DHARAMSHALA, December 10: Tibetan exiles and supporters all over the world marked the 24th anniversary of the the Dalai Lama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and the 65th International Human Rights Day here under the shadow of the ongoing wave of self-immolations inside Tibet.
The exile Tibetan headquarters of Dharamshala witnessed the official function marking the two occasions at the Tsuglakhang courtyard in the presence of the Tibetan Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay, Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, government officials and representatives of various NGOs here.
“Unfortunately, even after 65 years of proclamation there is not much for Tibetans to celebrate given the deteriorating human rights condition in Tibet”, said the Tibetan PM (Sikyong) referring to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Since 2009, as many as 123 Tibetans have set themselves on fire inside Tibet protesting China’s continued occupation of Tibet and demanding freedom and the return of Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile.
Sangay reiterated his administration’s commitment to the Middle-Way Approach saying that dialogue is the most realistic approach and the only way to find a mutually beneficial solution to the Tibet issue. “The Middle-Way Approach neither seeks separation from the People’s Republic of China nor “high degree of autonomy”, but Genuine Autonomy for all Tibetan people under a single administration. This is consistent with both the National Regional Autonomy Law and the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China.”
The Sikyong sent a clear message to Tibetans inside Tibet that the Tibetans in exile will continue to work to fulfill the aspirations of their brethren in Tibet. “Though your suffering is unbearable and seems endless, the only certainty in life is change. Things never stay the same forever. Though we remain separated by political force, we will never stop working to be reunited with basic freedoms and with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Tibet.”
The Tibetan Parliament in Exile also urged China to respect human rights of the Tibetan people who, it said, have been living under constant fear and repression. Deputy Speaker Sonam Tenphel said China’s recent entry into the United Nations Human Rights Council became possible after it agreed to implement all the international human rights instruments and to respect the rights of the ethnic minorities within the People’s Republic of China. “I therefore take this opportunity to ask China to implement its promises and also urge the international community to closely scrutinize China on this issue.”
A few senior civil servants of the Central Tibetan Administration were also honored for their services at the gathering.
School children, members of various organizations performed Tibetan songs and dances for the guests. Later today, India’s leading rock band Parikrama will perform at a concert at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts ground. The concert is a part of a campaign launched by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy called ‘The Banned Expression : Support Free Speech in Tibet’.
Supported by Voice of Tibet Radio and Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, the concert will also see the release of a special report ‘Banned Expression: Stifling Dissent and Creativity in Tibet’. The report details the widespread, systematic attacks on the right to freedom of expression in Tibet including information on the recent arrests and imprisonment of Tibetan writers and artistes.
