By Phurbu Thinley
Phayul Correspondent
Dharamsala: April 22: Tibetans in Dharamsala, led by the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC), today held a strong protest march to stand against the ongoing border talk between India and China.
The demonstration consisting of scores of monks and nuns and lay people started from main McLeod square and gathered at the Tsuglag Khang courtyard to observe a brief function.
A Chinese delegation led by Chinese Vice foreign Minister, Dai Bingguo is presently in India to hold the 10th round of touchy border talks with the Indian special representative, M K Narayanan.
The representatives from the two sides are due to meet today in Coonoor in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. The Chinese delegation also met with the Indian representative in Delhi yesterday.
The demonstrators, while condemning the Chinese delegation’s visit, called for the release of Panchen Lama and Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, who are long held in captivity by the Chinese government.
Speaking at the gathering, TYC President Mr Kelsang Phuntsok said, “Without taking into consideration the historical truth about Tibet, a meaningful lasting outcome is not viable from the ongoing border talk between the two sides.”
“We now see that the once openly publicised talk on resolving border issues is becoming more of a closed-door meeting,” says Mr Kelsang.
“We (Tibetans) are stationed in India to seek its support and any stance that may go against the historical truth and the aspirations of the six million Tibetans in and outside Tibet will not be acceptable to us,” Mr Kelsang adds.
76-year old Ven. Palden Gyatso, Tibet’s second longest-serving political prisoner, was also part of the protest march today.
After having served 33 years in Chinese prison for participating in peaceful protest in Lhasa in 1959, Ven. Palden has never ceased to work for the freedom of Tibet.
Talking to Phayul.com at the end of the event today, Ven. Palden expressed satisfaction over the young Tibetans actively taking up the Tibetan cause in a more knowledgeable and practical ways.
When asked about the marginal group of Tibetans participating in regular protests, Ven. Palden says that each should contribute to the Tibetan cause in one’s own capacity and the organisers should organise and lead the masses in more organised ways.
“I came to know about today’s demonstration this morning only,” said Ven. Palden.
The Organisers also announced to hold similar event on 25th April, to mark the 18th birthday of Panchen Lama whose whereabouts cannot be traced since the Chinese first took him into captivity in 1995 when the young Lama was only 6 years old.
