Tibetan NGOs announce series of events ahead of 59th anniversary of National Uprising day and 10th anniversary of the 2008 mass protests
By Lobsang Tenchoe
DHARAMSALA, March 2: Ahead of the 59th anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day and the 10th anniversary of the 2008 mass protests, Tibetan NGOs in Dharamsala have announced a series of events to commemorate the two crucial days of resistance and pay tribute to the resilience and sacrifice of the Tibetan martyrs.
Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women’s Association, Gu-Chu-Sum Movement Association of Tibet, National Democratic Party of Tibet and Students for a Free Tibet-India today held a joint press conference titled ’59 years of Tibetan resistance’ at the headquarter of the Tibetan Youth Congress here in Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala to announce their plan.
The group has planned a peace march from Tsuklakhang to Dharamshala police ground on March 10, screening of documentary films on the 2008 Uprising on March 11, public talk on March 13 and a mass peace march from Sandasthal to Jantar Mantar in Delhi on March 14.
“10th March 2018 observes the 59th anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising day, and 14th March marks the 10th year anniversary of the brutal crackdown of widespread 2008 protests in Tibet, we commemorate the two crucial days of resistance and pay our tribute to the resilience and sacrifice of the courageous heroes. To realise their demands and visions, this year we especially organise chained collaborative events from March 10-14,” the Tibetan NGOs said in their joint statement.
The NGOs described the March 10 and the 2008 Pan-Tibetan movement as the two most powerful resistance by the Tibetans driven by the strength of unity and collective power of the Tibetan people.
The ruthless Chinese policies with its continuing injustice and oppressive measures led to the first self-immolation by Tapey on February 27th, 2009. Since then the world has witnessed an unprecedented number of non-violent activism in the form of 152 confirmed self-immolations in Tibet, the NGOs said and urged the governments around the world, the United Nations and the international human rights organisations to hold China accountable for the rapidly declining situation in Tibet and express strong public condemnation towards China’s poor implementation of Universal Declaration of Human rights.
“We request your constructive call upon President Xi Jinping of PRC, to stop its intensifying repression of the Tibetans under various disguises of policies Which limits the right to life of the Tibetans,” the NGOs said.
The Tibetan NGOs concluded by paying tribute to the Tibetan martyrs who have sacrificed their lives, to render solidarity with their families and called for the unity of Tibetans to strengthen the Tibetan freedom movement.
“Now more than ever we request the Tibetans to come together in unity to strengthen the Tibetan freedom movement and contribute towards the resistance with your sincere participation. May His Holiness the Dalai Lama live long and we soon witness the reunification of Tibetans inside and out.”
