GATPM | London | 2nd October 2022
Ever since the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949 through military force the People’s Republic of China celebrates 1st October as their National Day. But for the peoples of East Turkestan and Tibet this was the beginning of dark period.
Exactly 73 years ago on this day, Mao Tsetung ordered the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to invade Tibet and East Turkistan. Tibetans and Uyghurs resisted their occupations and they have been enduring unimaginable sufferings under the brutal CCP regimes over the past seven decades. Under Xi Jinping dictatorship, the freedoms the people of Hong Kong enjoyed for generations had snatched away through force.
So, to mark this dark day in history, London-based Hong Kong, Tibetan and Uyghur communities staged “Resist CCP Day” protest on 1st October to highlight the Chinese regime’s atrocities and their continued gross violations of human rights in the occupied territories.
The rally kicked off in Piccadilly Circus at 6pm where protesters chanted “Free Tibet”, “Free East Turkestan”, “Free Hong Kong”, “Free Southern Mongolia” and “Free Hong Kong”. They also sang their respective countries national anthems. Prominent speakers from Uyghur, Free Tibet and Hong Kong movements spoke at the rally.
In his video message to the ‘Resist CCP Day’ London rally, Tim Loughton, Co-Chair of The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Tibet (APPG Tibet) and Member of the International Alliance on China (IPAC), said, “I’m one of the seven British parliamentarians who have been sanctioned by the Chinese government, something that we all wear as a badge of honour.
“In Parliament, in world assemblies, in parliaments across the world, parliamentarians like myself have joined together, through associations like IPAC, to make sure that China is firmly on the agenda of governments throughout the world and those governments take action to make sure that China’s abuses inside and outside of China don’t go unnoticed, that they are called out and that they have consequences. And that’s why in the UK parliament we’ve been bringing in legislation which restricts those tentacles of the Chinese Communist government involved in the infrastructure projects we have in the UK, in the business boardrooms and increasingly in our universities and in our schools.”
The senior MP from the ruling Conservative Party also added, “Our cause is a just one – the freedom- and peace-loving people of Tibet, the Uyghurs and in Hong Kong will triumph eventually. And we will succeed. And we will carry on the fight.”
Tim Loughton is a long time advocate on Tibet and other persecuted minorities in the UK Parliament.
Please watch Tim Loughton’s full video message.
Message from Tim Loughton MP
“Hello, my name is Tim Loughton. I’m the MP for East Worthing and Shoreham in Sussex; I’m the Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet.
But most importantly of all, I’m one of the seven British parliamentarians who have been sanctioned by the Chinese government, something that we all wear as a badge of honour.
Now I’m sorry I can’t be with you at your Resist CCP Day march. I wish everybody there the very best and we’re very supportive of everything you are there to do and all the campaigning that you do, day in, day out.
The last year has again been one of wholesale human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party government,
– whether it be the continued abuses of the Tibetan people within Tibet for now more than 62 years and Tibetans throughout the world;
– whether it be the notorious human rights abuses and what we have defined as genocide against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang;
– or of course the increasing oppression and suppression of freedom-loving people in Hong Kong, many of whom are leaving that part of the world and coming out of China to the UK and other parts of the world, to seek the freedom that they’ve been used to for so many generations.
So, we will continue to call China out.
In Parliament, in world assemblies, in parliaments across the world, parliamentarians like myself have joined together, through associations like IPAC, to make sure that China is firmly on the agenda of governments throughout the world and those governments take action to make sure that China’s abuses inside and outside of China don’t go unnoticed, that they are called out and that they have consequences.
And that’s why in the UK parliament we’ve been bringing in legislation which restricts those tentacles of the Chinese Communist government involved in the infrastructure projects we have in the UK, in the business boardrooms and increasingly in our universities and in our schools.
We’re going to continue calling them out and it’s really important that the organisations represented here today take that important message out into the communities, out into the country and out into countries around the world to stand up against Chinese oppression.
Because that is the only thing that they take notice of, and it needs to lead to action and consequences.
We’ve seen what happens when the world looks the other way with the recent Russian invasion and brutal violence against the people of Ukraine.
And of course, China is looking with evil violent eyes at Taiwan as well.
And it’s really important that first of all Russia does not get its way in Ukraine, which will only give confidence to China to think they could get their way with Taiwan.
That’s why it’s so important that all the Western democracies continue to support Ukrainian people because the fight is not just for the people of Ukraine, it’s for freedom and democracy throughout the world.
And we’ve seen by the failure of the Chinese government to condemn those blatantly violent actions by the Russians in Ukraine what their real intentions are.
So, the fight goes on.
I send our very best wishes on behalf of me and all of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet members and many other parliamentarians throughout Westminster.
Our cause is a just one – the freedom- and peace-loving people of Tibet, the Uyghurs and in Hong Kong will triumph eventually.
And we will succeed.
And we will carry on the fight.”
This video message was requested by the Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities on behalf of the “Resist CCP Day” protest organisers: Free Tibet – Global Alliance for Tibet and Persecuted Minorities – Hong Kong Aid – Power to Hongkongers – Stop Uyghur Genocide – Tibetan Community in Britain – Uyghur Community UK – World Uyghur Congress
Useful sites
Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities 