Tibetans Celebrate 109th Anniversary Of Tibetan Independence Day
Tibetans in exile gathered in Dharmshala, Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, February 13 to celebrate the 109th anniversary of Tibetan Independence Day.
To celebrate the 109th anniversary of Tibetan Independence Day, Tibetans in exile gathered in Dharmshala, Himachal Pradesh on Sunday. The 13th Dalai Lama announced Tibetan independence in the “Proclamation of Independence” on February 13, 1913, and since then Tibetans have been celebrating February 13 as an important day in Tibet’s history to educate people about the significance of Tibet’s history.
On Sunday, the Students for Free Tibet (SFT) staged a symbolic party in Dharmshala to celebrate the occasion. To commemorate the event, they also organised a collective dance, according to ANI. SFT activists also showed the treaty reached by representatives of the Republic of China, Tibet and the United Kingdom during the Shimla convention in 1913-1914 about the status of Tibet. Tibetan activists stated that Tibet was allegedly captured by China in March 1959. They also stated that Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet, and Chinese shall be happy in the land of China, raising their voices in a message to China.
Significant day to remember Tibetan past
Rinzin Choedon, who is the SFT National Director stated that the SFT observes February 13 as a significant day to remember the Tibetan past in order to create the future for a free and independent Tibet. Rinzin further said that after the failed invasion of the Manchu army on February 13, 1913, the great 13th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people restored Tibet as a sovereign nation and declared Tibetan independence, according to the Tibet Post.
She further said that as Chinese propaganda continues to distort Tibet’s history and makes unjustified claims to its territory and Tibetans inside Tibet continue to reclaim Tibet through anti-Chinese rallies. SFT suggests that Tibetan Independence Day has been observed in more than 30 places around the world in recent years.
In the meanwhile, Penpa Tsering, the president of the Tibetan government-in-exile opened a new Tibet museum in Dharmshala on Wednesday, according to ANI. The museum will focus on the political aspects of the Tibetan struggle. The museum was officially opened by the Central Tibetan Administration’s Department of Information and International Relations. Tsering stated that it is past time for everyone to acknowledge Tibet’s history.
