Dharamshala: Around 300 Tibetans marched 15 kilometers (nine miles) to the Dalai Lama's temple, to honour the 74 people who have self-immolated in their country since March, 2011.
The peaceful protestors, including monks from Chime Gatsel Ling and Gyudto monasteries, nuns from Dolma Ling Nunnery, and other local residents carried photographs of some of the self-immolators, banners and Tibetan flags between the Norbulingka Institute and McLeod Ganj, Northern India, on Friday, November 16.
Upon arrival they were addressed by the Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Kenpo Sonam Tenphel, in front of the Tibetan National Martyrs Memorial, who stated that the self-immolators had the "absolute support" of the Tibetan people and urged exiled Tibetans to "attend any kind of movement, big or small."
He also requested on behalf of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile that "any movement should be peaceful, non-violent, dignified and legal."
Tashi Lamsang, president of the Norling Regional United Tibetan Society, said: "We Tibetans in Norbulingka, Sidhpur, and Dharamsala stand in solidarity with Tibetans in Tibet, and support the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for freedom and peace in Tibet.
"Therefore, we strongly call on the newly selected leaders of the Chinese Communist Party to acknowledge policy failures, seek a resolution to the crisis in Tibet, and resume the broken relationship with envoys of His Holiness Dalai Lama to start unconditional negotiations to solve the biggest issue in China."
