CTA holds Prayer Service in memory of peaceful demonstrators of ‘1989 Uprising in Tibet’
DHARAMSALA, 8 March: The Central Tibetan Administration(CTA) today held a prayer service to recall and pay tribute to the peaceful Tibetan demonstrators of the 1989 Uprising in Tibet.
“As we hold the prayer service to recall and pay tribute to the Tibetan martyrs, I request everyone to pray for the Ukrainians as the situation continues to worsen there, and particularly for the Ukrainian women – who are under immense mental and physical distress- as it also happens to be the International Women’s day today,” CTA President Penpa Tsering said.
After the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959, Tibetans took to the streets to protest against China’s repressive rule in Tibet during the Tibetan uprisings in 1987, 1988 and 1989. The peaceful and non-violent protests were suppressed by a large number of Chinese army with brutal force, indiscriminately shooting at and killing many Tibetans on the spot while many were injured and arrested.
Organised by its Department of Religion, the Tibetan administration holds the prayer service on 8 March annually to recall and pay tribute to Tibetans who have risked their life and limb for the cause of Tibet during the peaceful demonstrations of 1989. Ven Thomtok Rinpoche, the abbot of Namgyal monastery led the hour-long prayer service.
Apart from the CTA’s President Penpa Tsering, the prayer service was also attended by CTA’s education Minister Changra Tharlam Dolma and Information and International Relation Minister Norzin Dolma, Tibetan Parliamentarians, Justice Commissioners, officials of the Central Tibetan Administration and monks from Namgyal monastery.
The prayer service returned to its usual venue, the Tsuglag-Khang, the main temple in Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala after it was held at T-building, the auditorium of the CTA at its headquarters for two years owing to the closure of the temple due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tsuglagkhang, the main temple of the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama which was closed for nearly two years due to the raging COCVID-19 pandemic reopened last week for devotees on the first day of the Tibetan Losar(new year).
