Tibetans in Dharamsala commemorate 61st anniversary of National Uprising Day with Peace march

DHARAMSALA, 10 March: Tibetans and supporters today participated in a public march to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day here in the exile headquarter of the Tibetan people.

Carrying Tibetan national flags, pictures of the His Holiness the Dalai Lama and play cards with slogans such as ‘Free Tibet’, ‘China out of Tibet’,  ‘Tibet belongs to Tibetans’ and ‘Unite for Justice’,  Tibetans in hundreds from all walks of life and supporters marched from Mcleod Ganj to Gamru ground opposite to Lower T.C.V. school in lower Dharamsala.

The public march began after the official anniversary function to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day and it was collectively organised by five Tibetan NGOs – Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women’s Association, National Democratic Party of Tibet, Gu-Chu-Sum Movement of Tibet and Students for a Free Tibet.

A statement released jointly by the NGO’s expressed grave concern over the communist regimes continued suppression, atrocities and violation of basic human rights of Tibetans inside Tibet.

“More than 150 Tibetans have self- immolated in protest against the deteriorating Human rights condition inside Tibet under Chinese misrule. However, the government’s policies have not changed but further infringed upon the rights of Tibetans in their religious beliefs and political life,” the statement read.

As Tibetans observe 61 years of resistance, the NGO’s said that the Chinese communist regime still employs a tight grip in the occupied Tibet.

“Restrictions imposed on movements of Tibetans across the border and inside Tibet, surveillance of communication and information, particularly internet communication and the newly passed law-making ‘ethnic unity’ which could be used to justify crackdown on minority communities a mandatory all evince the prevalence of the repressive policies and tight grip China has on Tibet behind its iron curtain.”

The group further demanded the “immediate release of Panchen Lama and all the Tibetan political prisoners from the Chinese prisons inside Tibet.”

The NGO’s further thanked the world leaders, international Human rights organisations and Tibet supporters for their support and appealed for their continued support to mount stronger actions against China to alleviate the suffering of Tibetans under the Chinese regime.

In a parallel event, the NGO’s took the aerial route by paragliding hundreds of feet in the air by unfurling an Indian and Tibetan National Flag as well as a giant white banner that read ‘China, Free Tibet Now.’

On March 10, 1959, sensing a Chinese plot to abduct His Holiness the Dalai Lama, more than 300,000 Tibetans surrounded his summer palace, Norbulingka to protect his life and to protest against the Chinese occupation.

Seven days later, His Holiness the Dalai Lama left Lhasa and fled to India followed by 80,000 Tibetans into exile.

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