By Tenzin Choephel
Phayul Correpondent
Kathmandu, June 5 – Protest against China by Tibetans in Nepal resurfaced in Kathmandu today. Over 250 Tibetan volunteers protested in front of the Chinese Consulate in Hattisar, Kathmandu. The protestors as usual were demanding China to stop killing in Tibet, to put an end to the arrests, detention and torture of Tibetans which they said are being continuously carried out by Chinese authorities.
Looking for something different each time, the protestors brought balloons filled with gas tied to a Tibetan flag and a banner reading ‘One World, One Dream, Free Tibet’, they brought the balloons in front of the Consulate on hopes of releasing them but were stopped by the police and the balloons got loose and flew in the air and the banner was torn down. All protestors came in five buses and were able to reach in front of the Consulate where they protested and shouted slogans – ‘Free Tibet’, ‘Long live the Dalai Lama’ and ‘Down with Hu Jintao’. Tibetan flags, banners, t-shirts and bandanas with ‘Free Tibet’ and ‘Save Tibet’ were seen aplenty today, they have now become an inseparable part of almost all the Tibetan protests in Nepal.
As usual Police started arresting them as soon as the protestors reached in front of the Consulate, many protestors were kicked, punched, dragged and shoved into police vehicles. One Tibetan journalist told Phayul, “Police were kicking some protestors while they were shoving them in”. Due to large number of protestors, today’s protest lasted for about one hour. One of the protestors while talking to Phayul said, “Six have been injured, they are receiving treatment at Om Hospital, Dawa Drakpa was kicked on his chest, Phuntsok could not move his hand, Ngawang is still unconscious, Gyaltsen Tsundu’s head was thrashed to the ground and she is pretty serious, one monk was also kicked in his chest and one lady could not talk, I also got hit on my head again and I am not feeling well”. Three of the injured were seen fainting at the protest site and were taken away to the hospital by fellow protestors, one protestor was bleeding from his nose and mouth.
According to Jigme, another volunteer, “A total of 187 Tibetans were arrested, 90 are detained at Gan 2, Maharajgunj, 61 at Anam Nagar Police Station, 36 at Kamal Pokhari and 20 at Durbar Marg. Among the arrested there are 30 Tibetans from Pokhara who came to Kathmandu to join the protest, 32 others from Pokhara have also taken part in the 24-hour relay hunger strike at Swayambhu Hill”.
All detainees were later released at 8:30 pm the same day.
