Tibetans across the globe not to celebrate Losar

Darjeeling, Feb.1.TT: Tibetans across the globe have decided not to celebrate Losar or the New Year — their biggest festival — on a grand scale this time to protest the killings of their community members by the Chinese authorities.

Tashi Thondup, the president of the Tibetan Regional Youth Congress (Darjeeling), said: “Our community members have decided not to celebrate Losar this year. We will perform the religious rituals but our community members from across the world have decided to abstain from merry making, painting houses or engaging in other forms of entertainment.”

The Tibetan New Year will be celebrated on February 22 and 2139 is the year of the water dragon.

Thondup said Tibetans living in different parts of the world will organise a candle light march on February 8 to express their solidarity with those who suffered because of Chinese oppression.

A rally will also be organised in Darjeeling’s Chowrastha on the same day.

“The year 2138, which was the year of rabbit, has seen a lot of uprising in Tibet and despite repeated attempts by the Chinese authorities to come down heavily on the protests, our community is determined to speak out,” Thondup said over the phone from Bodh Gaya in Bihar.

Tibetans living in exile believe that 16 monks and nuns have set themselves on fire in China, their payul or fatherland, since March last year demanding basic rights for the community.

Prime Minister of the exiled Tibetan government based in Dharmasala, Lobsang Sangay, has issued a statement requesting that a team be sent to Tibet to investigate.

“I request that the international community and the United Nations send a fact-finding delegation to Tibet,” the statement said.

In a message to the Chinese authorities the Prime Minister or karlon tripa said: “The leaders in Beijing must know that killing its own ‘family members’ is in clear violation of international and Chinese laws... I want to tell my dear brothers and sisters inside Tibet that we hear your cries loud and clear... We feel your pain and will not allow the sacrifices you have made go in vain. You are all in our heart and prayers each and every day.”

According to Tibetan government records, Chinese police allegedly fired on hundreds of Tibetans at a rally on January 23 and 24.

Six Tibetans were killed and around 60 people were injured, some critically, read a statement by Sangay.