Rather than prepare to celebrate Losar — the Tibetan New Year less than three weeks away — Tibetans living in Taiwan will join their compatriots around the world and not celebrate the holiday, in memory of those who died in the uprising against Chinese rule last year.
Traditionally, Losar celebrations last up to 15 days, with major festivities occurring on the first three days. Traditional Losar celebrations include a family get-together meal on New Year’s Eve, horse racing on New Year’s Day, visiting friends and relatives, as well as religious rituals to wish good luck to the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and to each other.
This year’s Losar falls on Feb. 25, but Tibetans around the world are coordinating efforts to halt the festivities.
“In the past, we would gather for a banquet, dance and sing to celebrate Losar, but not this year,” Taiwan Tibetan Welfare Association chairman Jamga (蔣卡) said. “We will not have any celebration this year. [Rather, we will] mourn those who died in the uprising against Chinese rule last year.”
In March, Tibetan monks and civilians marched in Lhasa to commemorate a large-scale uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. The demonstration soon turned into riots after Chinese police and military moved into Lhasa and cracked down on demonstrators.
As the news spread, Tibetans across China rallied in support of the demonstrators in Lhasa, but were met with more repressive measures by Chinese authorities. The Chinese government claims that only a few dozen people died in the uprising, while the Tibetan government in exile said that more than 100 Tibetans were killed and thousands remain missing.
“This globally coordinated action [to not celebrate Losar] was initiated by organizations including the Tibetan Youth Congress and the Students for a Free Tibet, and soon gained support from Tibet support groups around the world,” said Yang Chang-chen (楊長鎮), vice chairman of the Taiwan Friends of Tibet.
The action has also gained support from the Tibetan government in exile.
“The [Tibetan] government-in-exile will not hold any Losar celebration this year either. Instead, it will hold religious rituals to pray for peace [and] those who died during last year’s uprising,” said Sonam Dorjee, secretary-general of the exiled government’s representative office in Taiwan. “The exiled government encourages everyone to join this non-celebration action.”
Meanwhile, supporters of the Tibetan cause in Taiwan will hold their own events on Feb. 25 to commemorate last year’s uprising.
“We will organize an event in Taipei, but we’re still working out the details,” Yang said. “In fact, some students at National Tsing Hua University and National Chiao Tung University have contacted me and told me they will hold their own event in Hsinchu.”
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