Hundreds of Tibetans inside Tibet have courageously protested over the past two days, calling for freedom. Protests of this scale are very rare because of the risk involved. These are the largest protests inside Tibet since 1989, when current Chinese President Hu Jintao responded to mass demonstrations by imposing martial law. Click here to read more from Radio Free Asia.
On March 10th, the 49th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan National Uprising, 500 monks from Drepung Monastery, near Lhasa, began marching toward the city, calling for the release of fellow monks arrested last October after His Holiness the Dalai Lama received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. They were stopped by Chinese authorities and dozens were arrested. A witness reported seeing about 10 military vehicles, 10 police vehicles, and several ambulances on site. Click here to read more details of the protest.
Shortly thereafter, a protest by 17 people, including nine monks broke out in the center of Lhasa. They were quickly arrested and severely beaten after calling for "Tibetan independence" and displaying a Tibetan flag. The monks are reportedly from Eastern Tibet (Kham) and were studying at Sera Monastery. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy has released photos of the young monks.
Yesterday, on March 11th, approximately 600 monks from Sera Monastery began marching to Lhasa, calling for the release of the monks detained the previous day and shouting slogans including, "We want freedom!" "Free our people!" "We want an independent Tibet!" and "Free our people or we won't go back!". These protests are the biggest that Tibet has seen in the last 19 years, and it is crucial that the protesters receive all the support possible from outside Tibet.
The end to China's occupation will come when Tibetans inside Tibet can wage an organized resistance to Chinese rule without the threat of imprisonment and torture. So it is imperative that we do what we can to create the space inside Tibet for this to happen.
Please help support the courageous protesters so that more Tibetans can voice their opinions without fear of persecution. Take action to show the Chinese authorities that the whole world is watching. Click here for a list of phone numbers and talking points.
