World Tibet Network News Saturday, April 18, 1998
From: "DIIR, Dsala" TYC PRESS RELEASE April 17, 1998
The six hunger strikers walk about unaided. New Delhi's maximum temperature hovers around 37 degree celcius. But the luxuriant foliage of a giant tree provides awning to the hunger strikers tent, keeping them relatively cool.
A team of TYC volunteers toil hard to keep the place clean. Besides, the TYC central executive members are always on hand to cater to the needs of the hunger strikers and answer questions from visitors, who keep on pouring in.
About 10 kilometers away at Raj Ghat, 15 TYC activists from Shimla concludes their 120 hour fast of solidarity. Their place is taken by 15 young men and women fromt he Tibetan communities in Pandoh and Kullu. They too will fast for 120 hours. The TYC members from Shimla followed six earlier batches of fasters from Dekyling, rajpur, Hertbertpur, Paonta Sahib, Puruwala and Solan, respecively. Each of these branches had fasted for 120 hours in a relay strike that began on 16 March.
Elsewhere, in the northern extreme of India, the Ladakh Himalayan Action Committee on Tibet is staging a chain fast at Leh. Their fast began on 1 April and is slated to go on until 30 April. Presently, 12 Ladhakis are fasting there. As they began their fast yesterday, they were addressed by Lama Thipa Lobzang Tharchin of Likir Gon-youl Thundel Tsogspa. All Ladakh Gonpa ( monastery) Association also expressed its support to the TYC movement for the freedom of Tibet.
From Switzerland, the Tibetan Women's Organization wrote to us to express its appreciation to the six hunger strikers. The women's organization also requested for the end of the hunger strike, saying "we request you not to die but to live with us for the Tibetan cause". But the hunger strikers themselves feel that for a goal as dear as freedom Tibetans must be willing to pay any price, even if that be life itself.
So far, 20,000 post cards (appeal letter to the UN secretary General) printed by TYC have been mailed by people from differnt parts of the world. Similarly, 100,000 leaflets on th eunger strike have been distributed.
Tseten Norbu, President
