Marchers highlight the plight of Tibet
FOUR Tibetans walked through Newbury on Sunday as part of their peace march from Bristol to London.
They said the main purpose of the march was to raise awareness about the plight of Tibetans and the human rights abuses in Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong under the authoritarian government of the Chinese Communist Party.
It was also held to encourage the international community and UK Government to support and look into the ‘illegal’ occupation of Tibet by the Chinese since 1959.
The team started from the Colston Statue plinth site in Bristol on August 5, where a ceremony attended by members of the Tibetan community took place.
They made their way through Newbury on Friday, before finishing in London on Tuesday after six days and 118 miles of walking.
In London, Tenzin Sangmo – who organised the march – called on the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Government to apply the Magnitsky Act sanctions on
Chinese leaders for violating human rights in Tibet, Xinjiang, and Hong Kong.
She also urged MPs to join the parliamentary group for Tibet and support the Tibet Reciprocal Access Bill presented by Tim Loughton MP.
She further called on the UK Government to investigate the influence of Chinese Communist Party-backed Confucius institutions in the country and recognise the Dalai Lama’s sole authority over his reincarnation.
After completing formal events in front of Downing Street, the group marched through central London and submitted a petition to the Chinese Embassy.
The four participants of the peace march were Tenzin Sangmo, Sonam Tsering, Tashi Dhondup and Tenzin Phuntsok, who are all from Bristol.