Dublin protesters call end to Tibet crackdown

A demonstration was held in Dublin this morning ahead of the opening of the Beijing Olympics on Friday calling on the Chinese government to stop its crackdown on Tibetan protesters.

Approximately one dozen members of the Tibetan community in Ireland protested outside the Chinese Embassy to demand that thousands of arrested protesters be released.

Draped in Tibetan flags they sang the Tibetan national anthem and chanted "we want a free Tibet". They also urged the international community to put pressure on the Chinese government during the games.

Protesters said the situation in Tibet remains serious following a crackdown last March and arrests of protesters last month and are fearful that the situation will get worse once the Olympics is over.

"The worst is still to come after the Olympics when attention of world moves away from China" Namgyal Damdul, Chairman of the Tibetan Community in Ireland said.

"We fear the worst might happen to those in prisons and they might be given the death penalty" he said "We are urging all government's around the world to press China to release all these prisoners"

Pro-Tibetan supporters had urged international leaders to boycott the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

This morning the protesters called on leaders attending the opening ceremony, particularly Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen "to put pressure on and talk directly to the Chinese leadership and ask them to release all prisoners, stop the ongoing repression in Tibet and resolve the issue as soon as possible".