TYC President "banned entry" into India/ENG

2012. március 29./Phayul.com/TibetPress

New Delhi, March 29: The president of the largest Tibetan pro-independence group in exile, Tibetan Youth Congress, has been "banned entry" into India barely a few hours after Chinese President Hu Jintao was received with full state honours in New Delhi.

In an late night release, TYC said that Tsewang Rigzin was banned entry "just minutes" after arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India at 11:09 pm (Indian time)on March 28. He was flying in from the United States.

"Tsewang Rigzin was rounded up by Indian immigration officers just after alighting from his plane from the United States to rejoin his office," the release said. "He was told that his “banned entry” orders came directly from the Government of India."

Rigzin, who is an American national, has been serving as President of TYC for the second consecutive term with all "necessary documents" and was returning to India after organising a month-long “Indefinite Fast for Tibet” in front of the United Nations office in New York.

“TYC deems this action as overly cautious. This repetitive appeasement policy towards China has failed consistently," Dhondup Lhadar, Vice-President, TYC said.

"India needs to be more assertive when dealing with China and we believe that it is high time that India review its policy vis a vis China. It is unfortunate that India still fails to see the benefits of an independent Tibet”, asserted Lhadar.

Following the death of Jamphel Yeshi, the Tibetan youth who set his body on fire on March 26, Indian police has taken strict security measures, sealing Tibetan residential areas in the capital and carrying out random arrests of Tibetans.