MEDIA RELEASE
Release date 9th March 2023                       

Tibetan Uprising Day:
1 million Tibetan Children in Chinese Institutions!
Tibetans say “STOP CULTURAL GENOCIDE IN TIBET!

March 10 2023 is Tibetan Uprising Day and Tibetans in Australia will be focusing attention on the estimated 1 Million Tibetan Children currently in Chinese Government run residential boarding schools.

The UN have now taken notice of the approximately one million Tibetan children (in an estimated total population of 6 million Tibetans) who are currently at risk because of “a policy of acculturation and assimilation of the Tibetan culture into the dominant Han Chinese majority, through a series of oppressive actions against Tibetan educational, religious and linguistic institutions, in contradiction with the right to freedom of religion and belief, the right to education and cultural rights of the Tibetan people.” (UN Nov 2022 ref: AL CHN 6/2022).

Tibetan children are being forced into CCP-run boarding schools, separating them from their family, their religion, their language and traditions in what has been called by the Tibetan Government in Exile as “cultural genocide” with Penpa Tsering, the elected Sikyong (Prime Minister) stating “Tibetan children are forced to learn in Chinese language instead of Tibetan and its propaganda with the aim to change their mind so that there won’t be any Tibetan in another 15 to 20 years”.

Mr Kalsang Tsering says “essentially, this is China’s end-game for Tibet. They are targeting the children and trying to wipe Tibetan language and culture off the map”

The history of Tibetan Uprising day:

March 10, 1959, was a historic day when tens of thousands of Tibetans took to the streets of Lhasa, Tibet’s capital. They were rising up against China’s illegal invasion and occupation of their homeland. Concerned about the life of the Dalai Lama, they surrounded the Dalai Lama’s home, the Potala Palace, determined to protect his life and the future of the Tibetan nation. Tens of thousands of Tibetans were killed when Chinese soldiers opened fire, but they refused to surrender, and many risked their lives to ensure the success of the Dalai Lama’s escape to India, where he has lived in exile since, tirelessly advocating for the people of his homeland, Tibet.

Since that time, March 10 has been known as Tibetan Uprising day – a day where Tibetans around the world, including in Tibet show their continued defiance of the Chinese Government.

What Tibetan Uprising day means now:

“The Tibetan spirit has never faltered. Tibetans both in exile and in Tibet are still rising up to demand their freedoms. The freedom to speak their language, to practise their Buddhist religion, make the decisions about Tibet’s precious environment and to live freely in their own country.” Says Dr Zoe Bedford, Executive Officer, Australia Tibet Council.

“Tibetans inside Tibet are suffering under surveillance, oppression and crackdowns but have still maintained the spirit of resistance and since 1959 have not stopped demonstrating that they will not be controlled by Beijing.” Says Kalsang Tsering, President of the Tibetan community of Canberra.

Dr Zoe Bedford says “The UN might call this of acculturation and assimilation but lets be plain this is cultural genocide. We have seen this strategy before in Canada and the US, where indigenous children were taken away into residential schools in a deliberate attempt to erase culture. We have seen it in Australia, where children were separated from their families. People think colonisation is a thing of the past – but it is not. China has occupied and colonised Tibet and they are using the same strategies as other colonisers to try to eliminate Tibetan language, religion and culture. This is cultural genocide”

Mr Kalsang Tsering says “Australia is renewing trade relations with China – shame on them! China is violating human rights and separating Tibetan children from their families. Australia should be issuing Magnitsky sanctions against CCP officials – not rewarding them with trade deals”

Canberra:

When: Friday 10 March (from 10am)
Where: Canberra: 10am Garema Place Canberra – marching to Parliament House  12.30 pm : Parliament House, Canberra then to Chinese Embassy, Canberra

Sydney:

When: Friday 10 March (from 10.30am)
Where: Sydney: 10.30 am Martin Place, Sydney – marching to Chinese Consulate, Sydney

Melbourne:

When: Friday 10 March (from 9.30am)
Where: 9.30 am State Library of Victoria - marching to Chinese Consulate, Melbourne

Brisbane:

When: Friday 10 March (from 10am)
Where: 10 am King George Square, Brisbane.

Media contacts:

Dr Zoë Bedford, Executive Officer, Australia Tibet Council, 
P: 0408 262 576  E: [email protected]

Mr Kalsang Tsering, President ACT Tibetan Community  
E: [email protected]  P: 0447 053 599