Peace Rally in Tokyo Against Siege of Kirti Monastery in Tibet[Tibet House Japan, Sunday, 22 May 2011, 3:49 p.m.]

Carrying banner with slogan “Wen Jiabao, Stop Oppression in Kirti Monastery in Tibet”, Japanese supporters join Tibetans during a peace rally in Tokyo Sunday against the military blockade of Kirti Monastery in Ngaba in northeastern Tibet’s Amdo Province.

Tokyo:
Around eighty Tibetans and Japanese gathered at Jingudori Park in Tokyo
for a peace rally against the siege of Kirti Monastery in Amdo province
of Tibet by the Chinese security forces and the injustice that is going
on in the region. Student for Free Tibet (SFT) Japan chapter
and Tibetan community in Japan organised the rally on Sunday which
coincides with the visit of China’s Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in Tokyo.President
of SFT Japan chapter Mr Tsering Dorjee welcomed the participants and
described the grave situation in Kirti monastery and the police
brutality. He said that the SFT has written to Japan’s Foreign Ministry
on the issue to request the Japanese government to press its Chinese
counterpart to deal with the situation peacefully and to release the
people arrested unjustly.Mr Tsewang Gyalpo Arya of Liaison
Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama thanked the organisers and the
participants for their concern and interest in the issue of Tibet. He
said that this protest march is not to protest the visit of the Chinese
Premier, but to draw his attention to the great injustice happening in
Tibet in general and Kirti monastery in particular at the moment. While
we welcome good relationship between Japan and China for peace and
stability in Asia, through this protest march, “we strongly appeal to
Premier Wen Jiabao to stop the police brutality and the infamous
‘patriotic reeducation’ campaign in the monastery, and try to resolve
the Tibet issue peacefully,” he said.Ven. Kawahara of Reingein
Monastery said that the Japanese public and government should not stay
aloof to what is happening in Tibet. The problem in Tibet is a issue of
freedom, justice and morality. As Buddhist practitioners, we all must
raise our voice against injustice perpetrated against the monks in
Tibet.Demonstrators marched through the busy Meijidori street
of Shibuya carrying Tibetan flags and raising slogans “Free Tibet,
Tibet for Tibetans, We want freedom” etc. Being Sunday, the street was
full of pedestrians, who showed their support by waving and uttering
slogans along with the demonstrators. Some participants have come all
the way from faraway regions like, Kyushu, Osaka, Nagano etc. Local
police authorities have also arranged good number of security people to
ward off any untoward incidents.Wen Jiabao is in Tokyo to
attend the trilateral summit among Japan, China and South Korea on
disaster relief and nuclear safety, and other issues relating to trade
and commerce in view of the difficulties that Japan is facing due to
earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters. Critics say that Chinese
Premier will use this summit meeting opportunity to visit the
earthquake and tsunami affected areas to gain the goodwill of the
Japanese public.