Tibetans mark 74th founding anniversary of PRC with Global Day of Action
By Tsering Choephel
DHARAMSALA, 2 Oct: As China marks the 74th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Beijing, three Tibetan NGOs staged a joint protest at Main Square, McLeod Ganj yesterday, standing in solidarity with activists representing Tibet, East Turkestan, Southern Mongolia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China.
The establishment of the PRC China in 1949 was the beginning of tragedy and a matter of “grief for the occupied Nations,” the Tibetan Youth Congress, the National Democratic Party of Tibet, and Students for a Free Tibet-India said in their joint press statement.
The Tibetan NGOs have dedicated the day as the Global Day of Action to protest against China on China’s 74th National Day.
The group’s protest aims to expose the severe violations of international human rights law by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This initiative serves as a platform to foster cross-movement solidarity, advocating for freedom and substantial reforms in Tibet, East Turkestan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, and China.
Under Xi Jinping’s leadership, the suppression and persecution of Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, and Chinese citizens have intensified, the group has said and added that Beijing’s establishment of concentration camps disguised as vocational training centres in East Turkestan, the colonial-style boarding school system in Tibet, forced DNA collection from Tibetans, and the aggressive takeover of Hong Kong is deeply troubling.
The CCP’s accelerating Sinicization policies have led to a “relentless assault on Tibetan national identity, particularly its language, religion, and culture.” Occupied Tibet ranks among the world’s least free regions under China’s occupation. According to the US-based NGO Freedom House, Tibet was ranked the least free country 9in the world in 2023 for the third year in a row.
In the US, Tibetans also observed a Global Action Day, staging a protest against the CCP’s rule and its harsh policies in Tibet, East Turkestan, and Southern Mongolia.
China’s National Day, observed annually on 1st October, commemorates the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
