Apr 29, 2016

East Turkestan: After Dolkun Isa, India Rejects Tiananmen Activist’s Visa


Freedom of speech in China is extremely problematic and minorities and critical voices can be easily marginalised by the authorities. With the country’s increasing international influence, it is becoming harder to be critical of China’s policies, not only within its territory, but also abroad, in other countries, especially for past and current Chinese citizens. India’s controversial cancellation of Dolkun Isa’s visa application was a sad example of this and now, only a few days later, another visa refusal case, for Lu Jinghua, a Tiananmen activist, showed once again to the world China’s role in downwarding freedom of speech internationally. 

 

Below is an article by Zee News,


After cancelling the visa of Uyghur activist Dolkun Isa, India has barred another exiled Chinese dissident from boarding a flight to attend a meeting in Dharamsala. Lu Jinghua, a well-known Tiananmen Square activist, was scheduled to attend the April 28-May 01 meeting of dissidents and exiles in Himachal Pradesh.

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) is scheduled from April 28 to May 1 in Dharamsala as a closed-door event. It is being organised by the US-based Initiatives for China.

It is the same program which Dolkun Isa had planned to attend.

According to India Today, Lu was about to board an Air India flight from New York when she was informed that her visa was cancelled, despite the fact that she had earlier received an e-mail confirmation for an electronic visa.

"At the airport, the Air India staff told me simply that I couldn't board as my visa was cancelled...The staff did not tell me why, they kept me waiting at the counter for a long time and were having a heated conversation with each other in Hindi."

Dolkun Isa had voiced disappointment after the Indian Home Ministry cancelled his tourist visa saying it is not a valid travel document to attend a conference.

A leading NGO, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), will host the World Uyghur Congress jointly with US-based group Citizen Power for China (CFC) and Initiatives For China (IFC), also US-based.

The delegates will be addressed by Tibet's exiled ruler and supreme spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

 

Photo courtesy of Z News