New Delhi/Dharamshala, March 10 Reiterating calls for a resolution to the Sino-Tibetan conflict, Tibetan groups in India marked the 67th Tibetan National Uprising Day on Tuesday with protests and commemorations, while Delhi Police detained 24 people demonstrating outside the Chinese Embassy in the national capital.
A remembrance program organized by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) of the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamshala was attended by several international leaders, including former president of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pottering, Vice President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Jiri Oberfalzer, and German MP Michael Brand.
The CTA said in a statement that it marked the anniversary of the 1959 uprising by paying tribute to the thousands of Tibetans who sacrificed their lives in Lhasa against Chinese rule.
Calling for continued advocacy for human rights, the government-in-exile further said that on this day, it focuses on themes of resilience, remembrance, and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the Sino-Tibetan conflict.
Pottering, who was a chief guest at the CTA's commemoration program, condemned what he described as "demographic aggression and cultural genocide" in Tibet, according to a statement.
He said, "I am confident that freedom and peace will come for the Tibetan people and all of us."
Emphasizing that it is the responsibility of the international community to stand firmly in defense of shared democratic values and human rights, Pottering further said that Tibetan people remind the world of core human values such as dignity, freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.
According to the CTA statement, Oberfalzer said that despite the annexation in the 1950s, Tibet "cannot be regarded as a legitimate part of China under international law", asserting that territory acquired through military aggression can never be recognized as lawful.
Brand said at the event that although "military aggression by the Chinese communist forces succeeded in occupying Tibetan territory", it could never conquer the spirit and soul of the Tibetan nation, the statement added.
Meanwhile, members of the Tibetan community and supporters gathered near the Chinese Embassy in Delhi and raised slogans to mark the uprising remembrance day.
The protest was organized by the Tibetan Youth Congress, one of the largest Tibetan organizations in exile, and aimed to draw attention to the situation in the region.
Demonstrators held placards and chanted slogans seeking justice, freedom, and respect for the rights of Tibetans.
A senior Delhi Police officer said they have detained 24 protesters from the protest site near the Chinese Embassy.
"We have deployed additional police forces to maintain law and order. Our teams have detained 24 people near the Chinese Embassy. They were removed from there and were taken to different police stations," the officer said.
Protesters raised slogans against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and said its government should stop "relocating Tibetan people".
"It is the 67th Tibetan National Uprising Day; this is not just a number for us. We have been fighting since the very beginning. We have been in exile for the last 67 years. We have our own culture, and we are fighting for justice, human rights, and dignity," one of the protesters said.
Organisers said the protest was meant to remember the 1959 uprising in Tibet and to draw attention to what they described as continuing restrictions on political and cultural freedoms in the region.
The CTA also referred to the "ongoing repression" in Tibet and said international delegations were joining demonstrations to highlight the situation in the region.
However, it reaffirmed its commitment to the middle way approach, seeking a peaceful, negotiated settlement that provides "genuine autonomy for Tibet within China".
It also warned against misinformation campaigns aimed at disrupting the commemorations marking the day.
The message by the community seeking a peaceful resolution highlights the "unbroken spirit" of the Tibetan people and their commitment to preserving their culture, language, and religion, "despite decades of cultural erasure policies by the Chinese government", the release stated.
As 2026 marks the 90th year of the 14th Dalai Lama, it is the "Year of Compassion", the CTA said, encouraging the practice of his four main commitments: promotion of human values, promotion of religious harmony, preservation of Tibet's culture and environment, and revival of ancient Indian knowledge.
"More than a historical event, March 10 represents the collective memory of a nation that refuses to forget its identity and heritage as Tibetans have continued to preserve their language, religion, and traditions both inside Tibet and in exile despite decades of political pressure and cultural assimilation policies," the release said.
For many Tibetans, the anniversary of the uprising is not only about mourning the past but also about reaffirming hope for the future, it said.
"March 10 reminds the world that the Tibetan struggle is not merely about territory, it is about the survival of a people, their culture, and their right to determine their own future, and each year, the Tibetans raise their flag and remember the courage of those who stood in Lhasa in 1959," it added.
The remembrance program by the CTA was also attended by RSS leader and founder of the Bharat Tibbat Sahyog Manch Indresh Kumar, who expressed deep hope for dialogue and offered prayers for those who have sacrificed their lives.
The event also saw the launch of a publication by Sikyong Penpa Tsering, titled 'A Chronicle of Tibet's Foreign Relations and Policy (7th-21st Century)', which was published by the Department of Information and International Relations.
