Tibetans spring surprise on meet

Bengaluru, Oct. 27: Fourteen Tibetan youth, who were trying to draw attention to the Tibet issue, attempted to barge into the Leela Palace where India, China and Russia were engaged in trilateral talks on Tuesday.

The police, however, managed to stop the protestors and take them into custody. According to a police officer, “Since the meeting was on inside the hotel policemen manning the place were kept on high alert as to act at the slightest hint of trouble.”

The youth, members of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC), had carefully planned the protest, entering the Manipal Hospital opposite Leela Palace at 5 am, much before the talks could begin, and waited there for four hours before attempting to barge into the hotel, the venue of the meeting. The police, which had no hint of their presence in the vicinity, were taken by surprise when they came out brandishing flags and banners.

The Tibetans managed to stage their surprise by making sure to enter the hospital in different groups on bikes as there is no restriction to the entry of bikes at the main entrance of the hospital. Twelve of them waited at the hospital canteen, while two others remained at the parking lot.
When the meeting began around 10 am, two of the protesters ran across the busy airport road to
enter the hotel, but were stopped by the police immediately. The other 12 then followed.
“The idea of our peaceful protest is to draw the attention of world leaders to the sufferings of our fellow Tibetans back in our homeland. We are living like refugees here in India, while our brothers and sisters are suffering back home. We want to make the Chinese leaders understand the agony we are going through,” said Tenzin Gawa, a Tibetan student.
The police said the protesters will not be released until the Chinese delegation leaves Bengaluru Thursday evening.