Grand Tibet Solidarity Rally held in Geneva
“International Community and Human Rights Council must act on Tibet”: More than 1,000 Tibetans and supporters including speakers from 6 European countries participated in Grand Tibet Solidarity rally in Geneva.
Geneva, 9 June: Coinciding with the 35th UN Human Rights Council session taking place in Geneva, a massive rally to call on the international community and the United Nations Human Rights Council to act on Tibet was held in Geneva on 9 June. The rally was attended by more than a thousand Tibetans and Tibet supporters along with speakers from six European countries (Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland).
The rally was in tune with the 15th Kashag’s declaration of 2017 as Year of Campaign to call on peace loving nations and international bodies to raise the Tibet issue with China in their bilateral meetings.
The rally was organised by the Tibetan Community in Switzerland & Liechtenstein, the Swiss Tibetan Friendship Association (GSTF) and the International Campaign for Tibet. A number of speakers at the rally spoke about the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibet, particularly referring to the recent case of self-immolations in Tibet this year with sense of solidarity from the international communities.
On posters and placards, rally participants called for the release of the Panchen Lama and Tibetan language advocate Tashi Wangchuk.
Mr. André Gattolin, member of the French Senate speaking at the Tibet Solidarity Rally, 9 June 2017.
In a joint memorandum to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said, the organizations called for an end to human rights violations in Tibet, the release of the Panchen Lama including all political prisoners, and access to Tibet for the UN Human Rights High Commissioner.
The organizations also called the UN member states to make China accountable in the upcoming universal periodic review of the PRC in 2018 in the Human Rights Council.
The rally started off at Palais Wilson and moved on in front of the Palais des Nations, the seat of the United Nations in Geneva.
Among the speakers were Mr. Martin Bursik, former Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Mr. Norman Baker, former deputy home minister of the UK, Chinese journalist and dissident Mr. Zhang Phing from Germany, Mr. André Gattolin, member of the French Senate, Mr. Rene Longet, former member of the Swiss parliament, Mr. Yvan Rochat, Mayor of Vernier GE and member of the Green Party, Mr. Stefano Dallari, President of Casa del Tibet as well as Jampa Tsering Samdho, member of the Tibetan parliament in exile.
The rally concluded at 3 pm followed by recitation of prayers to mark Saka dawa led by abbot of Rikon monastery.
-Report filed by Office of Tibet, Geneva-
