Tibetan community in Japan leads Global Rights March in Tokyo on UN Human Rights Day

TOKYO: The Tibetan community in Japan, alongside representatives from 11 other countries, commemorated the 76th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a significant public gathering and peace march at the Shibuya Women’s Plaza Hall in Tokyo, as reported by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

The day commenced with a tranquil demonstration outside the Chinese Embassy, where protesters voiced their demands for freedom in Tibet, East Turkestan, and Southern Mongolia, calling for an end to political oppression and cultural erasure while denouncing the Chinese government’s alleged human rights violations and restrictions on religious and cultural practices.

In the opening remarks, Tashi Yangzom, Secretary of Tibet House Japan (also known as the Office of Tibet), addressed the audience and expressed her appreciation for their support. She underscored the persistent issues within Tibet, highlighting the growing replacement of the Tibetan language with Mandarin in educational institutions and the fact that nearly one million Tibetan children are separated from their families and placed in colonial boarding schools. She referenced the 157 self-immolations by Tibetans since 2009 as protests against Chinese Communist Party policies, urging the global community to stand in solidarity with marginalised groups and reaffirming Tibet’s commitment to non-violent resistance, as stated in the CTA report.

Tashi Yangzom also thanked nations that uphold democracy and human rights, particularly Japan, for providing a platform to elevate the voices of those facing oppression.

Delegates from Myanmar, Cambodia, Belarus, Taiwan, East Turkestan, Southern Mongolia, Hong Kong, mainland China, North Korea, and Ukraine shared testimonies of political repression and human rights abuses in their regions, calling for solidarity among those living under authoritarian regimes and appealing for international intervention to end violence and restore freedom, as noted in the CTA report.

Dorjee Sichoe, President of the Tibetan Community Japan, and Tsering Dorjee, President of Students for a Free Tibet, also spoke while Kameda Taro of Students for a Free Tibet Japan served as the moderator for the session.

After the speeches, around 200 participants marched through Aoyama, Omotesando, and Shibuya. The streets resonated with chants calling for freedom and democracy, while flags from numerous countries flew above the crowd. Thousands of onlookers, including locals and tourists, observed the demonstration as participants raised their voices against human rights violations and sought global awareness. The event concluded without incident, reaffirming a collective hope for justice, freedom, and the safeguarding of human rights around the world, according to the CTA report. (ANI)