DHARAMSHALA, March 12: A senior Tibetan leader today called for a common ground where people from East Turkestan, Tibet, and Southern Mongolia could cooperate and learn from each other’s experiences.
Speaker Penpa Tsering of the Dharamshala based Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile was addressing a conference on “China’s New Leadership: Challenges for Human Rights, Democracy and Freedom in East Turkestan, Tibet and Southern Mongolia” in Geneva.
Deliberating on the topic ‘Democratic China in the 21st century,’ Speaker Tsering explained the Tibetan democratic polity and stressed on the need to practice democratic practices in exile in order to ensure a future democratic China.
He spoke on the attempts being made by the exile Tibetan community to reach out to all Chinese group to reach a better understanding of the Tibetan issue and called for unity among the various Chinese pro-democracy groups.
Speaker Tsering further noted that the devolution of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s political authority to the directly elected Tibetan leadership “will ensure the continuation of the Tibetan struggle.”
The conference in Geneva is organised by the World Uyghur Congress in collaboration with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization and the Society for Threatened Peoples.
DHARAMSHALA, March 12: Coinciding with the 54th Tibetan Women’s Uprising Day, the Tibetan Women’s Association today announced a new scholarship programme for girl students in honour of female Tibetan self-immolators.
The largest women’s group in exile said the scholarships will be awarded to girl students willing to study either gynecology and pediatrics.
Hundreds of Tibetan women – nuns, school girls, and laywomen – along with supporters took part in the Women’s Uprising Day function held at the Martyrs’ Pillar near the Tsug-la Khang in Dharamshala earlier today.
In a press statement, TWA remembered and honored the sacrifices Tibetans have made to preserve the Tibetan culture, identity, and freedom and vowed not to let their suffering go in vain.
“Since 2009 to 25 February 2013, one hundred and seven people have self-immolated to protest against the occupation of China. Out of this number, fourteen are female: four nuns, two students, and eight mothers. Twelve of these women died in the protest and two are hospitalised,” TWA said.
The group blamed China’s repressive policies for the self-immolations and urged the international community to “stand for the truth” of Tibet.
“Killings and torture, the separation of the Tibetan people from its spiritual and ethnic head by forbidding them to keep photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama (as well as to express their reverence and faith in him), the denial of the freedom of religion, the deterioration of the Tibetan environment by mining, diverging the rivers, deforestation, force resettlement of nomads – all these repressive policies are the core cause of Tibetan self-immolations,” TWA said.
“Since the causes of Tibetan suffering are policies initiated by the Chinese government, the United Nations and International committees must stand for the truth, and pressure Chinese leaders to stop these blatant human rights abuses.”
The women’s group also had a warning for China: “The more Chinese authorities crackdown on Tibetans, the more resistance they will have to challenge.”
A music album titled, ‘Call of longing grief’ (gdungbar) in honour of Tibetan martyrs sung by Karma Dolma, a student of the College for Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarah was also released.
After the official function, protesters led by Tibetan women marched down hill to lower Dharamshala raising slogans for Tibet’s freedom and parading photos of Tibetan self-immolators.
Several women activists from all over India and Nepal are currently in New Delhi to take part in a three day-long mass campaign beginning today.
The ‘Tibetans Stand together in Joy and Sorrow’ campaign includes public meeting, women’s peace rally, prayer meeting, silent protest, and all-women lobby campaign.
On March 12, 1959, thousands of Tibetan women gathered in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, peacefully protesting China’s occupation of Tibet. Chinese authorities responded by restoring to brute force, resulting in the deaths, torture, and arrests of a large number of women.
NEW DELHI, March 12: A group of 13 Tibetan girls, all studying at the Delhi University, stormed the Chinese Embassy today shouting slogans demanding China “to get out of Tibet.”
The protest was carried out to mark the 54th Tibetan Women’s Uprising Day. On March 12, 1959, thousands of Tibetan women gathered in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, peacefully protesting China’s occupation of Tibet. Chinese authorities responded by restoring to brute force, resulting in the deaths, torture, and arrests of a large number of women.
The girls, member the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Rohini, carried out their protest outside the gates of the Chinese Embassy at around 11:45 am.
With their faces painted in Tibetan national flags and wearing t-shirts carrying pictures of Tibetan self-immolators, the girls locked themselves together and shouted slogans calling for Tibet’s independence and demanding China to “get out of Tibet.”
Organisers said today’s protest was especially dedicated to the 107 Tibetans who have set themselves on fire protesting China’s occupation and demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile.
Indian police have arrested the protester and the girls are currently under detention at the Chanakya Puri Police Station.
DHARAMSHALA, March 12: The 54th Tibetan National Uprising Day was marked in Canada with rallies and protests outside Chinese diplomatic offices in the capital Ottawa and other cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary.
In Toronto hundreds of marchers carried 99 coffins draped in Tibetan national flags to pay homage and in memory of all Tibetans, inside and outside Tibet, who have set themselves on fire protesting China’s rule.
The rally began from China's Consulate office and made its way to the Dandus Square in the centre of downtown Toronto.
Prominent Canadian leaders and Tibet supporters, including Consiglio Di Nino, former Senator and Chair of Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, Wanye Marston and Peggy Nash, both members of parliament, Cheri Dinovo, provincial member of parliament, and Green Party representative Elizebath May, addressed the gathering.
The speakers expressed their support for the Tibetan people's demands for freedom and for respect of fundamental human rights in Tibet.
Peggy Nash, in a statement on her official website, pledged her continued support for the Tibetan people.
“Fifty-four years ago on this date several thousand Tibetans staged an uprising against the People’s Republic of China. Fifty-four years later, Tibetans are still courageously protesting for freedom and basic human rights,” Nash said.
“I am inspired by the resolve, courage and activism of Tibetans in Toronto. I will continue to call on the government to urge China to address the Tibetan peoples legitimate grievances and respond to their demands for freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.”
March 10 protests were also carried out in front of the Chinese Embassy in the Canadian capital city Ottawa and in Vancouver and Calgary.
Last month, the head of the exile Tibetan administration, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay urged Canada to send its newly instated Ambassador for Religious Freedom to Tibet, where 107 Tibetans, including several monks and nuns have self-immolated.
Sikyong Sangay, on a visit to Canada, said the rising number of self-immolations stems from the repression of political and religious freedoms, and crackdowns on other forms of protest.
“I would really like to see, and request, that the ambassador of religious freedom visit Tibet. Because religious freedom is very much at the core of self-immolation – as well as other issues – in Tibet,” Dr Sangay told reporters. “And now, the office is established, there’s an ambassador. If he could go to Tibet and investigate the situation, that would be a welcome gesture.”
Andrew Bennett, a former civil servant, was appointed the ambassador of the Office of Religious Freedom, created earlier this month to promote freedom of worship around the world
“The cause of self-immolation is clear: political repression, economic marginalisation, environmental destruction, cultural assimilation and denial of religious freedom. It’s very clear. And occupation is the main cause,” the de facto Tibetan prime minister said.
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