 On the road ... Members of NSW's Tibetan community on the first day of their 70-kilometre trek to Canberra. 据2008年4月22日《悉尼晨锋报》报道，16名来自悉尼所在的新州藏民社区成员已经开始向首都堪培拉徒步进发，沿路绝食，其中年龄最大的65岁，最小的只有13岁。 他们预计将于本周三、北京奥运圣火在澳洲传递的前一天抵达中国驻澳大利亚大使馆，在那里将与堪培拉的藏民会合一起进行烛光集会抗议。 Hunger strikers march April 22, 2008 - 1:03PM Sydney Morning Herald A group of Tibetans on hunger strike are marching 70 kilometres to the Chinese embassy in Canberra, in a protest coinciding with the Olympic torch relay on Thursday. Sixteen members of the Tibetan Community of NSW set off by foot from Bungendore, east of Canberra, at 9.30am today. Motorists honked their horns and waved as the group, dressed in traditional Tibetan dress and waving Tibetan flags, set off. The group expects to arrive at the Chinese embassy on Wednesday, where they will join local Tibetans in a candlelight vigil. "We are walking to Canberra in three days without food in a show of solidarity to Tibetans in Tibet who have been denied access to food and water and electricity," said a spokesman from the group, Tenpa Dugdak. "At the same time we want the Chinese Government to release all the political prisoners ... start a dialogue with the Dalai Lama ... and allow press into Tibet to see what really has happened and what's happening in Tibet. "We keep hearing different reports of Tibetans being killed and Tibetans being denied food and water and we've never experienced that, but these three days will give us more insight into what it feels like not just psychologically but physically." The oldest member of the group was 65 years old, with the youngest walker just 13. "What happened in Tibet last month has really touched a lot of young Tibetans and we want to teach them about non-violence, and through this march, this peace march, we really want to show them the path to raising the issue of Tibet in the future." The group may also cross paths with the Olympic torch, with the relay taking place in Canberra on Thursday, Mr Dugdak said. "I have no idea where the torch will be - but we are having a candlelight vigil at the embassy [on Wednesday night] so if they are keeping the torch at the embassy we might see it." Mr Dugdak expected the protest march would be tough, but all its participants believed in the impact it could have. "There's a lot of emotion involved. There are six or seven political prisoners in the group ... we know [previous similar] action by the international community was able to achieve the release of political prisoners." |
