CANBERRA: The Tibetan community in Australia and supporters have sought stronger support from the Australian government and members of parliament to press China to resolve the issue of Tibet.
Tibetans and Tibet supporters from across Australia today gathered on the lawns of the Parliament House in Canberra to make their appeal. They organised a massive rally to highlight the critical situation in Tibet and the tragic self-immolations by Tibetans in protest China’s repressive rule. A large number of Chinese supporters from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra participated in the rally in support of the Tibetans.
Addressing the gathering at the Parliament House, the Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mr Sonam Dagpo, spoke on the current situation in Tibet and the need for the Australian Government’s support for the Tibet cause.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young addressed the gathering of over 150 Tibetans and Tibet supporters to call for human rights and urgent help to resolve the escalating crisis in Tibet.
Professor Hong Bing Yuan, an exiled Chinese professor, referred to the Tibetan people’s self-immolation as a movement of freedom in protest against the Chinese government’s cultural genocide in Tibet.
Lhamo Tenzin, the president of the Canberra Tibetan community, appealed to Prime Minister Julia Gillard to make a strong public statement of concern over the situation in Tibet.
He requested the prime minister to renew efforts to send the Ambassador in Beijing and a parliamentary delegation to the Tibetan areas affected by the self-immolation protests, and urge China to allow foreign journalists unfettered access to all Tibetan areas.
He also appealed to her to join other concerned countries in intergovernmental forums dedicated to building stronger international pressure on China to address the crisis in Tibet.
Australia Tibet Council organised Tibet Advocacy Day by 12 young Tibetans lobbying for Tibet with the Australian parliamentarians. Mr Warren Entsch, MP and party whip of the Liberal Party in the Parliament tabled the petition on Tibet signed by more than 3,000 people initiated by Australia Tibet Council.