Protests in China give chance to focus on Tibet and all minority groups: Tibetan scholar

Dharamshala [India], December 3 : Tibetan scholar and activist Dr Gyal Lo has said that the anti-lockdown protests in Tibet and China will give Tibet and other minority groups an "opportunity" to put "focus" on Tibet and other minority groups. In an interview with Phayul, Gyal Lo said that people can talk about how government policies have been affecting their rights for years.
Terming it 'crucial timing', Dr Gyal Lo stressed that the Western and European nations must showcase more solidarity to pressurise China over human rights. Speaking about the ongoing protests in China, the scholar said, "They have increased the fire. If we don't increase pressure on China, the game is going to be over," as per the Phayul report.
Following his talk in cooperation with the Amis du Tibet association in Luxembourg, the Chinese Embassy in the European nation said that the claims have no truth. The news report citing Tibet Action Institute report said that more than 80,000 children have been forced to attend boarding schools and have been banned from Tibetan language education.
According to the Phayul report, Dr Gyan Lo was one of the primary sources to the Tibet Action Institute report. An eyewitness who saw the impacts of the 'repressive school system' fled China and took refuge in Canada.
After his talk in Luxembourg in cooperation with the Amis du Tibet association, the Chinese embassy in the European country in a statement announced that the claims have no truth and stressed that not a single proper school existed in old Tibet. However, Dr Gyan Lo has described the statement made by the Chinese Embassy as a "complete lie."
He said that minority groups like Uyghurs and Mongolians face hardships like Tibetans. According to him, thousands of protesters were arrested after the people expressed disagreement with the bilingual policy announced in September 2020, as per the news report. At least nine Mongolians lost their lives in the violent crackdown by authorities on protesters, Phayul reported citing the advocacy group Southern Mongolian human rights centre.
The scholar said that the Chinese people and minority people are facing similar challenges "the same dictatorship" but in "different ways," as per the Phayul report. He emphasised that Chinese people must stand up against the party in China. He called on European nations to ask questions to China on every front. Dr Gyal Lo stressed that short-term economic benefits cannot be the only reason.