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New Delhi – Students for a Free Tibet and Regional Tibetan Youth Congress Delhi held a public gathering today to mark India's 66th Independence Day by unveiling a re-creation of the Declaration of Tibetan Independence issued by the His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama in 1913. The unveiling of Declaration was done by Shri Vijay Kantri, Long time supporter Tibet and prominent photo journalist.Today also marks one year since the tragic self-immolation of a Tibetan monk named Tsewang Norbu. Norbu’s self-immolation, the third in Tibet since 2009, signaled that these were not isolated incidents but the beginning of an unprecedented wave of drastic protests against China's rule, in which those setting themselves on fire have called for freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Since August 2011, numbers have steadily escalated and at least five self-immolations have taken place between August 6 and 13, 2012. At least 39 of these protests have been fatal.
"At this time when so many Tibetans are making the ultimate sacrifice to protest Chinese rule, it is imperative that we remember our past as a sovereign nation and recommit ourselves to our freedom struggle. We condemn China's military rule over our people, our land, and our culture,” said Dorjee Tsetan, National Director of Students for a Free Tibet India.
“We hope this Declaration of Independence scroll, which we are publicly displaying on India's Independence Day, will give Tibetans everywhere a cause for hope as we undergo one of the most difficult periods in our nation’s history, with nearly 50 self-immolations in Tibet since 2011; 47
in the past year alone,” he added.
“As we commemorate India's independence, we ask our Indian brothers and sisters to stand in solidarity with the Tibetan people in their fight for independence,” said Jyotsna, an Indian member of Students for a free Tibet.
“Today we are launching a signature campaign urging Shri S. M. Krishna, the Minister of External Affairs, to support a strong multilateral action to bring about an end to the Tibetan people’s suffering under China’s occupation.”
During the event Tibetan members of Parliament Achariya Yeshi Phunstok la, Youdon Aukatsang la, Shri Vijay Kantri and Shri Surender Kumar, Gen Sectary of Gandhi Peace Foundation delivered speech to Public. The event was participated by more than two hundreds people with lot of Indian supporters.
The Declaration was also read in Tibetan, Hindi and English by Tibetan community Leaders, Students leaders and Indian Supporters.
