Brussels, 17 March: Three members of European Parliament paid a visit to the site of the TYC’s indefinite hunger strike in Brussels to show their support for the three Tibetans sitting on fast.
Eva Lichtenberger, member of European Parliament from Austria visited the hunger strikers yesterday morning and said she wanted to “show her solidarity with the three hungers strikers and the Tibetan people.”
She said she will raise awareness about this campaign through all possible channels and promised her continued support to the Tibetan cause as a member of European Parliament.
In the afternoon, Marco Pannella and Marco Cappato, members of European Parliament from Italy, stopped by the TYC tent to show their support.
“We thank you for your courage and we are here as your brothers and parents. We hope the struggle won’t be too long but we are prepared and will continue our support as long as we need to,” Pannella told the hunger strikers.
Mr Cappato who was instrumental in passing the resolution on Tibet in the European Parliament on 12 March 2009, said that he was inspired by their courage.
“We are by your side in your non-violent struggle for freedom. This is not just your struggle but it is a struggle of the entire humanity and we will be there always,” he added.
“In 1959, on today’s date His Holiness the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetans had to escape into exile because of the Chinese invasion. The situation inside Tibet continues to deteriorate,” said Tsewang Rigzin, President of TYC.
With tears in their eyes, the three hunger strikers urged the members of the European Parliament to push for a quick response from the EU to their appeals.
Representative Tashi Wangdi visited the hunger strikers on Sunday and offered traditional Tibetan scarves to the three hunger strikers and thanked them for their sacrifice. Thupten Gyatso, President of the Tibetan Community of France, also visited the hunger strikers on Monday and thanked them for their courage and determination on behalf of all the Tibetans in France. The President of the Tibetan Community of Belgium paid a visit to the hunger strikers today.
based on a report sent from Brussels by TYC
