The Regional Tibetan Youth Congress of Gangtok, and Regional Tibetan Women’s Association – the apex Tibetan bodies of Sikkim today staged an agitation, and commenced a signature campaign in Gangtok demanding the Indian Government to boycott the ‘Beijing Winter Olympics 2022’, slated to be held from February this year.

Uden Aukersang, MP Tibetan Government in Exile asserted that “countries are boycotting the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022  as they have understood what China has done as far as human right is concerned, so we are hopeful India will support our cause – ‘Boycott 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing’.”

Responding to a query associated with India boycotting the international event, Uden replied, “I think India should support this, because now world is supporting the cause and India also should diplomatically boycott the event. Governments, civil society groups, and United Nations officials expressed growing concern over the Chinese government’s human rights violations in 2020 now world knows, everything is transparent so India should also justify the question.”

The President of Tibetan government-in-exile, Penpa Tsering during his recent visit to Sikkim, mentioned that, “I cancelled my trip to Arunachal Pradesh because there was some border issue and 20th October also marks the Chinese aggression on India of 1962 and we don’t want to put India into any kind of embarrassment.”

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of  Tibetan Youth Club, Sikkim Tnezing Chepel shared, “The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is set to happen amid one of the world’s worst crackdowns against freedom, democracy, and human rights hence we have started the hashtag campaign in the name ‘Boycott Beijing 2022’ which is an international campaign and now we are also starting the campaign in Sikkim.”

The Tibetan Women’s Association was founded in Lhasa on March 12, 1959, when Tibetan women from all three provinces of Tibet stood united for the first time in Tibetan history and challenged the brutal clampdown by the Chinese government.

Tibetan women engaged in peaceful resistance against the oppression and since then have maintained a steadfast presence in leading the non-violent struggle against the repressive Chinese regime. Their key convictions include – Human rights for Tibetans inside Tibet; advocacy for lost Child of Tibet, HH the XIth Panchen Lama, Gedun Choekyi Nyima; genuine autonomy for Tibet by following the middle way approach and empowering the Tibetan society in exile.