Former Tibetan political prisoner 'pedals' for freedom

By Reena Bhardwaj
Washington DC [USA], July 20 : A 40-year-old man of Tibetan heritage took an 800 kilometre-long journey on a bicycle to raise awareness about the oppressive conditions in Tibet under the Chinese Communist Party.
Lobsang Jinpa, a former political prisoner, who now lives in the United States, set out from Boston on his bicycle for DC. A ride that he began two weeks ago was dubbed "Bike Ride for Tibet," where Jinpa cycled, cutting through the states of Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania only to reach and echo the sentiment of a Free Tibet outside the White House.
"The Chinese regime is an outlaw regime and the Chinese have become dangerous to the world. Through this bike ride for Tibet campaign, I wish to bring this into light," Jinpa told ANI.
He has been battling through gale-force winds, torrential rain, blistering sunshine and not to mention a leg injury.
Jinpa said that the journey had its own set of challenges but not once did he think that he would fail to endure what he was out for.
"China has created so many areas of conflict around the world. It has lied about the pandemic that has enveloped the world and it refuses to come to a reasonable settlement with the people of Tibet and the Tibetan government in exile. In light of all of these things, I do not think my journey was difficult," he said.
Jinpa is a former political prisoner who was imprisoned for more than two years by the Chinese regime for filming the 2008 protests in Kham Tawu in Tibet.
Even after his release, Jinpa was under constant surveillance. He eventually fled Tibet via Nepal and resettled in Dharmashala in India where he pursued his passion for Tibetan independence.
Jinpa is convinced that Tibet's freedom struggle will need India to possibly play a leading role in Tibetan Independence from China.
"Today, when India is confronting problems on the border with China, these issues have been completely integrated with the matter of Tibet. Unless the status of Tibet is resolved amicably, the border issues with India and China are not going to be over," he added.
Standing in solidarity with Jinpa's political journey were members of the Capital Area Tibetan Association Board and the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, who met him at the Chinese Embassy and then rode along with him as Jinpa made his way to the White House.
Together they raised slogans against China, questioned the disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama and called on the Chinese government to invite the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to return to his home in Tibet.