Commemoration of the 61st Tibetan Women’s Uprising Day in Dharamsala

DHARAMSALA, 12 March:  Tibetan women from every walk of life took part in the Tibetan Women’s Association’s (TWA) commemoration of the 61st anniversary of the Tibetan Women’s Uprising Day and marched from the Tibetan National Martyrs’ memorial outside Tsug-lag-Khang to the main square in Mcleod Ganj here.

The commemoration of the 61st anniversary of the Tibetan Women’s Uprising Day was marked with a prayer session and brief ceremony held at Lhagyal Ri, located almost half-way on the circumambulation path around the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s residence.

Nangsa Choedon, the former Secretary of Central Tibetan Administration who attended the commemoration ceremony as the Chief Guest commended the TWA’s present crop of youth leaders for organising the commemoration ceremony in spite of the ongoing global Coronavirus pandemic and further lauded them fro taking up the mantle of Tibetan freedom movement from the elder generations.

TWA, in their statement, paid tribute to those patriotic Tibetan women who selflessly sacrificed their lives for Tibet on 12 March 1959.

“The present generation of Tibetan women inside and outside Tibet remains indebted to those great women and we shall keep their spirit alive and work towards fulfilling their dreams of a free Tibet, under the guidance of His Holiness the Great 14h Dalai Lama, who is known for his unwavering commitment to peacefully restore freedom for Tibetans in Tibet,” the statement read.

Further highlighting their “24 for years” of campaign and advocacy to ascertain information on and the release of 11th Panchen Lama, TWA announced their “plans to initiate a major ‘Peace Cycle Rally’ in 2020 that will cover many cities, and villages and meet various leaders and the general public” across India.

“The case of the abducted XIth Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima remains one of the most high profile cases of enforced disappearance. It is utmost important for the Tibetan people to find the XIth Panchen Lama while His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama is healthy and in a position to guide the Tibetan people. “

The women’s group further stated that “human rights situation in Tibet is worsening each day under the leadership of XI Jinping” and urged the United Nations to put pressure on China to engage in dialogue with the representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the earliest and to exert pressure on China for the immediate release of His Holiness the 11th Panchen Lama and all the Tibetan political prisoners.

TWA further declared that the “reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is purely a Tibetan religious affair and that the “Dalai Lama himself has the sole legitimate authority on it” and further stated that “Tibetans will not accept Dalai Lama selected by China.”

The statement concluded with the group urging the Chinese President “Xi Jinping to give respect to Human Rights in Tibet, including Press freedom”.

Following the anniversary function, TWA led a peace march from the Tibetan National Martyrs’ memorial outside Tsug-lag-Khang to the main square in Mcleod Ganj.

On March 12, 1959, two days after the March 10 uprising in the Tibetan capital, thousands of Tibetan women took to the streets of Lhasa, demanding freedom and protested against the illegal occupation of Tibet by the Chinese regime. Tibetans observe the day as Tibetan Women’s Uprising day.

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