Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 23: Former Tibetan political prisoners, together with the Lhasa Boys’ Association Switzerland, offered a Long Life Prayer ceremony to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamshala on Monday.
The solemn ceremony featured an emotional supplication on behalf of Tibetans inside Tibet, which was read by former political prisoner Ngawang Sangdrol, who was arrested at just 13 and imprisoned for eleven years. The message conveyed the collective yearning of Tibetans for the Dalai Lama’s return to their homeland while poignantly lamenting their present circumstances under Chinese rule.
The letter expressed unwavering faith and profound reverence for the Tibetan spiritual leader, whom they described as the “Protector of the Snow Land, Tenzin Gyatso.” They appealed earnestly for his swift return to Tibet, stating that without him, the Snow Land has become “merely a name — an empty remnant.” The supplication blended devotion with anguish, reflecting both the spiritual steadfastness and the deep suffering of Tibetans living under Chinese rule. “Though our minds are joyful, being counted among the celebrations of the Protector, yet our minds are sorrowful, helplessly remaining under the enemy’s domination,” the letter read. It further affirmed that the continued life of His Holiness remains the source of hope.
The letter also detailed the current situation inside Tibet, highlighting what it described as systematic efforts to erode Tibetan identity, language, and religious freedom. According to the statement, Tibetan language teachers are now required to obtain Chinese-language certification at various levels in order to continue teaching, a policy seen as undermining the value of Tibetan language in its own homeland. Teachers dedicated to preserving the Tibetan language reportedly face threats to their livelihoods if they fail to meet these requirements.
Students progressing through different levels of education are allegedly being encouraged, both openly and subtly, to avoid studying Tibetan. The message conveyed to them, the letter stated, is that learning Tibetan is not beneficial to their future prospects and may even hinder academic advancement. In some cases, students who express interest in studying Tibetan are reportedly mocked by teachers.
The letter further raised concerns about the tourism sector in Tibet, alleging that Tibetans are relegated to minimal roles while Chinese nationals occupy prominent positions. Tour guides, regardless of ethnic background, are required to be proficient in Chinese and to present state-approved narratives of Tibetan history. The letter cited examples of tourists being told that landmarks such as the Potala Palace were built “for the sake of China,” and that Tibet’s historical achievements originated from China — claims the signatories described as fabricated and misleading.
Restrictions on religious practice were also emphasized. The letter stated that even ordinary government employees, private shop workers, and non-governmental staff are prohibited from visiting religious sites. During sacred months such as Saga Dawa, Tibetans undertaking pilgrimages reportedly face heightened surveillance, repeated residency checks, and searches of personal belongings, including mobile phones.
For those seeking government employment, denouncing the 14th Dalai Lama is allegedly a prerequisite condition. Parents are reportedly pressured to sign statements criticizing their spiritual leader, and children are systematically taught to distance themselves from devotion to His Holiness. The letter described this as one of the most painful realities facing Tibetans today.
The former political prisoners’ letter concluded by portraying a society living under pervasive surveillance and repression. They alleged that Tibetans face restrictions not only on religious expression but also on speech, internet use, and even thought. Acts as simple as undertaking traditional pilgrimages can result in sudden interrogations and checks.
“In short, people are forced to live in constant fear at all times and in all circumstances,” the letter stated. “The suffering is such that once you begin to describe it, there is no end.”
Despite these hardships, the signatories of the letter reaffirmed their hope and faith, praying that His Holiness may “remain through hundreds of eons as the protector and refuge of Tibet” and expressing their enduring aspiration for his return to their homeland.
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you writing
ths post and also the rest of the website is really good.
During the Long Life puja offering by ex-prisoners of Tibet and Swiss based Lhasa Boys organisation, Ngawang Sangdol, herself an ex-prisoner of Drapchi prison singing nuns fame, read a moving verse sent from occupied Tibet. As she read with a brave face, HH The Dalai Lama was visibly moved and often moved his hands in a motion of beseeching the holy beings for help for the benighted people of Tibet! Other Lamas who were seated close to the Dalai Lama were moved too. One of them listened intendedly with folded hands as if he was going through a spate of rising emotion while another one bowed low as he seemed to tear up! All through the reading of the verse, HH closed his eyes and seemed to pray for the Tibetans inside occupied Tibet who exhorted him to come to Tibet now! They said that the great land of Dharma བོད་ཆོས་ལྡན་གྱི་ཞིང་ཁམས་ was reduced to a barren land of spiritual apocalypse! The ordinary lay people were equally moved and were wiping off tears! The Tibetans in occupied Tibet desperately want to see the Dalai Lama because it is hell on earth under brutal Chinese communist occupation! The Dalai Lama showed keen interest to visit occupied Tibet but the Chinese would not have any of it! Because they know that if He is allowed, THERE WILL BE PANDEMONIUM IN OCCUPIED TIBET! This will greatly embarrass the most evil regime after their propaganda cast the Dalai Lama as a “feudal lord” supposedly oppressing the Tibetans and the CCP claimed to have “liberated” the Tibetans! THIS WAS THE SINISTER LIE THE EVIL CCP CONCOCTED TO DECEIVE THE WORLD IN ORDER TO GIVE A PRETEXT TO INVADE AND ILLEGALLY OCCUPY TIBET!!! In one stroke, the CCP lie will be laid thread bare in-front of the world! That is why, they couldn’t possibly allow the Dalai Lama to visit occupied Tibet! The tragedy of Tibet is exercebated by ripened age of the Dalai Lama and also no more hogging the lime-light on the international stage that Tibet enjoyed for the last twenty five years! Today, hardly anyone talks about Tibet on the world stage! The reason for this is obviously the rise of communist China and the weakening of western power and the values they espoused! Tibetans themselves are responsible for cozying up to the CCP and giving up resistance only to capitulate! The international community saw the betrayal of the Tibetan stand for national liberation and instead adopting a policy of appeasement that they saw as an abandonment of the movements promised goal. They felt cheated and western support for Tibet plummeted!
Even Japanese Prime Minister Sonae Takaichi didn’t raise the issue of Tibet when she met Xi the dictator on 31st of October during an APEC meeting in South Korea! She raised the issue of East Turkistan during which Xi Jinping dodged by going to toilet! But she didn’t mention one word about Tibet. This shows even Japan which has a strong contingent of Tibet supporters have consigned Tibet to oblivion! It is important to aggressively campaign for Tibetan independence in order to show to the international community that we have not forsaken Tibet! It will also unite the Tubetans under one umbrella without totally and utterly unnecessary squabble between the Rangzen and U-ma factions! The Tibetans in Tibet deserve to be heard! They have clearly recognised the CCP as the enemy and those in exile should understand the sentiment of the hapless Tibetans under CCP siege! THE CCP’S ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO DESTROY THE DHARMA སངས་རྒྱས་ཀྱི་བསྟན་པ་ WHICH IS THE FOUNDATION OF TIBET’S UNIQUE CULTURE AND IDENTITY! The destruction of Tibetan language and Buddhism by suppressing them is an undeniable signal of total elimination of Tibetan people’s values, customs, way of life and spiritual identity! IT IS THE CCP’S FINAL SOLUTION TO THE SINO-TIBET CONFLICT: EXTERMINATION OF THE TIBETAN PEOPLE!