By Pema Richeson
Nanital, June 4 – Marchers left Banspatan after a 13-day standoff with the police who attempted to arrest them three times. Out of the 304 marchers who are in Banspatan, 260 left the campsite around 9AM this morning. As of 12:20 this afternoon, the Marchers were 7 kilometers from Berinag and are expected to reach by this afternoon. So far there has been no confrontation with the police.
The Presidents of the five NGOs and one March coordinator remain in jail in Haridwar, Uttarkhand State.
The March to Tibet organized by five of the leading Tibetan non-governmental organizations in Dharamsala began on March 10, 2008 with 100 core marchers all committed to crossing the border into Tibet. The March quickly grew in numbers and now has 304 core marchers. Upon reaching Berinag, the March will be roughly 180 kilometers from the Tibetan border.
