Dharamshala — Tibetans and supporters across the world on March 10 organised rallies and gatherings to commemorate the 57th anniversary of Tibetan people's national Uprising Day, protest against the Chinese invasion and occupation of Tibet in 1959.
Addressing a massive gathering in Dharamsala, India, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay has reiterated his administration's commitment to the 'Middle Way' approach and expressed that his administration firmly believe that the longstanding issue of Tibet can be resolved through dialogue.
Sikyong said "the Envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama are ready to engage in dialogue with their Chinese counterpart any time and any place."
He clarified that the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) remained fully committed to the "middle way approach" that clearly seeks genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people within China.
"It is hoped the leaders in Beijing will see reason with the middle way approach, instead of distorting it, and step forward to engage in dialogue with the Dalai Lama's envoys."
To mark the historical anniversary, Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in-Exile said "It has, to this day, China never changed its policy of brutal and violent persecution of the Tibetan people, showing absolutely no care and concern for their wishes and aspirations."
"Generations of the people of the Snowland of Tibet have been relentless in protesting against the policies being implemented by the government of China also because of the ways and means by which China has acted against them with coercion and force," Mr Tsering said.
"During the entire period of its occupation rule, China has continued to trample on the human rights of the Tibetan people, denied them their religious freedom, disregarded the need to protect their linguistic heritage, set out to destroy their natural environment, and implemented a vicious policy of colonial domination," he said,
"With policies such as these, China threatens to transform the historically Tibetan territory into one controlled and dominated by Chinese people," he stressed, adding that "this has now reached a stage whereby China is poised to decimate the integrity of the Tibetan nation and people out of existence."
Following the official function in Dharamshala, thousands of Tibetans and supporters carried out a protest march led by the five Tibetan organisations, including the Tibetan Youth Congress(TYC), Tibetan Women's Association, Gu Chu Sum Movement of Tibet, National Democratic Party of Tibet, and Students for a Free Tibet.
As we mark today's anniversary of the 1959 uprising in Tibet, the deteriorating human rights situation throughout China is deeply troubling. However, our trip has led us to believe there is a narrow but real opportunity to encourage the Chinese government to re-evaluate its policy toward Tibet.
The crowd starts to march downhill, carrying large portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama along with Tibetan national flags, raised slogans for a Free Tibet and Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The day was observed in Russian Federation by supporters & friends of Tibet, Buddhists and Tibetans.
Over 220 members of Tibetan Youth Congress on Thursday staged protests in front of the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, to marked the 57th Tibetan National Uprising day. All protesters, including 135 male and 85 female students were arrested and are currently in police custody at Chanakyapuri Police station.
"Since it occupied the entire territory of Tibet in 1959, the communist government of China has carried out a series of cruel and barbaric policies directed at destroying the Tibetan people's religious traditions, language, and culture," said the TYC statement issued on Tibetan Uprising Day.
"With shameless audacity, the government of China keeps propagating all sorts of falsehood about the existence of progress, freedom, and happiness in Tibet under its rule," TYC said.
TYC said "the situation in Tibet has been continuing to deteriorate rapidly from bad to worse, that Tibetans left behind in Tibet have now reached the stage of adopting the highest level of non-violent action in their struggle for the cause of the Tibetan people and for the realization of their national sovereignty, unmindful of all dangers to their lives."
According to the Czech media "Radio Pahra", hundreds of municipalities across the Czech Republic are partaking in the "Flag for Tibet" event, prominently displaying the Tibetan flag in order to mark the anniversary of the 1959 Chinese invasion of that country.
This year more than 700 municipalities across the Czech Republic are partaking in the "Flag for Tibet" event. Examples include a Tibetan flag prominently displayed in the main square in the Czech town of Jihlava, one displayed on the central building of the Liberec Regional Authority, and one displayed on the town hall buildings of both the Prague 10 and Prague 4 districts.
The report said that Flags will also be displayed from the windows of private individuals, by various public officials, celebrities, schools, cinemas and so on. Former president Václav Havel was a vocal supporter of Tibet and counted the Dalai Lama as a personal friend.
It said that 2016 represents the largest number of municipalities taking part in this annual event, begun in 1996. Many Czechs view the Tibetan cause – with the country having fallen under Chinese communist dominance during the 1950s – as something of a parallel to the plights of eastern European countries, who once fell victim to Soviet domination.
On the eve of the 57th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising, Tibet Society has appealed the UK and international governments to stand by the principles of freedom and democracy and urge China to seek a peaceful resolution to the Tibet crisis.
"Prime Minister David Cameron should also set an example and meet with the Dalai Lama and representatives of the Tibetan government in exile to help find a path forward," UK Tibet Society said.
On Sunday, March 7, over 200 people from more than 20 civic rights groups and lawmakers took to the streets of downtown Taipei, calling for 'Free Tibet'.
March 10 is the anniversary of the Tibetan national uprising in Tibet's capital Lhasa in 1959 carried out by people from all The Three Provinces of Tibet in protest against the the communist Chinese occupation of Tibet.
Tibet was invaded by 35,000 Chinese troops who systematically raped, tortured and murdered an estimated 1.2 million Tibetans, one-fifth of the country's population. Since then over 6000 monasteries have been destroyed, and thousands of Tibetans have been imprisoned. According to various sources, it is estimated that up to 260,000 Tibetan people died in prisons and labor camps between 1950 and 1984.
