Lobsang Sangay says ‘thousands and thousands’ of Tibetans have been killed since spiritual leader’s exile in 1959

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Tibetans should redouble their efforts to “reunite” the Dalai Lama with compatriots inside the Chinese-ruled region, the prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile has urged.

Lobsang Sangay said Tibet has seen 60 years of destruction of its civilisation, culture and identity by the Chinese since the Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959.

Sangay and the Dalai Lama were speaking on Saturday at a public event in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala to mark the beginning of the 60th year of the Tibetan spiritual leader’s exile.

“Thousands and thousands of Tibetans have been killed and have died for the cause of Tibet. Many of them have burned themselves alive,” Sangay said.

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He urged Tibetans to strengthen efforts to make the return of the Dalai Lama to his native land – and his former residence in Lhasa, the Potala palace – a reality.

“We Tibetan people, with the support of people of India and abroad, should strengthen our efforts to make his return to his Potala palace a reality,” Sangay said.

“Let us reunite the Dalai Lama with Tibetans inside Tibet, who have spent the last 60 years with a hope, with a dream to get a glimpse of the Dalai Lama in their lifetime.”

The Dalai Lama thanked India for giving him shelter to him. The Indian government was represented by the junior culture minister, Mahesh Sharma. Earlier this month, local media reported the Indian government had told top officials to avoid events held by Tibet’s government-in-exile to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s life in India, fearful of hurting relations with China.

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Ram Madhav, a leader in the governing Bharatiya Janata party, expressed hope in his speech that the Dalai Lama “would be able to find a solution to the Tibetan issue through peaceful and democratic means that will facilitate your honourable return to your homeland”.

The Dalai Lama said he left Tibet in 1959 under difficult circumstances without knowing what would happen in the next 50 or 60 years.



“Today we are celebrating 60 years in exile where we could see what will happen to us in the future to a certain extent,” he said.

In the past he has said the issue of Tibet could be best resolved amicably through the middle way approach, by resuming dialogue with China and demanding true autonomy while remaining under Chinese rule.