By Phunstok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, March 12: The exiled Tibetan women today marked the 55th Tibetan Women’s Uprising Day condemning China’s denunciation of the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
“We abhor the Chinese government’s hurling of abuses against His Holiness and the ruthless warnings issued by the Chinese leadership to the world leaders refraining them from meeting with His Holiness,” said TWA in its press statement for the day that is observed every year as Tibetan Women’s Uprising Day.
Hundreds of Tibetan women including former Tibetan minister Rinchen Khando, Tibetan women parliamentarians, nuns, schoolgirls, and laywomen – along with supporters took part in a modest function held at the Martyrs’ Pillar near the Tsuglakhang in Dharamshala.
Rinchen Khando, former Tibetan minister and former president of the Organization said, “We, Tibetans are not less than any other people in this world especially Tibetan women- they can face any challenges and I believe that Tibetan women are very courageous. Therefore, we should know where to use this courage.”
Dedicating the 55th anniversary of Tibetan Women’s Uprising to the women inside Tibet, the women group announced fellowship program for the Tibetan women inside Tibet pursuing professional studies. An honorary cash award of Rs 25,000 was awarded to Tsering Dolkar, known as Tibetan Mother Teresa for her voluntary assistance to Tibetan refugees receiving medical treatment in Chandigarh, in honor of the 19 Tibetan women self-immolators.
Since 2009, 127 Tibetans including 19 Tibetan women have set themselves on fire in Tibet protesting against China’s occupation of Tibet and its hard-line policies.
The group also remembered the sacrifices of hundreds of Tibetan women during Chinese crackdown and pledged to stand united in their commitment to Tibet’s cause. “We pledge that the hardships endured by these martyrs for the cause will not go in vain and that we will continue to stand resolutely united and be of firm commitment to the cause of Tibet. We also revere all women who made great efforts and sacrifices during the hardest period of early years in exile,” the statement said.
TWA also launched an online petition urging world leaders to press China into resuming dialogue with the representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
“TWA believes that the Tibetan struggle is not only a political struggle of the Tibetan people against the Chinese Communist regime, but also essentially a struggle against injustices that bear moral weight on the international community to respond to travesty of justice taking place at an unprecedented stage, thus stirring the human conscience,” said TWA.
After the official function, protesters led by Tibetan women marched down hill to lower Dharamshala raising slogans for Tibet’s freedom and parading portraits of Tibetan self-immolators.
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 Tibetan women.
