Dharamsala, Dec 8 (ANI): Hundreds of exiled Tibetan students marched on the streets Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, and expressed solidarity with the self-immolators, denouncing the Chinese atrocities in their homeland.
The surge in self-immolations in China in protest over its rule in Tibet has heightened tension in recent months. Indian-based rights groups said there had been a massive security clampdown in Tibet and Tibetan areas of China, and in some instances protesters were beaten even as they were ablaze.
Dalai Lama has pressed China to investigate the dozens of self-immolations by Tibetans.
Earlier, the United Nations' most senior human rights official called on China to address frustrations that have led to Tibetans' desperate protests, including some 60 self-immolations since March 2011.
Tibetan students on Friday participated in a silent protest, marching through the streets carrying banners and flags.
Gylup Namgyal, a teacher in a Tibetan school in Dharamsala said that aim of rally is express solidarity with their compatriots who have burnt themselves for the Tibetan cause.
"We are doing this rally in support of those self-immolations and also to protest the Chinese to stop torturing Tibet and to stop doing injustice in Tibet," he said.
Students covered their mouth with black clothes, symbolising a silent protest. They also carried banners appealing Untied Nation's intervention in the matter.
Recently, the United Nation's human rights officials called on China to allow independent human rights monitors to visit Tibet and address deep-rooted frustrations.
However, top Chinese-appointed officials said this would not happen. China maintains that Tibet is an integral part of China and those other countries hosting the Dalai Lama amount to interference in domestic Chinese affairs.
China has barred foreign journalists from Tibet and prevented many others from travelling to surrounding Tibetan regions, making independent verification difficult. (ANI)