Published by: World Tibet Network News,Thursday, Mar 14, 1996

by Chope Paljor Tsering

BUDAPEST, March 13, 1996 -- A large public demonstration in front of the Chinese Embassy at 4.pm marked the 37th Tibetan National uprising day, March 10th anniversary, in Budapest. The demonstration was organized by Hungarian Tibet Support Association. An estimated 1500 fifteen hundred people participated in this demonstration.

The demonstrators carried placards which read "Tibet for Tibetans, FREE TIBET, Stop Genocide, and quit Tibet. Everyone carried a small Tibetan National Flag, charmed bells.

Speeches were preceded by singing of 'Dentsig Monlam, Prayer of Truth composed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1959, by the eight member of Tibetan community. Speeches were made by Mr. Jankovic, Secretary of the organizer, Mr. P. Farkas, Rector of the Buddhist College and Representative Paljor Tsering. Mr. Tibor Hendre read the message of H. H. the Dalai Lama in Hungarian. Candles were lit around a huge map of Tibet, drawn in the colour of Tibetan National Flag on the road in front of the Chinese Embassy. They charmed bells and raised the Tibetan flag every now and than. A pop group sang a song called Lhasa town, "stop Lhasa town turning into China town". After singing "we shall overcome" by a well-known singer, the crowd silently Marched to a Concert Hall called Freedom House in the Centre of the City where local artists performed a concert for Tibet.

Although a dozen or so Chinese with video and still camera could be seen taking pictures no one came to answer the door bell when the organizers tried to give them a protest letter.

There are reports of Demonstrations in front of the Chinese Embassy in Warsaw, Vilnius and Prague and Bucharest as well. The Demonstration in Prague took place at 5.pm on Monday. There were about three hundred people. This was preceded by a talk on Tibet on the 5th and a concert on the 7th. March 1996.

The demonstration in Vilnius was organized by Free Tibet Foundation. It was held in the main city square.

In Warsaw, it was organized by the Polish Tibetan Friendship Association. It was held in front of the Chinese Embassy. There were about 200 people. Speeches were made by the organizers and message of His Holiness was read in Polish by a Tibetan student, Mr. Wangchuk. Like in Budapest several Chinese are said seen taking photographs. The organizers have distributed pamphlets on Tibet a collected several thousand signatures the previous day. There were wide press and media coverage of the whole event.

For the first time in Romania, this day was observed in Bucharest. A placard waving group of around 20 people marched to the Chinese Embassy at 10 am. A Chinese believed to be second Secretary scolded them by saying that they should go to a restaurant or a bar rather than at their Embassy. He wondered what made them, friends of China, to turn into enemy asked the guard to ask them to leave. they stayed there for one more hour braving a very cold weather.

Report filed by Tibet House, Budapest,