The Tibetan Community in Victoria will hold a 24-hour solidarity fast and a series of public events in Melbourne this week following the death of Tibetan activist Lobsang Palden, whose self-immolation outside the United Nations headquarters in New York has drawn renewed attention to human rights concerns in Tibet.
The fast will begin at 10am on Wednesday, 8 July outside the Chinese Consulate in Melbourne and continue until 10am on Thursday, 9 July. It will be followed by a peaceful protest outside the consulate from 10am to noon, before participants march to the State Library for a prayer vigil running until 5pm.
The community says the events honour Lobsang Palden, also known as Lobga Rangzen, while drawing attention to China’s Ethnic Unity and Progress Law, which came into effect on 1 July, and what organisers describe as its impact on Tibetan language, faith, culture and identity.
Lobsang Palden, 52, died after live-streaming his self-immolation outside the United Nations headquarters in New York City on 2 July. The protest came a day after the law took effect. Organisers say it was the first known Tibetan self-immolation in the United States and the first documented outside India, Nepal and Tibet.
The Tibetan Community in Victoria is urging the Australian Government, the United Nations and other world leaders to speak out on Tibet, oppose what it describes as forced assimilation, and support the protection of Tibetan children, language, faith, culture and identity.
The community’s president said the latest protest reflected longstanding concerns among Tibetans.
“To date, 170 Tibetans have self-immolated in protest against Chinese rule, with 157 of those self-immolations taking place inside Tibet. This clearly reflects the severity of repression Tibetans face under the Chinese government’s policies,” the president said.
“We fast today in solidarity, so Lobsang Palden’s message is heard: Tibetan language is not a crime; Tibetan culture is not a crime; Tibetan identity is not a crime.”
The Melbourne events will include the launch of the “Light One Candle for Lobga Rangzen” social media campaign. A global online candle-lighting event is scheduled for 16 July at 6pm, with supporters invited to light a candle or butter lamp and share photos or videos online in solidarity with Tibetans.
In a written statement issued last week, Sikyong (President) Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration expressed sorrow over Lobsang Palden’s death while urging Tibetans to preserve their lives.
“While we honour his devotion, human life is precious and must be preserved to serve the long-term struggle for Tibet,” said the Sikyong.
“On behalf of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), I earnestly urge all fellow Tibetans to cherish your lives. The unfolding genocide inside Tibet and the enforcement of the draconian ‘Ethnic Unity and Progress Law’ on 1 July are what drove Lobga Rangzen to this tragic decision. He joins at least 157 Tibetans inside Tibet who have offered their lives to draw global attention to the brutal repression endured under Chinese rule.
“I urgently call upon Tibetans in exile, world governments, and international human rights institutions to recognize the severe crisis inside Tibet, to stand up, and to speak out at this critical moment in our history,” he said.
The Chinese Government has consistently rejected allegations of human rights abuses in Tibet, saying its policies promote economic development, ethnic unity and social stability.
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