TYC calls off indefinite hunger strike
Phayul[Thursday, May 19, 2011 16:01]
New Delhi, May 19 - The indefinite hunger strike by 3 executive members of the largest pro-independence group of the Tibetan Diaspora has been called off today. The 3 executive members, Dhondup Lhadar, Tenzin Norsang and Konchok Yangphel, have been admitted to a hospital here after 25 days without food.
"In view of staunch requests from the delegation of European Union and their assurance for a continued support for Tibet, in particular the issue at Ngaba Kirti Monastery coupled with pleas from our brothers and sisters inside Tibet, we have decided to indefinitely call off the hunger strike today," the TYC said in a statement posted on its facebook page.
The Tibetan Youth Congress said it has received requests from various people and organizations including people from inside Tibet asking it to call the fast off due to the deteriorating health of the 3 activists.
"These requests – sent from our brothers and sisters inside our occupied homeland and from the Tibetans in exile all over the world– touched us deeply", said a statement by the TYC.
Today, an EU delegation headed by Ms Anne Vaughier Chatterjee, Attache, European Union Delegation to India, and officials from various Embassies and High Commissions requested the hunger strike to be called off due to the deteriorating health of the executive members, according to the TYC statement.
The TYC said the delegation had written a letter to it signed by members of the European Parliament including, Heidi Hautala, Chair of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Laszlo Tokes, MEP Vice-President of the EP responsible for religious dialogue, Edward McMillan-Scott, MEP Vice-President of the EP responsible for human rights and democracy and Gagriele Albertini, MEP Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
“We the members of the European Parliament are fully committed to defending human rights in the world and understand your demands and fully support your ongoing peaceful struggle against the oppression of the Chinese government…”, excerpts from the letter said. “…In the light of the above, we hereby reiterate our commitment to keep the issue of Tibet high on our agenda. We also believe that it would be of vital importance to send EU delegation as well as support independent journalists enter the region…”http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif the letter continued.
Exile government's Prime minister Samdhong Rinpoche and his successor Dr. Lobsang Sangay had visited the activists at Jantar Mantar earlier and urged the TYC to end the fast. The Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who was in the United States last week, had conveyed his concerns for the three activists' health through Samdhong Rinpoche.
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=29560&article=TYC+calls+off+indefinite+hunger+strike
---
