Chemi Lhamo, a student at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough posted the following message on Instagram for her followers.

“Thank you to everyone for all the support and love. I’m honoured to share that I will be serving as the President of the University of Toronto Scarborough Student’s Union starting May 1st once ratified. Driven by my own values of wisdom and compassion, I’m looking forward to this new step.”

In the three days since her post was made public, comments of outrage and insult have flooded her comment section with many comments declaring support for China’s occupation of Tibet. Some users opposed to Lhamo have called her a “religious whore” and “opportunistic traitor.”

University of Toronto hosts more than 12,000 Chinese nationals. Lhamo’s announcement has enraged Chinese students both locally and internationally.

On February 8th, a post on WeChat focused attention on a Change.org petition that calls for Lhamo’s removal.

Although the petition has gained more than 10,000 signatures it is unlikely to change anything.

Lhamo’s Instagram page shows that she supports Tibetan rights and has participated in multiple campaigns that advocated for Tibetan freedom.

Comments from Taiwanese students have offered their support for Lhamo and her activism for Tibetan rights.

Source: Taiwan News