No nod to Tibetan Youth Congress for peaceful rally

PANAJI: The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) has been denied permission by the North Goa district magistrate to hold a peaceful protest in the state in view of Chinese president Xi Jinping's visit to Goa for BRICS 2016. TYC, the largest Tibetan NGO working out of exile for the freedom of Tibetan people, had plans of holding a rally to protest the critical situation that currently exists in Tibet. It sought permission from the North Goa district magistrate to hold a peaceful protest rally, but was denied."Over 100 Tibetans are expected at this rally in Goa. Since the illegal occupation of Tibet in 1959, over 1.2 million Tibetans have died. The situation inside Tibet remains critical and perhaps, one could even claim that the current crisis is the most volatile it has been since China's occupation of the land," TYC president Tenzing Jigme, said in a letter to the North Goa collector. Jigme told TOI that TYC would now approach the South Goa collector to seek permission.Briefing around 1,500 Goa police personnel on BRICS security arrangements last week, deputy inspector general of police (DIG) Vimal Gupta, urged the police force to keep extra vigil on Tibetans and stated that any protest will grab international attention and harm India's reputation. Gupta cautioned the police that the Tibetans could use guerilla tactics to mark their protest, adding that they could hide anywhere along the route, waiting for the Chinese president's convoy.With heads of states and political leaders of 11 countries visiting Goa for the 8th BRICS summit and the BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach summit, the police force in Goa will be fortified with three-tier security arrangement consisting over 5,000 personnel, including the paramilitary force.Police sources said that paramilitary forces have begun to arrive in the state. Police said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other heads of state of BRICS nations are likely to arrive in the state on Friday, while leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), would land in Goa from Saturday onwards.