Tibetans hold protest to mark Uprising Day anniversary

Tibetans in-exile in Dharamsala today organised a protest to mark the 66th anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day. The Tibetans in-exile carrying placards and raising slogans demanding freedom for Tibet marched to Dharamsala from McLeodganj. At Dharamsala, the protesters staged a dharna and raised slogans demanding freedom for Tibet.

In a statement issued here today, the Tibetan parliament-in-exile said, “We are commemorating a momentous occasion in the history of our nation, marking the 66th anniversary of March 10, 1959, when Tibetans from all three provinces, being of one mind, united in a non-violent, spontaneous action to stage an uprising against the violent mentality and coercive actions of the Communist Chinese government. It is a day so deeply ingrained in the psyche of our people that it is exceedingly difficult to erase from our collective memory. Today is also Tibetan Martyrs’ Day to commemorate the patriotic valour of the Tibetan men and women, who had sacrificed their all, including their very lives, for the sake of the Tibetan religious, political and national causes.”

It said that the tragedy of the Tibetan nation began with the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 which in due course undertook an armed invasion of their country, followed by Communist China’s launch of all manners of campaigns, including violent ones, against the Tibetan people.

“It all culminated in China coercing the government of Tibet to sign under duress the so-called 17-Point Agreement in 1951. Nevertheless, following it, the Tibetan government strived to coexist with the Communist Chinese government through dialogue in the manner of coddling the fire even though one was being burned by it. Even then, the government of China simply ignored and trampled on the provisions of that agreement. This led to protests by the Tibetan pubic which kept growing day by day. Ultimately, the situation became so dire, including the fact that the personal safety of the Dalai Lama came under threat, that it culminated in the outbreak of the day that we now commemorate as the 10th of March, 1959, uprising anniversary.”

The Tibetan parliament-in-exile stated, “Seven days after that momentous occasion, the Dalai Lama was forced to flee to seek refuge in India, along with the government and many citizens of Tibet. Meanwhile, the government of China continued to carry out its repressive occupation rule in Tibet.”