Tibetans protest Lhasa crackdown

Hundreds of activists carrying Tibetan flags and banners demonstrate outside Chinese embassy in Chanakyapuri’s diplomatic enclave, reports Ravi Bajpai.

Delhi Police detained around 25 Tibetans on Saturday for protesting outside the Chinese Embassy in the Capital. They were protesting against the use of force on Tibetans in Lhasa, Tibet, by the Chinese government. More than 350 protesters also gathered near Jantar Mantar on Saturday for a peaceful protest.

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All roads leading to the Chinese Embassy were barricaded and all vehicles moving in the area were checked and people were frisked. Policemen from more than two police stations were deployed and a company of the reserve police force was put on alert, said a police officer.

This was the third demonstration in four days by the Tibetans-in-exile outside the Chinese Embassy. More than 80 protesters have been arrested under preventive detention till now. On Friday, more than 200 policemen from the entire New Delhi district were deployed to control the protesters, said an officer.

Kunchok Yamphel, one of the coordinators of the protests, said, “The Indian government has been supportive of our cause till now, but the attitude has changed. People will sit on an indefinite hunger strike soon.”

The protesters, who were detained, had reached the Chinese Embassy in a bus and had started marching towards the diplomatic installation carrying the Tibetan national flag and banners declaring their protest.

“A few women suddenly broke away from the group and started running towards the embassy. A group of officers chased them and stopped them,” police said.

Meanwhile, the protesters said they would not relent till the tension in Tibet recedes. “We will stay here until we get support from India and the world,” said a protester.