Dharamsala, June 24 – Tibetans and supporters staged a die-in protest at the main Square at Mcloed Ganj, market town of upper Dharamsala, the headquarters of the exile Tibetan government to protest against mining in Tibet by Canadian company Hunter Dickinson. The protest is a part of a global campaign against Hunter Dickinson’s subsidiary Continental Minerals, which holds its shareholders’ meeting today, to immediately cease all mining operations at Shethongmon [Ch: Xietongmen] in central Tibet.
“We are here to call for the immediate withdrawal of HDI/Continental Minerals from Chinese-occupied Tibet.” said Tenzin Choedon, Program Director of Students for a free Tibet – India (SFT-India), “Under Chinese occupation, Tibetans are denied the internationally recognized right to determine the use of their own land and resources.”
With more and more mining companies operating in Tibet, activists say there is a great danger to the fragile ecosystem of Tibet.
“Almost 47% of the world’s population depend on the water sourced from the Tibetan plateau and 3 of our major rivers come from Tibet. If the mining in Tibet continues, we will have to suffer the consequences as well.” said, Kirti Kapoor, a student from Delhi University and a member of SFT-India. “Chinese government and the mining companies operating in Tibet should be responsible for destroying not only the fragile ecosystem of Tibet but also the lifeline of almost half of the world population.”
Recently, Tibetans in Markham County protested against a Chinese mining company’s operation and succeeded to permanently cease all mining operations near Ser Ngol Lo mountain which is considered sacred by local Tibetans.
Tibetans in Gyama township near Meldro Gongkar also protested against a water diversion project at a mining site in the region on Sunday leading to skirmish between residents and miners. The Chinese miners had to leave the site after a meeting between Tibetan residents and authorities.
