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San Francisco Tibetans protest execution in Tibet

By Tenzin W Shakya

San Francisco Bay Area Tibetans gathered for a candle light vigil on Saturday night after the tragic news from the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights in India reporting that four Tibetans who were convicted for their alleged involvement in last year’s March Lhasa Uprising had been executed on 20 October by the Chinese government, which activists say is a violation of the civilised conduct standards following International Law policies on Human Rights issues.

The confirmed identified and executed are Lobsang Gyaltsen, aged 27, Loyak, aged 25, and Penkyi, aged 21. A fourth unidentified Tibetan was also reportedly executed on the same day.

“These individuals were denied their basic legal rights, and their trials were not conducted in accordance with international judicial standards. Despite Chinese law providing that these cases should have been trialed in open court — where independent observers could have attended — these four Tibetans have been prosecuted behind closed doors,” said Yangchen Lhamo, Board member of the Students for a Free Tibet.

These are also the first known executions of Tibetans since 2003, signalling an alarming escalation in the Chinese government’s violent campaign to punish any Tibetan who dares to speak out against Chinese rule, according to SF Team Tibet.

“Everyone should get their phones and call their US government representatives to demand an immediate response and denounce this travesty of justice, and ask for concrete actions on Tibet by President Obama during his upcoming visit to China,” said Tsering Dorjee, President of the San Francisco Regional Tibetan Youth Congress.

Wei Jingsheng, a well known Chinese Human Rights and Democracy activist and often referred to as “the leader for the opposition against the Chinese Communist dictatorship” was also present at this vigil and said he “supports the struggle of all people in China deserving of Human Rights”.

“President Obama has declined to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama and has succumbed to the Chinese government’s pressure… We must not beg him to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama instead we should say ‘Obama don’t go to China’,” said Giovanni Vasallo, President of the Bay Area Friends of Tibet and Committee of 100 for Tibet.

“That will make a statement and get progress for Human Rights and Democracy in China and Tibet,” he continued.

“Yes, we can certainly make a difference if we all raise our voices in unison. As such, we must join in solidarity with those who cannot speak and continue to suffer under the repressive Chinese government,” said Kunchok Tashi, Vice President of the Tibetan Association of Northern California.

SF Team Tibet has scheduled another protest outside the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco this Friday, 30 October from 12pm-3pm.

Organisers said yesterday that they have a surprise mock political theatre planned for the Obama Administration on Friday that represents their view of the “change” President Obama has presented to the Tibetan people by “surrendering to China’s pressure and ignoring Tibet,” according to SF Team Tibet.

Copyright © 2009 Tenzin W Shakya

Published in Tibet Sun