[Jakarta, Indonesia] Protests, vigils, and marches took place in dozens of cities around the globe today, stepping up demands for the Olympic Torch not to be carried through Tibet on its five-month relay. The events were timed to coincide with the arrival of the Olympic Torch for the first time in Beijing and reflect growing momentum for Tibetan areas to be removed from the Torch Relay. In Tibet, food and water supplies have reportedly been cut off at the three major monasteries around Lhasa. One hundred and forty Tibetans have died and more than a thousand Tibetans have been detained since the uprising began with peaceful protests on 10 March.
In Jakarta, The Indonesian Society For A Free Tibet, an alliance comprising of various non-governmental organizations and concerned citizens, staged a solidarity action in front of the Chinese Embassy in Mega Kuningan with various orations, inter-faith prayers, performances and theatrical plays, ending with the delivery of an open letter to Hu Jintao which was read earlier.