World Tibet Network News Tuesday, April 28, 1998

By A Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Tibetan refugees camping at their Jantar Mantar protest spot said they would continue their struggle, though they were sad their colleague, Thupten Ngodup, had to undergo such pain.

``Our condition is miserable. We will continue the struggle and are preparing another batch of protestors who will remain on fast from Tuesday,'' said 53-year-old Dawa Tsering, one of the six protestors on a fast at Jantar Mantar since March 10.

Mr Tsering, who spoke through an interpreter, is in Lohia hospital, along with Dawa Gyalpo (50), Kunsang (70), Palzan (68), Yundung (28) and Karma Sichoe (25).

Two others, Dawa Lama (42) and Yuntrung Tsering, have also been admitted to hospital, though they were not part of the protest fast.

Doctors said the condition of Ms Karma and Mr Yundung is serious.

``I feel as if I am walking on the moon. My feet are light and hardly move and my internal system is in a very bad shape,'' said Mr Dawa Tsering. ``I am passing a lot of urine, and feel very weak,'' he said.

Mr Gyalpo, sitting on a hospital bed with Mr Tsering, said his vocal cords had sustained damage as he had shouted loudly while he was being carried by the police.

``We have been fed a diet of rice porridge, milk and orange juice forcibly by the hospital staff, even though we were not ready to take it,'' said Mr Gyalpo, who also spoke through an interpreter.

He said he was pained by the way they were removed by the police. ``They came and stood near the gate of our tents. They then tore open the tent from the back and pulled us out. One of us was even carried along with a sleeping bag itself,'' Mr Gyalpo said.

Police denied they had used any force to carry away the protesters. ``We acted with a lot of restraint. Our only interest was to save their lives,'' a senior police official said.

``I feel sorry this has happened. But this immolation attempt shows our misery. We are now forming another batch of five men who will be part of a second round of fast-unto-death, at the Jantar Mantar,'' said Tibetan Youth Congress joint secretary Pema Lhundup.

The five members of the group are Jampa Kalsang (23), Tsering Dorjee (37), Kalden Norbu (47), Tsering Gonkyab (55) and Phuntsok Semsang (25). Mr Ngodup was originally supposed to be a part of the second batch of protestors.

Several Tibetans who trickled into the burns ward of Lohia hospital after news of the incident spread said Mr Ngodup's action demonstrated a general sense of frustration among the Tibetans.

``Our strike was peaceful and a democratic means of protest, which was taught by Mahatma Gandhi. We are also not causing any inconvenience here so why are we being treated like this?'' said another Tibetan, inquiring about the condition of the Tibetans at the hospital.

Several Tibetan refugees, mostly living in the Majnu ka Tila area of north Delhi, arrived at Lohia hospital. Anticipating some trouble, a heavy deployment of police, including the Rapid Action Force, was initially made at the hospital. By late Monday evening, only a handful of officials remained.

At Jantar Mantar, Tibetans said they were attempting to sort things out. ``Things right now are in a mess here. We are trying to motivate our friends and continue our fight,'' said Tibetan Youth Congress president Tseten Norbu.

On Monday evening, a sudden activity was again noticed at the Jantar Mantar camp. Some refugees there said they had heard all of them were to be herded by the police to break their protest. Senior police officials, however, denied any such move.