Exiled Tibetans Mark Dalai Lama’s 91st Birthday; CTA Condemns China’s New Ethnic Unity Law

By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSALA, 6 July: Exiled Tibetans in Dharamsala and communities across the world on Monday marked the 91st birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with prayers, cultural performances and public gatherings, following a plea from Pawo Lobga Rangzen, recorded before his self-immolation in New York, that Tibetans should not mourn but celebrate the occasion “even bigger and grander.”

At the Dalai Lama Temple in McLeod Ganj, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) organised the official birthday programme, which drew Tibetan organisations, community groups, dignitaries and members of the public. Traditional songs, dances and religious observances filled the day, described by attendees as among the most important cultural gatherings after Losar, the Tibetan New Year.

The event was attended by among others, Kangra Deputy Commissioner Dr Hemraj Bairwa as the Chief Guest along with the representatives of the three pillars of the Tibetan democracy as well as the members of Tibetan Parliament-in-exile and officials of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

The Dalai Lama celebrated his birthday in Ladakh in the presence of CTA President Penpa Tsering, the elected political head of the Tibetan government-in-exile. 

The celebrations were shadowed by the self-immolation of Pawo (Hero-Marty) Lobga Rangzen outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on 2 July. In a video message before his self-immolation, he urged Tibetans not to scale back celebrations marking the Dalai Lama’s birthday, but instead to amplify them. He also asked that his protest be remembered as part of the ongoing struggle for Tibetan independence.

He said, “I don’t want you to mourn for me. I want you to continue the struggle for Tibetan independence because the lack of independence is the root of all our problems. Bhoe Gyalo, Bhoe Rangzen Gyalo (Victory to Tibet, Victory to Tibetan Independence).”

Both the Kashag (Cabinet) and the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile paid tribute to Pawo Lobga Rangzen during the birthday observances and expressed gratitude to the Dalai Lama for his lifelong service to universal peace and the Tibetan cause. Both institutions bodies also condemned the People’s Republic of China’s new “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress,” which came into force on 1 July.

The Kashag and Parliament said the law risks institutionalising measures that critics argue will assimilate China’s “ethnic minorities” into a single national identity by undermining distinct languages, cultures, traditions and identities. The Kashag said it had begun drafting a comprehensive, phased strategy to address the law’s implications and pledged specific measures once the plan is finalised.

“In response to the Chinese government’s Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress law, the Kashag has already begun formulating a comprehensive strategy to address its implications. As these plans are finalised, specific measures will be implemented in a phased and systematic manner”, the Kashag said in its statement.

Pawo Lobga Rangzen’s act, which came a day after the law took effect, crystallised heightened anxieties among many Tibetans about accelerating policies affecting occupied Tibet and other “minority regions”. In his final message, he appealed for unity across provincial and sectarian lines, calling on Tibetans in exile to continue cultural and political activities rather than mourn his death.

Attendees at McLeod Ganj described Monday’s events as both festive and resolute. Performers and community members said they sought to honour the Dalai Lama’s teachings of compassion and nonviolence while also taking seriously the urgency expressed by Pawo Lobga Rangzen and others who fear erosion of Tibetan identity.

The CTA urged continued international attention to developments affecting Tibet and reiterated its commitment to preserve Tibetan language, culture and rights in the face of recent legislation from Beijing. Observers expect further CTA measures and community initiatives in the coming weeks.