Tibetan activist addresses MPs in Westminster

Tenzin Tsundue stresses Britain’s obligation to support Tibet’s fight for freedom

[London] Tibetan activist and writer Tenzin Tsundue yesterday addressed MPs and Tibet supporters in the House of Commons, Westminster at a forum on Tibet organised by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet (APPGT) and the Tibet Society of the UK.

During the forum, Tsundue provided evidence of Tibet’s independence prior to 1959, showing a National Geographic article from 1934 featuring flags of the world and which records the flag of Tibet as entirely distinct from that of China. Tsundue also circulated copies of a Tibetan passport issued in 1947 containing official stamps from Britain demonstrating Britain’s recognition of Tibet as an independent nation. Holding a coin from independent Tibet, Tsundue said "these coins are now displayed in museums; if Tibetan people and their supporters don’t fight for independence, next we Tibetans will be in museums".

He went on to stress the urgency in finding a solution to Tibet, citing ongoing human rights abuses and social distrust through use of informers, saying "Inside Tibet, Tibetans do not speak about Tibet, parents are even afraid to tell their children about Tibet". He went on to say, "Tibet has a very clear history of independence and Britain is a witness to this. The British government has a clear responsibility to speak up on the issue and for its policy to support Tibet.

"The meeting was attended by a number of MPs including Fabian Hamilton, who recently went to Tibet on a Foreign Affairs Select Committee mission to the region. Mr Hamilton spoke about his impressions of the current situation in Tibet following his visit. Mrs Takla, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s official representative in Western Europe, also addressed the meeting and strongly urged western governments to proactively support the furthering of genuine negotiations between the Chinese and Tibetan governments.

In a letter to the Chair of the APPGT, Harry Cohen MP, a representative from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in London had earlier expressed concern over the "consequences of the Forum". The Chinese government still seems to view those seeking autonomy for Tibet as separatists aiming to split China and refers to China’s 1959 invasion of Tibet and subsequent occupation as "the peaceful liberation of Tibet".

Tenzin Tsundue is a restless young Tibetan, who after graduating from Madras, South India, braved snowstorms and treacherous mountains, broke all rules and restrictions, crossed the Himalayas on foot and went into forbidden Tibet! The purpose? To see the situation under Chinese occupation for himself and find out if he could lend a hand or two in the freedom struggle. He was arrested by the Chinese border police, and after cooling his feet in prison in Lhasa for three months, was finally pushed back to India.
Born to a Tibetan refugee family who laboured on India's border roads around Manali, North India, during the chaotic era of Tibetan refugee resettlement in the early seventies. Tenzin Tsundue is a writer-activist, a rare blend in the Tibetan community in exile.
He published a book of poems 'Crossing The Border' with the money begged and borrowed from his classmates while studying in Mumbai. His literary skills won him the first-ever 'Outlook-Picador Award for Non-Fiction' in 2001. In this all-India essay contest Tsundue took first prize from 900 other entries. His writings have been published in International PEN, The Indian PEN, The Indian Literary Panorama, The Little Magazine, Outlook, The Times of India, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, Better Photography, The Economic Times, Tehelka, Mid-Day (Mumbai), Afternoon (Mumbai), The Daily Star (Bangladesh), Today (Singapore), Tibetan Review, Tibetan Bulletin, Freedom First, Tibetan World, and Gandhi Marg. He represented Tibet in the Second South Asian Literary Conference in New Delhi in January 2005, which was organised by the premier Indian literary association, Sahitya Academy.
Tsundue joined Friends of Tibet (India) in 1999. Since then he's been working with the organisation as its general secretary. In January 2002 his profile peaked when he scaled scaffolding to the 14th floor of the Oberoi Towers in Mumbai to unfurl a Tibetan national flag and a banner which read "Free Tibet" down the hotel's facade. China's Premier Zhu Rongji was inside the hotel addressing a conference of Indian business tycoons. The world's media featured Tsundue's antics and Indian police officials reportedly congratulated him in prison for standing up for his rights. Recently, in April, he repeated a similar feat with a stunning protest that captured the imagination of the world. Single-handedly, he snatched the world media attention from the visiting Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jia Bao in the south Indian city, Bangalore.





"There was no point in sitting for a hunger strike at Azad Maidan, because Zhu Rongji would not even be aware of it. So I thought of doing something different to protest the Chinese occupation of Tibet and reiterate the Tibetans' demand for freedom," said a charged-up Tenzin Tsundue while sitting amidst the Friends of Tibet at a Churchgate restaurant, minutes after he was released on surety by the Cuffe Parade police.
Looking back on the most eventful day of his life, the 26-year-old attributed his successful demonstration, despite heavy security arrangements, to three factors 'hard work, courage and lots of luck'. Tsundue said, 'It's a mystery how I went unnoticed in spite of heavy police bandobast.'

"There was no point in sitting for a hunger strike at Azad Maidan, because Zhu Rongji would not even be aware of it. So I thought of doing something different to protest the Chinese occupation of Tibet and reiterate the Tibetans' demand for freedom," said a charged-up Tenzin Tsundue while sitting amidst the Friends of Tibet at a Churchgate restaurant, minutes after he was released on surety by the Cuffe Parade police.
Looking back on the most eventful day of his life, the 26-year-old attributed his successful demonstration, despite heavy security arrangements, to three factors 'hard work, courage and lots of luck'. Tsundue said, 'It's a mystery how I went unnoticed in spite of heavy police bandobast.'
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Preparations: Tsundue began preparing for the demonstration almost a week ago, after learning about the Chinese premier's Mumbai itinerary through newspapers. He himself stitched together three Chinese national flags to make the 30-foot banner that had 'Free Tibet' inscribed on it.
A day before executing his plan, Tsundue surveyed the area surrounding Hotel Oberoi to choose the spot for his protest. Seeing the scaffolding raised near the northern gate of Hotel Oberoi, Tsundue decided he would ascend it the next day and climb up to the poolside area, from where he would unfurl the Tibetan flag and the banner. Tsundue said, 'Till the last moment, even I didn't know that eventually I would climb 14 floors before launching my demonstration.'
Close Call:The next day, with the banner and the Tibetan flag strapped onto his back and hidden under a sleeveless black coat, Tsundue had barely reached Express Towers at around 10.20am when he heard the motorcade of the Chinese premier passing by.
'I waited for the motorcade to pass, so that the security officials' attention would shift to the museum the Chinese premier was going to. In the meantime, I would go up and take up a position along the wall by the time he came back.'
Even as he was about to jump the three-foot-high fence to reach the scaffolding, he saw a policeman walk towards him. Tsundue said, 'For a moment I thought it was all over, but to my relief he walked by. I stood rooted to the ground for a while and then swiftly jumped over the fence and made my way up the scaffold.'
Hoodwinking Security:As soon as the five-foot-three-inch Tsundee ascended to the poolside area, almost three storeys off the ground, he bumped into a group of workmen who were repairing a section of the hotel.
Pressed into striking a conversation to explain his climb up the scaffold, Tsundue bluffed that 'Prakash cementwala' had sent him to meet 'Mr Inamdar'. When the workers said that there was no Inamdar amidst them, he proceeded towards the main building, pretending to search for 'Inamdar'.
After another close shave, this time with a hotel security guard, Tsundue wasted no time in climbing onto the ladder supporting the materials lift. By the time he climbed the height of almost 150 feet and reached the 14th floor of the hotel, a sizeable crowd had assembled near the poolside.
On Top:Even as people urged him to climb down, Tsundue strapped himself to the ladder with a hook, unfolded the 30-foot banner and tied it to the ladder. He proceeded to unfurl the Tibetan national flag and began shouting pro-Tibet, anti-China slogans and flung leaflets towards the ground.
By now Tsundue's actions had attracted passers-by. Within minutes, hundreds of Nariman Point pedestrians had stopped in their tracks, bringing traffic to a halt. Amidst all the chaos, Tsundue looked across to the new wing of Hotel Oberoi and saw one of the Chinese delegates accompanying Rongji pull aside the curtain of his room to look at him. Tsundue said, 'In no time, every window on the entire floor had a Chinese face looking at me and I was proud to show them the Tibetan flag. That one moment was worth it all.'
Meanwhile, the hotel's security personnel threatened to release the materials lift above his head if he failed to climb down. An unfazed Tsundue held on. 'I did not worry about the threat being carried out, knowing that I was in India and not in China,' he said.
'Maine apna kaam kar liya hai, ab aap apna kaam kijiye':After almost 40 minutes of protesting and being strapped to the ladder, Tsundue was finally pulled into a nearby hotel room by Mumbai police officials.
He said, 'The moment I was inside the room, I just lifted my hands and surrendered. I said, 'Maine apna kaam kar liya hai, ab aap apna kaam kijiye'.' After some minutes of frisking and questioning, Tsundue was whisked away to Cuffe Parade Police Station through the service exit, even as eager journalists waited at the main entrance for him to emerge. With a hint of pride, he said, 'Even CID officials wondered how I managed to climb the 14 storeys despite heavy security.' He quickly added that he felt sorry for the security personnel who would run into trouble for his successful protest.
When Tsundue revisited the spot of his heroics late last night, he couldn't help but stare at the towering hotel. When asked what he was thinking, he said, 'I wonder how I did it.'