Tibetan Youth Congress President Tenzing Jigme leading the Coffin March to the United Nations in Delhi, India, on 29 May 2017. TYC Handout
Tibet Sun Newsroom
McLEOD GANJ, India, 29 May 2017
Members of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) marched in Indian capital Delhi to highlight the dire situation in Tibet resulting in people there setting fire to themselves in protest.
A wave of self-immolations has swept Tibet since the monk named Tapey from Kirti Monastery in Amdo region of Tibet set himself on fire in 2009. Reports say 128 of the 150 self-immolators have died.
The news of self-immolation of a young Tibetan monk named Jamyang Losal, age 22, who died on 19 May in Kangtsa Tibet marked the 150th such fiery protest against the repressive Chinese policies in Tibet.
As in most cases, Losal’s body was taken away by the police, and when his family members went to the police station to claim his remains, the police refused to comply. He did not survive the burns.
The protesters have consistently called for freedom in Tibet and to allow the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet.
TYC President Tenzing Jigme in a statement said, “So long as China continues to illegally occupy Tibet, the Tibetan people will continue to protest and resist the CCP’s oppression and policies. China needs to understand that the only way these protests will stop is when they listen to the demands of the Tibetan people.”
TYC is the largest Tibetan NGO in exile, and works for an independent Tibet, unlike the popular call for autonomy through the ‘Middle-way’ approach proposal initiated by the Dalai Lama when he was the temporal as well as spiritual leader.
The protesting members marched towards the United Nations building in Delhi carrying coffins to represent the Tibetan martyrs, demanding that the United Nations convene a Special Session for Tibet considering the grave situation there.
President Jigme said that the UN have a responsibility when what is happening in Tibet affects the surrounding Asian nations and even the world at large politically, environmentally, socially, and economically.
“We need the United Nations and its member nations to hold China responsible for their policies, and take urgent action for Tibet now,” Jigme said.
Fading image of TYC. TYC, under the present leader has not only lost the support of the people but also the momentum and strength of movement. TYC under the leadership of Tenzing Jigme is focused on playing game within the Tibetan community and TYC branches rather than fighting the Chinese. Tibetan people are not fools.
Tenzing Jigme and his group tried to make some of the TYC branches very bad through social media and with the help of some of their supporters who are just active in social media and nowhere to be seen in practical. Present TYC did not organize any movements like TYC used to do before. It is very sad to see TYC in this state.
In the future TYC members should be careful electing the leader. They can’t just elect because the person is from the west. TYC needs a leader who understand the TYC and who can rebuild the organization. Present TYC members just spend time traveling.
In this Delhi protest, TYC called for all Tibetans to come but in reality, only couple of TYC members are there. Whenever I see Tenzing Jigme picture in news and social media, I see him lost, not knowing what he is doing. This is sad. The south TYC are more active and organized than TYC in Dhasa. South TYC are not active in facebook but they are doing lots of activities and people support them.