Even the most cold person would have been moved by the condition in which the 14 hunger strikers are at Jantar Mantar but there has been no acceptable response from the Chinese government till now.  The 14 people are weak and the monsoon in Delhi is merciless.

Underneath the pitter-patter of the heavy monsoon showers, the brave 14 hunger strikers are going on strong, ready to give up everything.

Jetsun Pema, sister of HH The Dalai Lama, paid a visit to the hunger strikers to express her solidarity and support.  She wrote following comments in the visitors book: "All the best and may truth prevail. Let me salute the intention of these fourteen individuals."

Thupten Tulku Rincpoche from the Gaden Jangtse Thoesam Norling Monastery in South India today visited the hunger strikers along with hundreds of monks from the monastery. Rinpoche adviced the hunger strikers to cultivate the BoddhiChitta mind (an altruistic aspiration to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings).

He said the hunger strikers should not have a state of mind full of vengeance and negative thoughts. "A positive Boddhichitta mind will help you calm down and accumulate merits or virtue," the Rincpoche said.  Following this, the monks from Gaden Monastery held a prayer session for the well being of the hunger strikers. This resulted in an atmosphere which was calm and serene.

Sertha Tsultrim, Member of Parliament of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, later visited the hunger strikers. He came there to express his solidarity with the 14 people. 
 
"I would like to appeal to the hunger strikers to conclude their fast as the impact of this strike has reached Tibetans the world over and inside Tibet. A Tibetan man called Rongyal Adrak, during the annual horse riding festival in Lithang in Eastern Tibet, called for the Dalai Lama's return to Tibet, Tibetan independence and the release of the Panchen Lama. From that very stage he asked all the Tibetans gathered there whether they want independence and the crowd shouted back in unison- it was a yes! An emphatic yes. He also asked whether they wanted the release of the Panchen Lama and the reply was a big yes again. He was immediately arrested and detained at the local police station. Later hundreds of people went to the police station. There they told the police that they are not there to seek his release but to ask them whether or not they have the right to even give voice to their grievances. If we have the right, then Rongyal Adrak has just done that- he has given voice to our grievances. On August 2nd, nearly 2,000 people gathered in front of the police station. Later the number swelled to over 9,000. The crowd repeatedly asked the same question- Do we have the right to voice our grievances. People in large number came forward demanding their rights and accountability from the Chinese government. This I believe is a result of what is happening here at Jantar Mantar. Your hunger strike here has a direct impact on what happens inside Tibet. Things are quite volatile in Lithang right now," the Tibetan MP said.

Ugyen Tenzin, the Director of Tibetan Centre For Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), Dharamsala, also visited Jantar Mantar. Some senior staff members of the TCHRD also visited the hunger strikers.

"Most of the demands of the hunger strikers are human rights issues - demanding accountability from the Chinese authorities, the whereabouts of the Panchen Lama, judicial proceedings of Tulku Tenzin Delek and other demands. These are some of the human rights violations the Chinese government is perpetrating. According to our current record, there are 116 known political prisoners in Tibet.  This is a great opportunity for China to prove it's own claims on human right situation in Tibet. As a member of the United Nations and a signatory to the International Covenants, China is bound to respond to the demands of the hunger strikers. However, the response is nil till now. From the current situation, it looks like that instead of responding to the demands of the hunger strikers, China has intensified violation of human rights in Tibet. The recent incident in Lithang and the protest at the birth place and monastery of Tulku Tenzin Delek corroborates this fact. Trigerred by the ongoing hunger strike in India, protests are taking place in different parts of Tibet and China is brutally crushing them. These actions violate international declarations and laws," Ugyen Tenzin said.

Throughout the day, hundreds of monks from Gaden and Drepung visited the hunger strikers and presented scarves.  The monks from these monasteries are in Delhi to participate in the 8th August action, Mass People's Protest.

The Indefinite Hunger Strike at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, is part of the Tibetan Youth Congress-led People's Movement, pressing demands for accountability from China regarding the Tibet situation. Current updates, photos, and messages to the hunger strikers can be viewed  at http://www.tibetanyouthcongress.org