immolation, scores of Tibetans shouting slogans like “Free Tibet”, “China get out of Tibet” have been detained by police at Mumbai domestic airport, seven Tibetan college students drove up to the luxurious Taj hotel in Mumbai and rushing out shouted free Tibet slogans protesting HU Jintao’s and China occupation of Tibet.
The scene this morning in Mumbai is was hectic as Tibetans youngsters doggedly followed visiting Chinese president Hu Jintao wherever you visited. Six different incidences of free Tibet protest this morning in Mumbai, almost about 50 Tibetans have been arrested by police.
The man who set himself on fire is Lhakpa Tsering, a Tibetan college student from Bangalore, is also the president of Regional Tibetan Youth Congress in Bangalore. Lhakpa is known to be a die hard activist among his friends. A former student of Tibetan Children’s Village this time came to Mumbai from with the aim to protest Hu Jintao in his face. Lhakpa escaped from Tibet in the early 1990’s. Born in 1979, he joined TCV in July 1992. Click here for Video
While Hu Jintao was still there at the Hotel Taj with the best security seven Tibetan college students belonging to RTYC Baroda appeared right in front of the Hotel and stage loud protest, the Police arrested them and taken to VT police station.
At the same spot, an Indian Tibet supporter Shibayan Raha majestically unfurled a banner reading “China Get Out of Tibet and Aksai Chin”. This young Indian activist from Calcutta chapter of Friends of Tibet, India has been a staunch supporter of Tibet. He too has been detained by police.
Earlier seven Tibetan youth activist belonging to RTYC Baroda have been picked up Mumbai police from Mumbai’s famed seaside promenade Marine Drive while they were protesting on the fly over. According to a telephone call from one of the detained youth, they have been taken to Marine Drive police station.
Meanwhile a group of about twenty Tibetans have created chaos at the Mumbai Domestic Airport protesting there, expecting the Chinese President to pass by the airport, as he leaves for Pakistan this afternoon. While all these actions were going on a huge number of Tibetans from Mumbai and nearby laces have converged at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan sitting for a 24 hour hunger strike protesting Hu Jintao’s visit to the city. This has been organized by Mumbai Tibet Sweater sellers Association, Maharashtra and Gujarat Tibet Sweater sellers Association and Friends of Tibet India.
Most of the apprehended activists are expected to be released by this evening. Members of friends of Tibet supported by lawyers associated to Alternative Law Forum (ALF) are at the Mumbai Metropolitan Magistrate have secured bail for all 14 activists including Lhakpa. The police charged Rs. 14,000/- as bail fees.
Mr. Sethu Das, the president of Friends of Tibet India said “a small community of Tibetans in India chased the President of China wherever he went. The police were paranoid that Tenzin’s Oberoi Hotel Climbing type of protests might happen again. Hu’s other progarmmes in Mumbai had been canceled and due to security reasons, Hu had been hotel bound through out yesterday. His visit to a Chinese temple in Mazgaon had to be cancelled. Hu has been chased away by the Tibetans, this is the strength of protest he said.”
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