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Tibet Vigil in London - Solidarity with the Tibetan protesters - 17th March

Terry Bettger | 17.03.2008 00:46 | Repression | Social Struggles | London | World

The Chinese government have given an ominous deadline of midnight on Monday in Lhasa (4.00pm GMT) for the protesters to 'surrender'. In London, opposite the Chinese Embassy, Tibetans and supporters will be holding a vigil from 3.30pm in solidarity with the Tibetan protesters in Lhasa, Labrang, Gansu and elsewhere who have bravely stood up to the Chinese occupying forces.

As Chinese tanks roll into a locked-down Lhasa, with the world's media prevented from entering the Tibetan capital, the clock is ticking towards the sinister midnight deadline the oppressive Chinese government have set for the Tibetan protesters to 'surrender' to the Chinese authorities.

In London 4pm GMT will coincide with midnight in Lhasa. Members of the Tibetan community and supporters of the Tibetan freedom movement will gather at 3.30pm Monday 17th March opposite the Chinese Embassy to show their solidarity with the Tibetan people within Tibet and in exile across the world.

As reports filter through from various sources in Tibet it is clear that the Chinese military have opened fire on unarmed Tibetan protesters, including Tibetan Buddhist monks. Further reports of house by house raids and abductions are leading to mass detainment of Tibetans. Dr Manfred Nowak the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture concluded as recently as 2005 that torture in Chinese prisons is 'widespread'. Given that Tibetans have routinely been imprisoned, beaten and tortured for 'offences' as simple as publicly expressing slogans calling for independence and the return of the Dalai Lama there is genuine concern amongst exiled Tibetans for the fate of the protesters that have been detained.

Gather from 3.30pm opposite the Chinese Embassy at 49-51 Portland Place W1 (Nearest underground stations: Regents Park and Oxford Circus) on Monday 17th March. There will be a peaceful protest to demonstrate solidarity for Tibetans in their homeland and in exile.

Terry Bettger

Comments

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The Times

17.03.2008 14:39

I wrote some comments to The Times recently, for instance on Tibet, which were categorically denied, out of respect for the Tibetans presumably, since I write sharp comments. What they forgot and what I didn't want to mention is that I am a Tibetan, and know everything of Tibet - historically - even better than the Dalai Lama and so on. The Times are a bunch of maniacs and ultraconservatives, with their sentimental approach, and it s a real blasphemy that they still exist, if you see what nonsense they accept and promote, neonazis. They condemn Castro as a fascist, and now that the peaceful Tibetans rise up, they get sentimental and we all have to cry. Their real doublemindedness is revealed, as if it is not generally understood that this suppression of Tibet cannot keep being met with the archetypal and grateful smiles as to make The Times cry, cowards and assholes; get rid of the bastards. Also the Irish are always very quick to manoeuvre the Tibetans before their own cause, as if they were not the typecast cruelty formerly of - now against - the British.

Hajitan

To find the Way

18.03.2008 16:33

Hajitan - what do you think of this:

"There was a Dalai Lama who got it right. He wrote a poem 'Footprints in the Snow'. That Dalai Lama achieved Nirvana, his body has never been found. All the Dalai Lamas that have been 'found' since then are fakes got up by a hierarchy of slave driving Priests to maintain / re-establish their power. It is time the fakes resumed their own true names and found their own way."

Ilyan