Dharamshala — Tibetans and Tibet supporters across the globe commemorated the 66th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day in more than 20 countries and 60 cities, remembering the Tibetan martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Tibet. The younger generation reaffirmed their determination to fight for the Tibetan cause and protested against the Chinese government for the destruction of the Tibetan environment and monasteries, the assassination and imprisonment of Tibetans and the illegal invasion of Tibet in 1959.
Tibetans and supporters around the world commemorated the 66th Anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day in more than 20 countries and 60 cities including Dharamshala, Guwahati, Itanagar, Tawang, Ladakh, New Delhi, Mangalore, Bylakuppe, Mundgod, in India and New York, Minnesota, Jackson Heights, Chicago, Monterey, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Boston in USA. Toronto in Canada, Paris in France, London, Manchester in England, Hague in Netherlands, Berlin in Germany, Brussels in Belgium, Zurich in Switzerland, Oslo in Norway, Stockholm in Sweden, Copenhagen in Denmark, Dublin in Ireland, Rome in Italy, Vienna in Austria, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane in Australia, Tokyo in Japan, Taipei in Taiwan, Brazil, and Portugal, on March 10, 2025.
A crowd of more than 3,000 Tibetans and supporters from all over Europe gathered in the Hague, the Netherlands, on 10 March 2025 to commemorate the 66th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day. This was the largest event organised this year to commemorate the 66th day of the Tibetan National Uprising across the world. It was organised by the Tibetan community in the Netherlands with the support of other Tibetan communities in Europe, the Tibet Support Group Netherlands, the International Campaign for Tibet-Europe, Students for a Free Tibet and the Voluntary Tibet Advocacy Group.
The main guest of the event, Kelsang Gyaltsen, former envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and special representative in Europe, the representative Rigzin Genkhang of the Tibet Office in Brussels, the members of the Tibetan Parliament in exile representing Europe, the Venerable Thupten Wangchen and Thupten Gyatso, as well as the Dutch MPs Jan Paternotte and Isa Kahraman addressed the assembly.
This year's gathering was marked by the presence of a large number of international guests, including Hollywood actor and long-time friend of Tibet and His Holiness the Dalai Lama Richard Gere and former NBA basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom, who openly supports the cause of Tibet. Former Dutch MP Erica Terpstra, ICT President Tenchoe Gyatso and Tibetan activist and community organiser Chime Lhamo were also present at the rally. Their presence underlined the strong international support for the Tibetan cause and the attention that the world continues to pay to the plight of Tibet.
In his keynote speech, Kelsang Gyaltsen said, “Today, China is a threat to peace and security in Europe. There is no hope of China becoming a responsible stakeholder of the international community nor hope for Europe of overcoming the threat that China poses until and unless there are major fundamental changes in China. This is the political imperative. This is the task at hand. This imperative is making the Tibet freedom movement, the European Union and governments’ natural ally in a common cause. It creates a conducive basis for strategic discussions and cooperation on China by accepting us Tibetans, Uyghurs, Chinese democracy activists from mainland, Hong Kong and Southern Mongolians not only as victims but as stakeholders and partners in a common cause."
Actor Richard Gere said, "The Chinese government has committed horrific acts in Tibet and continues to do so. Today, Tibetan children have been taken away and placed in Chinese boarding schools, which is important because it completely brainwashes them. China continues to destroy the Tibetan environment, building dams on the world's largest rivers that flow from Tibet, creating serious problems for Asian countries downstream."
Former NBA basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom addressed the gathering and said: ‘When I was young, I was inspired by the messages of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. When I was a basketball player in the NBA, I wanted to stand up for Tibet because the messages of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, but the NBA, which is run by the CCP, didn't like that. When I started speaking out for Tibet, my Asian team-mates told me that if you spoke out for Tibetans, you would be kicked out of the NBA. Tibetans are losing their love and their lives, and I wanted to set an example by telling the truth. Every Tibetan is born as a freedom fighter, keep doing what you are doing, never give up, that's the most important thing. There are wars all over the world, keep speaking the truth, the messages of His Holiness the Dalai Lama will save the world."
Tibetan activist Chime Lhamo said, "I am a Tibetan who never sees Tibet, but I fight every day to see home (Tibet) one day. The Chinese government is killing Tibetans as well as putting Tibetans in prison, destroying Tibetan environment and monasteries. Just like how Tibetans rose up against the CCP in 1959, in 2008, and how Tibetans protested against the dam in Gege county, how Tibetans from three provinces of Tibet came to help earthquake-affected Tibetans in Dingri County. We have come here today to commemorate the Tibetan National Uprising Day, to stand up for justice and truth. The world will change, and China will change sooner or later. Therefore, our young generations should remember the contributions of our elders for the cause of Tibet and continue to fight for the Tibetan cause and never give up."
Dutch lawmakers Jan Paternotte and Isa Kahraman strongly condemned China's oppressive policies in Tibet and expressed solidarity with the Tibetan people. They stressed the importance of diplomatic and political pressure on China to respect human rights in Tibet and pledged their continued support.
On the 66th anniversary of the Tibetan national Uprising Day, Tibetans, young and old, men and women, in the 20 countries and more than 60 cities have protested against the CCP's illegal occupation of Tibet, arresting, torturing and killing Tibetans, destroying Tibetan monasteries and the environment, damming Tibetan rivers, forcibly putting over a million Tibetan children in Chinese colonial boarding schools, etc. They have protested against the CCP in front of Chinese embassies in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia. They have held peaceful marches in the streets of these countries, demanding freedom and human rights in Tibet, calling for the release of Tibetan prisoners, including the 11th Panchen Lama, who was abducted by the CCP when he was only six years old.
