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200 PEOPLE FOR TIBET INDEPENDENCE IN MARSELLE (FRANCE)
By Mathieu Vernerey
Phayul, Tibet
March 12 2007
We were nearly two hundred people gathered in Marseille (France)
to commemorate the Tibetan Uprising of March 10th 1959. These last
years, it was very difficult to mobilize people since the conjecture
of 2002 when the Tibetan Government in Exile requested to refrain
demonstrations, what created some confusion among Tibet supporters
in France and all over the world. This year in Marseille, we were
not many more people, maybe some few more, but there were old faces
and new ones.
This year in Marseille, people came back with a new spirit, with a
new hope and with a new determination. We shouted slogans for two
hours non-stop. We shouted slogans at the top our voice and from the
bottom of our heart : "Freedom for Tibet, Independence for Tibet,
Selfdetermination for Tibetan People, Last Chance for Negociations,
Decolonization of Tibet, No Olympics in China".
We walked during two hours from the Justice Palace to the Chinese
Consulate. We walked during two hours across the city over seven
miles. We walked and we shouted for the Tibetan Freedom.
After these two hours of walk and of so inspiring shouts, we arrived
in front of the Chinese Consulate. There were security policemen
waiting for us and protecting Chinese Consulate and French interests.
Of course, our protest was a peaceful one, but an energic one. But
more important, there were also French elected people waiting for us
protecting Tibetan sovereignty and French dignity.
Facing the Chinese Consulate, we unfurled gigantic banderoles
and large Tibetan flags. Then we started the solemn introduction
(Tibetan National Hymn and few minutes of silence) before reading
the Message of His Holliness the Dalai Lama. His appeal to unity was
very inspiring. His appeal to support TGIE's Middle Way Approach was
legitimate and of course we listened to him.
We red some main parts of a last article of Jamyang Norbu (Looking
Back From Nangpa-La)also. By keeping in mind the words of Jamyang
Norbu, we remembered March 10th 1959. And so, on March 10th 1959,
Tibetan people may have surrounded the Norbulingka not only because
of fear that the Dalai Lama was about to be captured, but because
that he would make more concessions to Chinese demands, essentialy on
matters of sovereignty. What the Tibetan people basically did on that
March day in 1959 was declare : "We want the Dalai Lama back". And
they took him back.
After this, French elected people addressed to the meeting :
the Socialist MP (PS) Mr Christophe Masse, a representative of the
Republican MP (UMP) Mr Dominique Tian and the Green Regional Councillor
(Les Verts) Ms Catherine Levraud. They all expressed their strong
support to the peaceful struggle of the Tibetan people. They also
supported the Dalai Lama appeal for dialogue with China. But at the
same time, they acknowledged that there was no positive answer from
China and that there was no improvement in Tibet. So, after expressing
their support to the Middle Way Approach as a good and peaceful stand,
they said : "We support Tibetan Sovereignty. We support Tibetan right
to independence. Tibetans are not Chinese.
Tibetans are Tibetans. We support Tibetan Freedom".
A representative of the FRA Nor Seround (Socialist Armenian Youth)
expressed the support of her organization and of her community to
the just cause of Tibet. Being very optimistic, she feels that one
day Tibetan people will also get justice.
This demonstration in Marseille was held by the Marseillian TSG Tibet
Destination Rangzen which supports Tibetan Independence for more than
fifteen years. During all that journey, Tibet Destination Rangzen
collected some medical material for the Guchusum to bring help to
former political prisoners who are now refugees in exile. This is
why we all together remembered the Nangpa-La tragedy : "Remember
Nangpa-La ! Never give up Freedom!"
We were very happy to join this global revival of the Tibetan struggle
all over the world on this day. We were happy to believe again with
all our friends around the world that next time Tibet will restore
its sovereignty and its complete independence. We were happy to walk
and shout for a Free and Independent Tibet.
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?ar ticle=200+people+for+Tibet+Independence+in+Marsell e(France)&id=15932
By Mathieu Vernerey
Phayul, Tibet
March 12 2007
We were nearly two hundred people gathered in Marseille (France)
to commemorate the Tibetan Uprising of March 10th 1959. These last
years, it was very difficult to mobilize people since the conjecture
of 2002 when the Tibetan Government in Exile requested to refrain
demonstrations, what created some confusion among Tibet supporters
in France and all over the world. This year in Marseille, we were
not many more people, maybe some few more, but there were old faces
and new ones.
This year in Marseille, people came back with a new spirit, with a
new hope and with a new determination. We shouted slogans for two
hours non-stop. We shouted slogans at the top our voice and from the
bottom of our heart : "Freedom for Tibet, Independence for Tibet,
Selfdetermination for Tibetan People, Last Chance for Negociations,
Decolonization of Tibet, No Olympics in China".
We walked during two hours from the Justice Palace to the Chinese
Consulate. We walked during two hours across the city over seven
miles. We walked and we shouted for the Tibetan Freedom.
After these two hours of walk and of so inspiring shouts, we arrived
in front of the Chinese Consulate. There were security policemen
waiting for us and protecting Chinese Consulate and French interests.
Of course, our protest was a peaceful one, but an energic one. But
more important, there were also French elected people waiting for us
protecting Tibetan sovereignty and French dignity.
Facing the Chinese Consulate, we unfurled gigantic banderoles
and large Tibetan flags. Then we started the solemn introduction
(Tibetan National Hymn and few minutes of silence) before reading
the Message of His Holliness the Dalai Lama. His appeal to unity was
very inspiring. His appeal to support TGIE's Middle Way Approach was
legitimate and of course we listened to him.
We red some main parts of a last article of Jamyang Norbu (Looking
Back From Nangpa-La)also. By keeping in mind the words of Jamyang
Norbu, we remembered March 10th 1959. And so, on March 10th 1959,
Tibetan people may have surrounded the Norbulingka not only because
of fear that the Dalai Lama was about to be captured, but because
that he would make more concessions to Chinese demands, essentialy on
matters of sovereignty. What the Tibetan people basically did on that
March day in 1959 was declare : "We want the Dalai Lama back". And
they took him back.
After this, French elected people addressed to the meeting :
the Socialist MP (PS) Mr Christophe Masse, a representative of the
Republican MP (UMP) Mr Dominique Tian and the Green Regional Councillor
(Les Verts) Ms Catherine Levraud. They all expressed their strong
support to the peaceful struggle of the Tibetan people. They also
supported the Dalai Lama appeal for dialogue with China. But at the
same time, they acknowledged that there was no positive answer from
China and that there was no improvement in Tibet. So, after expressing
their support to the Middle Way Approach as a good and peaceful stand,
they said : "We support Tibetan Sovereignty. We support Tibetan right
to independence. Tibetans are not Chinese.
Tibetans are Tibetans. We support Tibetan Freedom".
A representative of the FRA Nor Seround (Socialist Armenian Youth)
expressed the support of her organization and of her community to
the just cause of Tibet. Being very optimistic, she feels that one
day Tibetan people will also get justice.
This demonstration in Marseille was held by the Marseillian TSG Tibet
Destination Rangzen which supports Tibetan Independence for more than
fifteen years. During all that journey, Tibet Destination Rangzen
collected some medical material for the Guchusum to bring help to
former political prisoners who are now refugees in exile. This is
why we all together remembered the Nangpa-La tragedy : "Remember
Nangpa-La ! Never give up Freedom!"
We were very happy to join this global revival of the Tibetan struggle
all over the world on this day. We were happy to believe again with
all our friends around the world that next time Tibet will restore
its sovereignty and its complete independence. We were happy to walk
and shout for a Free and Independent Tibet.
http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?ar ticle=200+people+for+Tibet+Independence+in+Marsell e(France)&id=15932