NY, July 28: Tibetans in the greater New York area kicked off a three-day Rally Hunger Strike in support of the 14 Indefinite Hunger Strikers in New Delhi, India.
As a symbolic show, 14 Tibetans are to sit each day in front of the Chinese Consulate from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm for the next two days here.
According to the organisers, there are many more Tibetans willing to sit in the protest, but the number is kept at 14 to make it a symbolic representation of the 14 courageous Tibetans who are currently staging an indefinite hunger strike for the cause of Tibet in New Delhi.
The protest solidarity hunger strike started Friday morning at 8.00 with a loud Tibetan National Anthem in front of the Chinese consulate followed by two minutes of silence mourning in memory of the late Tibetan martyrs.
Mr. Pema Gyalpo, the Vice President of the RTYC, NY&NJ introduced the significance of holding today’s Solidarity Hunger Strike. He stressed the importance of Mass Movement and asked the general public to educate oneself about this Movement in order to better participate in it. He also explained where the Tibetan People’s Mass Movement stands as of today in its various phases.
Many Tibetans joined in through out the day. A huge banner bearing the 5-point demands of the ongoing Tibetan People’s Mass Movement was displayed at the site, attracting many foreigners and local New Yorkers and showing keen interest in reading them.
The RTYC also issued its Press Release calling Tibetans from the East Coast to NY for a massive gathering on August 8 2007, although it did not specify in detail the basic objective of the meet.
Numerous slogans like “Boycott Beijing Olympics”, “Shame Shame, China Shame”, “Stop Killing in Tibet”, “Chinese Lie, People Die”, “Stop Genocide in Tibet”, “Release Panchen Lama”, “Free Tibet” abound the protest site.
The organisers appealed for all Tibetans to rise up in unity for the large scale movement to succeed.
According to RTYC’s plan, on August 8, 2007, which marks the first countdown day of a year to the Beijing 2008 Games, Tibetans in the East Coast will gather in front of the UN headquarter and march to the Chinese Consulate in solidarity with the Tibetan People’s Mass Movement due to take place in India and elsewhere.
