More than two hundred activists gathered near the Chinese mission to the United Nations in New York on Friday to protest the alleged role of China in human rights abuses in Tibet and Burma.

The protestors held up banners etched with the faces of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Tibetan documentary filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen, as they chanted "Free Tibet."

Amnesty International organized the protest as part of a full day of activism on human rights abuses in various places such as Sri Lanka, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burma and Tibet.

The gathering focused on berating China for arresting Tibetan documentary filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen, and for supporting the military regime in Burma that has kept democracy advocate Suu Kyi under some form of detention for the past 15 out of 21 years.

[Joshua Rubenstein, Northeast Regional Director, Amnesty International]:
"Today we're focusing on a filmmaker from Tibet named Dhondup Wangchen who's been in prison for a documentary film he made about conditions in Tibet. And I know our Amnesty members are very concerned about Tibet, about the crackdown on Tibetan culture and religion, freedom of expression. People have gone to jail for writing songs in Tibet. And many of our young people have this very strong identification with Tibet and the Dalai Lama in particular."

Amidst the sea of protesters was Burmese monk U Pyinta Zawta who spent ten years as a political prisoner of the military junta in Burma. 

[Lily Atlihan, Protester from Long Island, NY]:
"Especially where Tibet and Burma are considered, China really is at the heart of both of these problems. If it weren't for their financial support, the Burmese junta would not be able to stay in power, and clearly their role in the oppression of Tibet is quite obvious."    

For Amnesty International intern John Millock, the protest underscored a basic issue.

[John Millock, Intern, Amnesty International]:

“…I think as an American, being able to represent other people and being able to represent yourself is a very, very important thing. And I think that not having that, having that stripped away from you is horrible."