In a significant demonstration marking the 66th anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day, the Tibetan Diaspora Organization (TGO) orchestrated a protest at the Chinese Embassy in Vienna. Approximately 200 members of the Austrian Tibetan community congregated to denounce the continuous oppression faced by Tibetans under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The demonstrators brandished Tibetan flags and banners exposing the CCP’s genocidal policies aimed at ethnic and religious minorities in China. The protest’s impact was amplified by the involvement of around 60 individuals from Chinese Christian and Uyghur communities. Chinese Christians articulated their grievances regarding the CCP’s suppression of religious freedoms, including the desecration of churches and persecution of religious figures. They criticized the regime’s imposition of state-sanctioned Christianity as a direct assault on their faith and liberties.
Uyghur activists spotlighted the CCP’s draconian practices in Xinjiang, where over a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities are reportedly detained in internment camps. Adding their voices, Austrian groups like Youth for Human Rights and Save Tibet stood in solidarity with the affected communities, highlighting a unified stance on promoting human rights and religious freedom.
The protest concluded with a march from the Chinese Embassy to Vienna’s central Stephansplatz. Here, participants continued vocalizing their support through slogans and speeches, shedding light on the plight faced by Tibetans, Uyghurs, and religious minorities under CCP rule. This collective effort underscored a resilient resolve to oppose repressive policies and uphold justice and freedom. The Tibet Taiwan Human Rights Network noted China’s 1951 invasion of Tibet, leading to cultural subjugation, and recounted the 1959 Lhasa uprising that resulted in brutal military suppression, marking the genesis of ‘Tibet Uprising Day.’
