On Thursday, as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi, the Capital's largest Tibetan resettlement colony was awash in flags and microphones protesting against the Chinese occupation of the place they call home.
The walls of New Aruna Nagar were crowded with of posters bearing messages for Xi. Hundreds of policemen have been stationed outside of the colony to ensure order in the area after pro-Tibet activists barged into the Chinese Embassy in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
Last week, the Tibetan Youth Congress submitted a detailed memorandum to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing their worries about human rights violations in Tibet. Scroll.in took a stroll in the colony to speak to the Resident Welfare Association, the Tibetan Youth Congress and residents about what they expect out of the Chinese president's visit.
Here are six things that Tibetans in India want Modi to discuss with Xi.
1) Listen to Tibetans
Approximately 130 Tibetans, several monks among them, have immolated themselves since February 2009 in an attempt to draw attention to their cause, said 35-year-old Tenzin Jigme, the president of Tibetan Youth Congress. The Chinese president cannot continue to ignore these cries for attention. Modi should ask him to take these occurrences seriously and ask him to hear out the Tibetans before more decide to protest so tragically.
“The Chinese regime also needs to answer for torturing innocent Tibetans since 1949," said Jigme. "Thousands of our people have disappeared in the middle of the night, suspected to have been killed by the Chinese army. This has to stop.”
2) Meet the Dalai Lama
Tibetans also want the Indian prime minister and the Indian government to arrange a dialogue between the President Xi and the Dalai Lama. A peaceful solution can be achieved only if the two leaders sit down and discuss matters, they say.
3) Allow independent international media in Tibet
Tibetan refugees claim that though the Chinese government invites specific media groups to Tibet to showcase how peaceful it is, these are exercises in propaganda. For instance, they allege that when one Indian crew visited Tibet recently, the Chinese government set up interviews with people in Tibetan costumes who were actually Chinese.
"We know, because we can differentiate between the Tibetan and Chinese language," said Karten Tsering, president of the Samyeling New Aruna Nagar Colony Resident Welfare Association. "I heard those people posing as Tibetans talking to each other in Mandarin on a national news network.”
4) Release political prisoners
The refugees want the Chinese regime to release political leaders like Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, the Panchen Lama and Rungaye Adak. “This is the 21st century and no country should be allowed to imprison a political leader just for voicing out their separatist thought,” Jigme said. " Take the Kashmir example, there are so many separatist leaders in Kashmir who are rooting for an independent state, but the Indian government is not imprisoning them for voicing out their desires. Modi must ask Jinping to release our leaders immediately."
5) Protect freedom of speech and religion
In Tibet, worshipping the Dalai Lama is banned, as is speaking out against the Chinese government or voicing sentiments about Tibetan freedom, refugees said. “People found with a portrait in their homes even in monasteries are killed in public,” Tsering said. "We want the Prime Minister of India to stand for our freedom of speech and religion if not for the independence of Tibet ."
6) Give Tibet independence or autonomous status
Tibetans in Delhi are aware that it will not be easy for Tibet to get independence. Even the Dalai Lama has admitted that it would be easier to gain autonomous status, something like the relationship Northern Ireland has with the United Kingdom.
“If not total independence, at least an autonomous status will allow us to visit our motherland," said 42-year–old Phuntsok Rinzin, a merchandise seller who has never visited his hometown of Lithang. "Right now, if I even go to Tibet with a valid visa, I’ll be prosecuted. I know people who went there from India to visit their loved ones have disappeared.”
Helping Tibetans, said people in New Aruna Nagar, is in India's best interests. The long Indo-Tibetan border has witnessed many incursions by Chinese troops over the years, said Jigme. “Moreover, three major rivers that flow through India like Sutlej, Indus and Brahmaputra, originate in the Tibetan-plateau and the Indian government would not want to lose control of these water resources," he noted. "Hence, supporting our cause is in India’s interest as well.”
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The walls of New Aruna Nagar were crowded with of posters bearing messages for Xi. Hundreds of policemen have been stationed outside of the colony to ensure order in the area after pro-Tibet activists barged into the Chinese Embassy in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
Last week, the Tibetan Youth Congress submitted a detailed memorandum to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing their worries about human rights violations in Tibet. Scroll.in took a stroll in the colony to speak to the Resident Welfare Association, the Tibetan Youth Congress and residents about what they expect out of the Chinese president's visit.
Here are six things that Tibetans in India want Modi to discuss with Xi.
1) Listen to Tibetans
Approximately 130 Tibetans, several monks among them, have immolated themselves since February 2009 in an attempt to draw attention to their cause, said 35-year-old Tenzin Jigme, the president of Tibetan Youth Congress. The Chinese president cannot continue to ignore these cries for attention. Modi should ask him to take these occurrences seriously and ask him to hear out the Tibetans before more decide to protest so tragically.
“The Chinese regime also needs to answer for torturing innocent Tibetans since 1949," said Jigme. "Thousands of our people have disappeared in the middle of the night, suspected to have been killed by the Chinese army. This has to stop.”
2) Meet the Dalai Lama
Tibetans also want the Indian prime minister and the Indian government to arrange a dialogue between the President Xi and the Dalai Lama. A peaceful solution can be achieved only if the two leaders sit down and discuss matters, they say.
3) Allow independent international media in Tibet
Tibetan refugees claim that though the Chinese government invites specific media groups to Tibet to showcase how peaceful it is, these are exercises in propaganda. For instance, they allege that when one Indian crew visited Tibet recently, the Chinese government set up interviews with people in Tibetan costumes who were actually Chinese.
"We know, because we can differentiate between the Tibetan and Chinese language," said Karten Tsering, president of the Samyeling New Aruna Nagar Colony Resident Welfare Association. "I heard those people posing as Tibetans talking to each other in Mandarin on a national news network.”
4) Release political prisoners
The refugees want the Chinese regime to release political leaders like Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, the Panchen Lama and Rungaye Adak. “This is the 21st century and no country should be allowed to imprison a political leader just for voicing out their separatist thought,” Jigme said. " Take the Kashmir example, there are so many separatist leaders in Kashmir who are rooting for an independent state, but the Indian government is not imprisoning them for voicing out their desires. Modi must ask Jinping to release our leaders immediately."
5) Protect freedom of speech and religion
In Tibet, worshipping the Dalai Lama is banned, as is speaking out against the Chinese government or voicing sentiments about Tibetan freedom, refugees said. “People found with a portrait in their homes even in monasteries are killed in public,” Tsering said. "We want the Prime Minister of India to stand for our freedom of speech and religion if not for the independence of Tibet ."
6) Give Tibet independence or autonomous status
Tibetans in Delhi are aware that it will not be easy for Tibet to get independence. Even the Dalai Lama has admitted that it would be easier to gain autonomous status, something like the relationship Northern Ireland has with the United Kingdom.
“If not total independence, at least an autonomous status will allow us to visit our motherland," said 42-year–old Phuntsok Rinzin, a merchandise seller who has never visited his hometown of Lithang. "Right now, if I even go to Tibet with a valid visa, I’ll be prosecuted. I know people who went there from India to visit their loved ones have disappeared.”
Helping Tibetans, said people in New Aruna Nagar, is in India's best interests. The long Indo-Tibetan border has witnessed many incursions by Chinese troops over the years, said Jigme. “Moreover, three major rivers that flow through India like Sutlej, Indus and Brahmaputra, originate in the Tibetan-plateau and the Indian government would not want to lose control of these water resources," he noted. "Hence, supporting our cause is in India’s interest as well.”
