The Indian Government has gone on offensive against Tibetan groups in India, fearful of Tibetan protests against Chinese repression in Tibet during  Chinese President Hu Jintao's India visit.

One Tibetan activist, Tenzin Tsundue, a Tibetan poet and general secretary of Friends of Tibet group, has been served with an order barring him from leaving the town of Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh until Nov 25. Tsundue had led high-profile protests during the visits of Chinese Premiers Zhu Rongji and Wen Jiabao in 2002 and 2005 respectively. Officials of China's Department of External Security Affairs and the Central Security Bureau have had discussions with their Indian counterparts to finalize Hu's itinerary and look into the arrangements made to keep protesters at bay.

The note served to Tsundue says:

You Mr. Tenzin Tsundue, a Tibetan national holder R/C No.167/90/Tib/D’shala at present General Secretary, Friends of Tibet India (FOTI) were found indulging in agitational activities during the visit of Chinese delegations in the past and there is a credible information that you are likely to indulge in similar activities during the visit of
the Chinese President w.e.f. 20/11/2006 to 23/11/2006.

Therefore, I, Ajay Kumar Yadav, IPS, Superintendent of Police-cum-Foreigners Registration Officer, District Kangra at Dharamsala (HP) in exercise of power vested in me under section 3 (2) (e) (ii) of the Foreigners Act-1946 hereby order that you will not leave the territorial jurisdiction of Dharamsala Town till 25/11/2006 from the date of issuance of this order, falling which you shall be liable for prosecution under the relevant provisions of law.

It is unfortunate that the Indian government has decided to suspend values of free speech and the space for peaceful dissent that form the basis of the Indian democracy. Rather than curb these values core to our ethos, that space should have allowed to coexist with the processes that will go forward during the visit of the Chinese President. While China may seek to curb all dissent and claim that they threaten the state, it does not behoove India to follow the same protocol that makes China one of the worst human rights offenders in the world. If indeed India needs to show its strength, it should do so by staying true to the values embodied in its constitution – the document that defines the ethos of our country – and protect the rights and spaces even of the less powerful rather than conveniently acquiescing to the dictates of China.

Meanwhile, Friends of Tibet has said that it is organising peaceful protests in New Delhi and Bombay during Chinese President Hu Jintao's India visit. Nation-wide protests are also being planned by Tibetan organisations and Tibet Support Groups to protest the illegal occupation of Tibet and the recent statement made by Sun Yuxi, Chinese Ambassador to India on Arunachal Pradesh.

Friends of Tibet (Delhi) in association with various Tibetan and support groups will organise a protest at Jantar Mantar, Connaught Place, New Delhi on November 20, 2006 (Monday) from 11am onwards. Tibetans and Indians are expected to come together in Delhi, in a massive public show of defiance against the Chinese regime.s repressive policies on Tibet. The organisation is also initiating an online petition campaign (http://www.petitiononline.com/hudelhi/petition.html) asking for a resolution of the Tibetan issue to be sent to the visiting Chinese President through the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi.

In Mumbai, members of Friends of Tibet (Bombay) and the United Tibetan Association of Maharashtra and Gujarat will hold a one-day fast at the Azad Maidan, Opposite CST Station on November 23, 2006 (Thursday) from 10am.

Friends of Tibet (Aligarh) has also started a mass SMS campaign to protest against the Chinese claim on Arunachal Pradesh and to end China’s illegal occupation of Tibet.

To know  more, contact:
Delhi: 9811994272 / 9811426264 / Email: friendsoftibet.delhi@gmail.com
Bombay: 9324441956 / 9322978566 / Email: friendsoftibet.bombay@gmail.com
Aligarh: 9259025656 / Email : friendsoftibet.aligarh@gmail.com