50th Uprising Anniversary in Hyderabad

Students For A Free Tibet, Hyderabad along with other organisations like Friends of Tibet and Regional Tibetan Youth Congress organised a protest and candlelight vigil at Indira Park in Hyderabad. On the hot Hyderabad afternoon, Tibetan students and supporters of the Tibetan cause gathered to stand in solidarity with the tibetan people in their struggle for freedom and to also mark the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising.

Amongst a few who had gathered, Norbu Dolma, the vice president of the RTYC echoed to stand firm in condemning the attrocities being committed by the Chinese forces on the innocent Tibetans, trapped inside Tibet.

Dr. MN Rajesh, member of the Friends Of Tibet and a known scholar on Tibetan Affairs stated that the chineese, by resorting to violence can simply supress the idea of freedom nut cannot defeat and the idea of tibetan freedom shall continue to flourish until a solution is reached. The supporters chanted the Buddhist prayers and also sung the Tibetan national Anthem.

UN Panel Orders Inquiry into China’s Repression in Tibet

UN Panel Orders Inquiry into China’s Repression in Tibet
Monday, November 24 2008 @ 08:03 am UTC
Geneva: A United Nations (UN) watchdog investigating torture has ordered a thorough and independent inquiry into China’s excessive use of force against peaceful Tibetan protestors particularly monks in Kardze county, Ngaba county, and the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.
The Chinese government violent clampdown on peaceful Tibetan protestors since 10 March this year in Tibet, left 218 Tibetans dead, 1290 injured and 6705 arrested or detained.
The UN Committee against Torture's forth-periodic review on China was held from 7 to 10 November in Geneva, Switzerland. In its concluding observations, the UN Committee against Torture issued a set of recommendations to China on 21 November.
The panel called for prompt, impartial and effective investigations into all allegations of torture and ill-treatment and should ensure that those responsible are prosecuted.
It asked the Chinese government to ensure that all Tibetan detainees should be provided prompt access to an independent lawyer and independent medical care and the right to lodge complaints in a confidential atmosphere, free from reprisal or harassment.
It ordered investigations or inquests into the deaths, including deaths in custody, of persons killed in the March 2008 events in the Tibetan Autonomous Region and neighbouring Tibetan prefectures and counties.
On the issue of enforced disappearance, the UN committee underlined the need to adopt all necessary measures to prohibit and prevent enforced disappearances, to shed light on the fate of missing persons, including Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, and prosecute and punish perpetrators, as this practice constitutes, per se, a violation of the Convention.
Outlining follow-up measures, the UN committee against torture said it invite Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Special Rapporteurs on Tibet.
The Committee of independent experts will review China's next report on the implementation of torture convention in November 2012.
During the current review prominent former political prisoners Phuntsok Nyidron had testified before the Committee. She was tortured during her 15 years imprisonment.
Mr. Li Baodong, head of the Chinese Government delegation at the UN, reported several amendment and new regulations introduced in China's legal system.
However, Mrs. Felice Gaer, the Committee Expert serving as Rapporteur for the reports of China and the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, expressed serious information gap in the delegation's responds. She particularly mentioned about the discrepancies between legislative protections against torture and their implementation on the ground. She expressed frustration at the lack of data on police actions against Tibetans. She held a booklet and said that it contained names of 817 Tibetans who had disappeared following the protests in Lhasa this year and demanded China provide information on their whereabouts. China stated that due to the State Secrets Law they were not able to provide details.
Ms. Gaer also demanded information on two religious figures Bishop Su Zhimin and Gendun Choekyi Nyima who had been missing or disappeared since May 1995.
In testifying before the Committee Mr. Li Baodong, said "We have zero tolerance for torture".
Mr. Li said that he has transmitted the details of the 817 Tibetans to relevant department for verification and assured to investigate on it.
However, he expressed difficulty in verifying over 200 people in the list due to inadequate information including identity number and proper address.
With regard to specific cases including the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, he said that he will refer back to Beijing for information.
reference http://www.tibetcustom.com/article.php/20081124080357146

Post Olympics Tibet

Students For A Free Tibet, Hyderabad invites you for a talk by Dr. MN Rajesh on "Post Olympics Tibet". The talk will be followed by the screening of "Leaving Fear Behind". A Film made by Tibetans from inside Tibet, who longed to bring Tibetan voices to the Beijing Olympic Games.

Join us to stand in solidarity with the Tibetan people in their struggle for freedom.

Date:11/09/2008

Time:5.30pm

Venue: Lecture Hall complex 1, room number-111

, Central University of Hyderabad.

Hyderabad Lights a candle for Tibet

At a time when Tibetan people and supporters of thr Tibetan cause gathered to light a candle for Tibet, Hyderabad too was on the move.
Students For A Free Tibet,as part of its festival of protests,with other Tibet support groups organised a candle light vigil at Indiira Park at 18.30 pm.
Tibetan people and local residents of Hyderabad gathered to condemn the illegal occupation of Tibet by the Chineese forces. Tying an orange ribbon on her hand, Tsamchoe, a research scholar at the Central University of Hyderabad and a member of Students for A Free Tibet commented that " all freedom loving people from diverse nationalities should unite to combat China's attrocites on Tibetan people".
Candle for Tibet did provide an oppurtunity for uniting people and was a spectacle, not to be missed,
After series of prayers and speeches, a 3 metre long candle was lighted by Dr. MN Rajesh, a specialist on Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan Studies.
The lighting of the candle was followed by Indian and Tibetan national Anthem. While people lit candles the place was filled with slogans like "Tibet ki Azaadi, Bharat ki Suraksha", "UNO we want justice" ,"One World, One Dream, Free Tibet". "Say Yes To Freedom In Tibet".

Certainly it was an evening to remember.

Join The Hyderabad Olympic Festival Of Protest

Take Action:Festival Of Protest

Thousands of Tibetans remain detained and missing as China prepares to host the Olympic games. Tibetans inside Tibet have risked everything to call for freedom and human rights. Join the festival of protest to show that Tibetan voices will not be silenced.

August 7th - 8th is the weekend of the Olympic opening ceremony and the start of our month long “Festival of Protest”.

Festival Details -

August 7 th-Free Tibet Rally and Candle Light Vigil
Venue- Goshala to Indira park
Time- 6.30pm

8th August-An evening for Tibet
Venue-Central University for Hyderabad Campus
Time-

Festival Coordinator-
Arnav Anjaria +919912569624
Email -sfthyderabad@gmail.com

Freedom Torch Arrives in Hyderabad

The Tibetan Freedom torch arrived in Hyderabad after completing the relay in Bangalore. the torch was brought to Hyderabad by Tenzin Samten who has been travelling with the torch and has been carrying the true symbol of freedom through India.
The Relay began from Ghoshala and ended at Indira Park.
The torch was lit By Dr. MN Rajesh, specialist on Tibetan affairs and a lecturer in Department of History at the Central University of Hyderabad.
As the relay progressed the torch bearers kept changing and the torch bearers included Dorjee, president of the regional Tibetan youth congress, Norbu Dolma, Vice president of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Arnav Anjaria SFT chapter co-ordinator at the central University of hyderabad and numerous Tibetan Students, currently residing in Hyderabad.
the Torch relay took place in true spirit of the olympics. The torch relay in hyderabad symbolised the commitment of the people of Tibet and India towards the Tibetan cause. Inquisitive people of hyderabad joined in to support the tibetan people in their fight for justice.
Todays torch relay sent an emphatic message to the leaderhip in Beijing about the fact that people of Tibet and india strongly condemn the Human rights violations in tibet and the cultural genocide committed in Tibet by the Chineese Government.
The torch relay was followed by national anthems of Tibet and India.
Thus SFT Hyderabad wishes all the very best for the future course of the Torch Relay. The chapter intends to organise more events in recent future.

Protests mar troubled torch's arrival in India

Protests mar troubled torch’s arrival in India
Phayul[Thursday, April 17, 2008 13:33]

Security personnel struggle to arrest a Tibetan activist before Le Meridian Hotel in New Delhi where the Olympic torch was supposedly kept after arriving in from Pakistan (Photo by Tenzin Sheyden)New Delhi, April 17: The troubled Olympic torch was flown in from Islamabad at the Palam Technical Area in the wee hours of the morning on April 17. At around 1:00am, just minutes before the torch passed through on its way to Le Meridian Hotel in New Delhi, around 32 activists from the Tibetan Youth Congress’ various regional chapters blocked traffic on the designated route near the Army Research and Referral Hospital near Dhaula Kuan in South West Delhi. The protestors were quickly arrested by the police and were taken to custody.Later around 3:30am, a second batch of around 30 Tibetan activists and Indian supporters assembled outside the Le Meridian hotel near Rajpath, where the Olympic torch is supposedly kept, and began to shout anti-China slogans.

An activist draped in Tibetan National Flag is being taken away by police before Le Meridian Hotel around 3:30am after a group of activists tried to break through the security cordon shouting Tibetan freedom slogans before the Le Meridian Hotel. (SFT Photo)Notwithstanding the threats from the police, activists raised anti-China slogans calling the flame 'The torch of shame'. Protestors, shouting 'Justice for Tibet' and 'We want Freedom', even tried to break through the security cordon on the road before being taken away by the police. The pre-dawn protest foreshadowed what could be later expected when the 2.5km or so torch run, considerably cut short fearing security risks, begins at 4:00pm today.Three Tibetans and an Indian supporter were apprehended by the law enforcement with the rest managing to escape the arrest.Protests are expected to dog the New Delhi leg of torch relay as Tibetans and supporters escalate pressure on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to withdraw China’s planned torch relay through Tibet.The torch, 72-centimetres long and weighing 985 grams, was flown into New Delhi in a specially designed flight from Islamabad, its last stop before India."As an Indian, I reject China's propaganda torch relay and stand in solidarity with Tibetans who continue to suffer under China's brutal occupation. I call on the International Olympic Committee to immediately withdraw all Tibetan areas from the torch relay route.,” Shibayan Raha, spokesperson for Students for a Free Tibet, said before he was arrested by police after he displayed a Tibetan flag and called for 'No Torch in Tibet'.

Shibayan Raha, a pro-Tibet Indian activist, was arrested by police after he displayed a Tibetan flag and called for 'No Torch in Tibet' in front of the Le Meridian Hotel (SFT Photo)“We will not stand and clap as China carries the Olympic torch, now a symbol of oppression, to India Gate and Rajpath, important symbols of India's freedom dedicated to the lives of our nation's martyrs," Shibayan protested.Among the torchbearers, four have already dropped out of today's relay citing concerns about the Chinese oppressions and other personal reasons. A 1000 or more Tibetans from all over the country and their supporters also kicked off a rival torch relay in New Delhi today, starting at 11am at Sathya Sthal, hours before the Olympic torch relay was set to take place. The mass relay, calling on the Chinese Government to immediately halt its crackdown in Tibet, will end at Jantar Mantar.

Police put a Tibetan activist into a van (Photo by Tenzin Sheyden)Meanwhile, Indian authorities have mobilized over ten thousand police to secure the route of the torch through the Capital.Tibetan activists warn that the planned controversial torch relay through Tibet will only provoke more tensions and further bloody crackdown by Chinese authorities.Tibetan exiles and supporters around the world have repeatedly called on the International Olympic Committee to withdraw all Tibetan areas from the torch relay route."Reports of religious repression, torture, and mass detention throughout Tibet continue as Tibetans persistently speak out in the face of extreme domination at the hands of the Chinese authorities," said Tenzin Choeying, National Director of Students for a Free Tibet - India. "The International Olympics Committee must immediately withdraw Tibet from the Torch Relay route or risk aggravating the extremely tense situation in Tibet and be responsible for further deaths and repression when the torch goes through Tibet next month," he said.

Photo by Tenzin SheydenThe Tibetan Government-in-exile, based in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala, said around 156 Tibetans have been killed so far as China resorted to violent crackdown on Tibetan demonstrators all over Tibet.The 33 members of TYC's regional chapters of Manali, Dharamsala, Shimla, Nainital, Mainpat and Darjeeling who were arrested after scaling the Chinese Embassy walls on March 22 and still under police detention in Tihar Jail have refused bail and are said to be staging a peaceful protest strike within the prison compounds. "There are around 150 pro-Tibet activists in judicial custody at the moment," Dhondup Dorjee, Vice President of the TYC told Phayul.com.In Dharamsala, hundreds of Tibetans and supporters began a massive rally protesting China’s alleged atrocities in Tibet and, urging Indian Government and its people to support Tibetan cause.