BERHAMPUR: Tibetan settlers in Gajapati 's Chandragiri area on Wednesday launched a three-day-long protest here against the alleged action of the Chinese against their countrymen in Tibet. The mass prayer and fast is being jointly organized by the Regional Tibetan Women's Association (RTWA), Tibetan Woollen Market Association and the local Tibetan assembly following the call given by the Tibetan government in-exile to express solidarity with all those who lost their lives by self-immolation for the cause of Tibet. Since March, nine Tibetans have self-immolated in Tibet, protesting China's continued occupation of Tibet and demanding the return of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan settlers said. Seven of them were monks, they said while distributing pamphlets containing the photographs of the deceased. "The Tibetan government-in-exile has given a call to observe fast and stage protest in support of the Tibetans who had shown courage for the cause of Tibet. In response to the call, we here fasting and have decided to stage rallies in the next two days," president of RTWA Migmar said. "In the next three days, we have decided to temporarily close the Tibetan woollen market opened at Church ground here," secretary of the market association Tashi said. But no protest rally was organized in Chandragiri. "At least 40 people from five camps went to participate in the mass prayer at New Delhi, where the Dalai Lama was present. Many settlers have left the place for trade. So we only conducted a prayer at the monastery," president of Local Tibetan Assembly (LTA) Khenpo Pema said.