|
Shibayan
Raha, Campaigns Coordinator of Friends of Tibet and another
activist Migmar Tsering were arrested on April 9, 2007 while
attempting to storm into the Chinese Embassy located in
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi
. The two activists were demanding the release of Gendhun
Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, the second most important
religious figure next only to HH the Dalai Lama.
The protest act was planned just in time before the forthcoming
birthday of the Panchen Lama, who will be turning 18 on April 25
this year. He has been held incommunicado by
China
since 1995 after he was recognised by the Dalai Lama as the next
Panchen Lama. He was by then only six years old. After years of
worldwide protests and routine international pressure,
whereabouts of him still remain unknown.
Wearing a "Free Tibet - Free Panchen Lama" t-shirt and
holding a Tibetan national flag in his hand, Shibayan Raha,
tried to self-immolate and ran towards the main gate of the
Chinese Embassy shouting 'Free Tibet' and 'Release the Panchen
Lama' slogans. He then started climbing the fence surrounding
the Embassy before he was brought down by the security guards.
"As an Indian, I am ashamed of my government for constantly
appeasing China in the name of Hindi-Chini bhai bhai and for
failing to take any action for Tibet," said Shibayan Raha
who had also earlier protested outside the Taj Hotel in Bombay
on November 23, 2006 just before the
Chinese President Hu Jintao's speech at the India-China
Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation Summit.
Both Shibayan Raha and Migmar Tsering are currently detained in
Chanakyapuri Police Station and will be possibly transferred to
the Tihar
Central Jail later in the evening. This is one of the rare
incidents in which a non-Tibetan activist has taken such an
aggressive stance for the cause.
With inputs from Phayul.com
| April 09, 2007
|
