Forty-four years after fleeing Tibet, the Dalai Lama released his annual March 10 statement from Dharamsala, India, where he resides in exile, today on the anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day.
Tibetan leader Dalai Lama reads through his speech during a commemorative function at Dharamsala, India, Monday, March 10, 2003. The Tibetans commemorated the 44th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day. (AP Photo/Angus McDonald)
Tibetans in Dharamsala today observed the 44th commemoration of the Tibetan national uprising day. Hundreds of Tibetans gathered at the ground in front of the main Buddhist Cathedral (Tsuk Lhakhang) for the first time without the huge
Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, today urged China to address the issue of autonomy for his nation, warning that the problem could soon become insoluble. The Dalai Lama made his appeal on the anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan national uprising against Beijing's annexation of the once independent Himalayan country.
In a subdued speech, the Dalai Lama criticized China's human rights policy but praised Beijing for some positive developments as his supporters staged protests to mark the anniversary of Tibetans' failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.
Promoting a message of independence through non-violence, three Indiana based Tibet support groups coordinated a five-day "March for Tibet’s Independence" that ends today with a major rally from 12-2pm at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis, Ind.
China defended its brand of economic development in Tibet on Monday as environmentally friendly and said critics of its rule of the Himalayan region simply wanted to restore the old feudal society.
Today, as we commemorate the 44th anniversary of the Tibetan people's peaceful uprising in Lhasa, I pay our tribute, on behalf of the Kashag, to the brave men and women of Tibet who sacrificed their lives for our spiritual and political cause.
Our sincere greetings to fellow Tibetans in Tibet and in exile and to our friends and supporters all over the world on the occasion of the 44th anniversary of the Tibetan People s Uprising of 1959.
