Tibetans mark fifty years of lost freedom

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 March 2009, 08:44 GMT]
Tibetans all over the world marked on Monday, 50 years of Chinese occupation of their homeland. China sent military into largely independent Tibet in 1951. A rebellion of Tibetans against Chinese occupation was crushed by Chinese military in 1959, causing the death of around 90,000 people and the fleeing of the spiritual cum political leader Dalai Lama into India with 200, 000 Tibetans. Ever since, Tibet witnessed rebellions from time to time, the latest taking place last year resulting in the death of hundreds of Tibetans. China systematically colonized the country to the extent Tibetans make only one fourth of the population today.

“We are here to tell the world that 50 years of occupation, 50 years of persecution and 50 years of genocide is too long” said the president of the Tibetan Youth Congress activist group’s New York chapter, reported AFP.

Making a speech from his headquarters Dharamsala in India, the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama accused China of having brought ‘hell on earth’ to his homeland.

The US Congress on Tuesday is to vote on a resolution calling China to cease its repression of Tibetan people and to lift immediately the harsh policies imposed on Tibetans.