DHARMASHALA,INDIA: Tenzin Lekshay, the official spokesperson of the Tibetan government in exile, has said that Central Tibetan Administration has issued a statement to extend solidarity with the people who have been facing difficulties in China due to the ‘zero-COVID policy.’
Speaking to ANI, Lekshay stated that the Tibetan government in exile has called on Beijing to take a “human approach” with people who took part in the protests.
“The Central Tibetan Administration has released a press statement in solidarity with the Chinese people who are suffering in China because of the zero-COVID policies,” Tenzin Lekshay told ANI.
Speaking to ANI, Tenzin Lekshay said, “The press statement says that the Chinese government, the leadership should look for a human approach as per the international standards. Those who have protested and those who have participated in the protest should not be subjected to reprisal and they should have a more human approach in looking into what the Chinese government should do in curbing the COVID pandemic.”
Notably, the Tibetan government in exile issued a statement on December 2 to extend solidarity with the people in China.
The Tibetan government in exile’s spokesperson stressed, “So far, over the recent past we have seen so many Chinese people demonstrating and protesting and also urging for freedom and democracy. The people have the right to speak about what they aspire for but somehow we wear that they may face reprisal. So, we stand in solidarity with Chinese people for their aspirations. We also pray that Chinese people get away from the pandemic-related suffering.”
In November, protests erupted in China in response to an apartment building fire in Urumqi.
When asked if the Tibetan government in exile support will have an impact on the Chinese Communist Party-led government, Tenzin Lekshay said, “Whether the Chinese government, believe it or not, that is not the issue. We are stressing what we have to stress. China is one of the global community and people aspires to a better life. They have different aspirations for well-being.”
Furthermore, he said, “We also as part of the global community felt that we have to stand in solidarity with the Chinese people who are suffering.”
Notably, the Chinese government has been imposing lockdowns, travel restrictions and conducting mass testing to contain the spread of the virus ever since the pandemic emerged in China.
On December 2, the Tibetan government in exile expressed concern over the situation in China and extended solidarity with people impacted by the “severe lockdown” imposed by the Chinese government. The lockdown has resulted in widespread protests in various cities and universities in China against the “zero-COVID policy.”
The Tibetan government in exile called on the Chinese administration to take a “humane approach” in dealing with public outbursts in China.
In the statement, the Tibetan government in exile noted that more than 300 million people in China have been kept under “severe lockdown” over several months, including in Lhasa and Urumqi, where the lockdown continued for over 100 days.”
“The Central Tibetan Administration expresses its deep concern and stands in Solidarity. The Kashag reiterates its statement regarding the Covid situation in Tibet: China’s mismanaged zero-covid policy endangers Tibetan lives in Tibet dated 26 September 2022,” the Tibetan government in exile said in a statement.
The Tibetan government in exile noted that the devastation caused by the pandemic has caused innumerable deaths, casualties and economic hardships around the world. The world has taken measures based on scientific findings to control the spread of COVID-19 and brought life to normalcy.
It has cited the example of the FIFA World Cup hosted in Qatar, which had millions of unmasked people in attendance.
“The devastation caused by the pandemic has resulted in innumerable deaths, casualties and economic hardship across the world. The world has taken measures based on sound scientific findings to contain the spread of Covid-19, which has brought about a relative state of normalcy,” read the statement issued by the Tibetan government in exile.
In the statement, it stressed that China cannot sever its ties with the international community. It stated that the pandemic must be tackled as a “collective challenge” and the spread of the virus does not discriminate between different forms of governance. The Tibetan government in exile emphasized that no one should be subjected to any reprisal for participating in any form of protest against China’s “zero-COVID policy.”
“We strongly urge that no one should be subjected to any reprisal for taking part in any form of protests against the zero-Covid policy and those who have called for Freedom and Democracy. We hope that China will soon transcend to normalcy from the pandemic,” the Tibetan government in exile said in a statement. (ANI)
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