TIBETANS CANCEL NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS TO MARK ‘BLACK YEAR’
Dharamshala, India – Tibetan exile groups announced today they will cancel Tibetan New Year celebrations to mourn the deaths of over two hundred Tibetans killed by Chinese forces following the uprising in Tibet last year, and to protest China’s ongoing crackdown. According to the Tibetan lunar calendar, February 25th will mark the first day of 2136, the year of the Earth Ox. Instead of the usual celebrations marked by singing, dancing and other festivities, silence will be observed and butter lamps will be lit in the temples and homes to pray for the deceased. Tibetan leaders also called on Tibetans worldwide to organize similar observances in their communities.
In observance of a one-year mourning period, Tibetans inside Tibet are refraining from public festivities on Tibetan New Year. Tibet remains under virtual martial law, with the Chinese government imposing travel restrictions on Tibetans as well as foreign journalists in many areas.
“This year, we honor the sacrifice of countless Tibetans who rose up to show China and the world that even after 50 years of brutal occupation, Tibetans are determined to regain our freedom,” said Dr. B. Tsering, president of the Tibetan Women’s’ Association. “We mourn our brothers and sisters who were killed in China’s violent crackdown while we stand in solidarity with those who continue to suffer under China’s totalitarian rule.”
Tibetan New Year or Losar is one of the most auspicious holidays in the Tibetan calendar and is traditionally celebrated for a minimum of three days. This year Losar falls on 25th – 27th of February, just over two weeks before the 50th commemoration of the March 10th Tibetan National Uprising of 1959, when the Dalai Lama was forced to escape into exile. March 10th will also mark one year since protests by Tibetan monks in Lhasa sparked a nationwide uprising across the Tibetan plateau.
“By not celebrating Losar, we are honoring all those Tibetans who have died in the past year for the freedom of our homeland,” said Ven. Ngawang Woebar, president of Gu-Chu-Sum Ex-Political Prisoners’ Movement. “On the eve of the commemoration of two historic uprisings — one in 1959 and the other in 2008 — we call on Tibetans worldwide to join us in re-dedicating ourselves to the cause of our nation.”
The Tibetan People’s Uprising Movement, organized by The Tibetan Women’s Association, Gu-Chu-Sum Ex-political Prisoners Movement, National Democratic Party of Tibet and Students for a Free Tibet (India) aims to revive the spirit of the Tibetan National Uprising of 1959, and by engaging in nonviolent direct action, bring about an end to China’s illegal occupation of Tibet.
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