Kalon Takla concern over conditions of Tibetans inside Tibet
Sunday, 27 April 2008, 2:44 p.m.
Kalon Kesang Yangkyi Takla/File Photo |
London: Kalon Kesang Y Takla,
Kalon for the Department of Information and International Relations has
expressed serious concern over the fate of the Tibetans inside Tibet
due to deprivation of water and food supply caused by heavy
restrictions imposed by the Chinese authorities.
Kalon Takla was addressing an evening talk on the current crisis in
Tibet at a musical concert dedicated to “dialogue and peace in Tibet”,
in London during her two-day UK leg of Europe visit on 26 April.
During her visits to – Denmark, Norway and Sweden – she had
addressed conferences on Tibet and also met with senior government
officials and parliamentarians to explain the urgency of the current
situation inside Tibet.
She said in late March there was a confirmed report of one monk
having died due to starvation. With no foreign reporters and tourists
in Tibet and the tight control over people’s movements and mass
arrests. She said one Tibetan from Tibet had even called a radio talk
show to inform how the situation in Tibet was a like living in a
prison.
Answering a question related to widespread international
protests supporting the rights of the Tibetan people vis-a-vis China’s
obsession with the coming Olympics in Beijing, the Tibetan Foreign
Minster after explaining the reasons behind the Tibetan protests
against the Chinese rule said that the question that needs to be asked
is what is more important: Saving the Olympic torch or human lives?
“And when an English member of the audience asked how they can
help”, Kalon Takla said it is important to keep the pressure on China
and that they could also write to their parliament members and the
government to champion the cause of Tibet. She said the Tibetan people
were not anti-Chinese and that His Holiness the Dalai Lama was one of
the first leaders in the world to support China’s candidature to host
the Olympics in Beijing.
“I therefore ask the Chinese to understand the Tibetans,” said
Kalon Takla addressing the remark especially to the Chinese female in
the audience, who had earlier asked a question.
The evening’s musical performance for Tibet given by Monica
Smith and Wolfang Deinert was organised jointly by the Kailash Centre
and the Office of Tibet.
Yesterday, Kalon Takla was met by officials of the Foreign
Office and also interviewed about the Tibet crisis by the BBC
television. On Thursday, she discussed the Tibet situation with Mr Mike
Gapes, MP and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and at whose
invitation His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be participating at a
hearing on Tibet during his visit to the UK next month.
She also had a separate meeting with members of the All Party
Parliamentary Group for Tibet which has been on the forefront of
initiating parliamentary debates on Tibet and also introduction of
Early Day Motions aimed to mobilise parliamentary show of concern for
various issues relating to the just Tibetan cause.
Tomorrow, she will be leaving for the Irish capital Dublin,
where among other engagements, she has a scheduled meeting with the
Chairman of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Political Director
at the Department of Foreign Affairs and the All Party Oireachtas Group
for Tibet. She will also separately meet with members of the Tibet
Support Group – Ireland and the Tibetan Community in Ireland.
–Based on report filed by the Office of Tibet, London