CHINA:MEMBERS OF the Tibetan community in Ireland were among those who demonstrated in Dublin yesterday to support the Dalai Lama's call for an international investigation into China's crackdown on recent protests in Tibet.
More than 100 protesters gathered on O'Connell Street before making their way to the Dáil where they handed in a letter calling on Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern to exert pressure on the Chinese authorities to allow an investigation.
The demonstration was organised by the Tibetan community in conjunction with the Tibet Support Group-Ireland. Protesters held aloft Tibetan flags, banners reading "Free Tibet" and pictures of the Dalai Lama. Several helped carry a black coffin-like box draped in the Tibetan flag. "Never give up," read one placard.
Namgyal Damdul, originally from Tibet but now living in Ireland, helped organise the protest. "Our message is quite simple," he said. "We support the Dalai Lama's call for international investigators to be allowed into Tibet as soon as possible. In addition we are calling for the international media to have free access to Tibet because the situation there is much worse than the Chinese are projecting.
"We are also urging politicians of the world who have accepted invitations to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing to boycott it. This ceremony is a political event, not a sporting event." Mr Ahern said yesterday that he will meet representatives of the Tibet Support Group-Ireland today to discuss concerns about the situation in Tibet and neighbouring provinces.
The Minister said he deplored the loss of life that had occurred during the recent unrest.
"Again I call for maximum restraint on all sides and for the release of imprisoned peaceful protesters. It is important that the facts of what has occurred are established," Mr Ahern said.