Date: May 8, 2008
May 8, 2008
Mundgod –
May 5, 2008
A special “Sangsol” at Norbu Ri took place at 7:30AM with few thousand attendees. Special Prayers in Monasteries and Villages and 24-hour relay hunger strike by 25 people continued.
At 6PM, the members of the TSC Mundgod were introduced to the Minister (Kalon) of Education, Mr. Thupten Lungrik during a meeting in the RTWA Hall. The Representative welcomed the Kalon and briefly introduced him. The President of TSCM read a report of TSCM’s report and delivered a detailed report to the Kalon.
Another meeting of Drepung Monastery and other nearby small monastery monks was arranged at 7PM. Kalon, President of Mundgod Tibetan Settlement and President of TSCM spoke at the event. The chief Khenpo (abbot) delivered a thank you note.
Education Kalon also visited the hunger strikers and expressed his appreciation.
On May 6, 2008 at 7 AM, an arranged meeting was held between Gaden monks, monks of other nearby monasteries, TSCM President, settlement Representative, and Education Kalon where the Kalon spoke for nearly 2 hours. Abbot of Jangtse Monastery addressed the concluding statement.
At 9AM, another meeting for the general public and nunnery of Jangchup Choling was arranged at the settlement community hall. The Settlement officer conducted the meeting where public were allowed open questions to the Kalon. The TSCM President thanked the Kalon for his visit and guidelines were given in our struggle towards solving the Tibetan issue with China.
Nepal –
Shabten recital accumulated on Tuesday May 6, 2008:
Number of participants at the prayer congregation = 500
Dolma Gyepa 75,029
Dolma Dhuepa 2,46,812
Dolma Zung 80,568
Mani 20,48,418
Vajra Guru 4,62,625
Tamdin Zung 4,03,911
24 hour Relay Fasting in Solidarity with Tibetans in Tibet:
The peaceful relay fasting continued today with another fresh team of 75 Tibetans taking over the 25th day of the relay fasting. Chithue Yungdrung Gyaltsen la addressed the participants while Chithe Gyalnor Tsewang la read out TSC’s press release. There wasn’t any case of protest today.
Mongolia –
An ethnic Tibetan, T. Kalsang, who lives in Mongolia, did a silent sit-down strike on the West of Chinese Embassy from 11 to 1:34 PM. He recited the mani prayer for 154 minutes in memory of 154 Tibetans killed during their demonstrations for freedom since March 14 in Lhasa and were killed by the Chinese authorities. "One of 154 people, who were killed by Chinese riot, one is my brother Lobsang Jinpa. However, I got married with Mongolian woman and I live in Mongolia, but I wish my compatriots will be free. I have expressed my protest several times with a graffiti painted on the Chinese embassy’s wall that read "Free Tibet!" and "Stop Killings!” After this event, a Chinese man, who introduced himself as
Gansukh, has been calling from a phone number starting with 9571… ", he said.
Kalsang's wife, his daughter aged 6, and in-laws came to the Chinese Embassy. They displayed photos of Tibetan people killed during the riots. They also held a slogan with a script as "Tibetan people don't have freedom under the dictatorship ruling of the People's Republic of China. Give the human rights – it must also be enjoyed by us. Stop killings!" put side by side with Dalai Lama's photo. The Tibetan national Flag was hoisted on a nearby tree. Kalsang wore a headband with a script "FREE TIBET" on his head and recited mani (prayer). Mongolian Tibet-supporters came to promote his struggle. They decided to protect Kalsang if the Chinese Embassy resisted him. G. Tsog said, "A citizen, who is doing a sit-down strike, is displaying a real fact. Our ancestors are Tibetans. I support citizens' fight for their freedom. If police use force and injure him, we will protect him". Kalsang was granted the permission for the silent sit-down strike from the Police Department of Sukhbaatar district, Ulaanbaatar in accordance with the law. (Report by Daily News)
Budapest, Hungary -
Tibet's Giant Flags Enabled the Cancellation of the Delegates’ Budapest River Danub BoatTour
Forth ranking Chinese Communist Party leader Mr. Jia Qinglin was welcomed with giant Tibetan flags flying at every corner of Budapest, Hungary during his four days official visit from May 7 to 10. This morning at 9AM during the Chinese delegates’ Parliament visit, Tibetans and Tibet Support group organized a peaceful demonstration in front of the parliament compound against Chinese’ recent brutal reaction to peaceful demonstrator in Tibet. After the press conferences with Chinese delegates inside the parliament at 12 PM, media conference was also held for Tibetans outside the parliament compound. There were more than 30 press media. TSG president Mr. Hendrey Tibor briefed the objectives of the peaceful demonstration. He shouted, allow fact finding delegations and free media to Tibet from Hungary, if China thinks Tibetan Government in exile and Dalai Lama is telling lies to the world. Mr. Balog Zoltan, a member of Hungarian Parliament and Human Rights Commission, who attended the press conference spoke about Hungarian Parliaments forthcoming resolution on Tibet. He is also considering pushing forward the development of human rights in Tibet. Choegyal Tenzin, former member of Tibetan Parliament in exile spoke about recent unrest in Tibet and called on the Chinese regime to sincerely open dialogues with Dalai Lama which is for the long term interest of both Tibet and China. He also talked about recent development from the discussion that took place between China and Dalai Lama’s envoys. At around 7PM, the actual schedule for delegations tour on Danub River was cancelled due to the giant Tibetan flag flying on a boat carrying a loudspeaker with a demonstration against China’s illegal occupation of Tibet. Demonstration against Chinese delegations will last till their return back to China.