The Tibetan Diaspora Organisation (TGO) held a large-scale protest in front of the Chinese Embassy in Vienna to mark the 66th anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day.
Approximately 200 members of Austria’s Tibetan community gathered outside the embassy to denounce the ongoing oppression of Tibetans by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Protesters waved Tibetan flags and displayed banners condemning the CCP’s genocidal actions against ethnic and religious minorities in China.
The demonstration gained further momentum with the participation of around 60 members from the Chinese Christian and Uyghur communities. Chinese Christians expressed concerns about the CCP’s crackdown on religious freedoms, citing the destruction of churches, removal of crosses, and persecution of religious leaders. They condemned the regime’s attempts to impose state-controlled versions of Christianity, calling it an attack on their faith and liberties.
Uyghur activists also spoke out against the CCP’s oppressive policies in Xinjiang, highlighting the mass detention of over a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in so-called internment camps.
Joining the rally were Austrian organizations such as Youth for Human Rights and Save Tibet, which expressed their solidarity with the oppressed groups. Their participation underscored a shared commitment to human rights and religious freedom.
The protest concluded with a march from the Chinese Embassy to Vienna’s central Stephansplatz, where participants continued chanting slogans and delivering speeches to raise awareness about the suffering of Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other marginalized communities under CCP rule.
The Tibet Taiwan Human Rights Network said that, China invaded Tibet in 1951, leading to severe repression of Tibetan culture, religion, and traditions. On March 10, 1959, a major uprising in Lhasa was violently suppressed by the Chinese military, resulting in significant casualties and the Dalai Lama’s exile to India, where he established a government-in-exile. This event is commemorated annually as “Tibet Uprising Day.”
(Inputs from ANI)