CTA holds Prayer Service in memory of peaceful demonstrators of ‘1987-1989 Uprising in Tibet’
By Lobsang Tenchoe
DHARAMSALA, March 8: The Central Tibetan Administration(CTA) held a prayer service today to recall and pay tribute to the peaceful Tibetan demonstrators of 1987-1989 Uprising in Tibet at Tsuglag-Khang, the main temple in Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala.
Hundreds of Tibetans attended the prayer service organized by the CTA’s Department of Religion, including CTA’s President Dr Lobsang Sangay, members of Kashag, Tibetan Parliamentarians, Justice Commissioners, officials of the Central Tibetan Administration and monks from Namgyal monastery.
The Tibetan administration holds the prayer service on March 8 annually to recall and pay tribute to Tibetans who have risked their life and limb for the cause of Tibet. Ven Thomtok Rinpoche, the abbot of Namgyal monastery led the hour-long prayer service.
Following the prayer service, President Sangay stated that it’s important to recall and highlight the sacrifices made by the peaceful Tibetan demonstrators against the Chinese government. The protests were a spontaneous response to the imposition of repressive measures by Chinese authorities in Tibet and even now, Tibet remains under lockdown and Tibetans are forced to live under a series of repressive measures, a report on CTA’s official web page, Tibet.net quoted President Sangay as saying.
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.
