On 29th April 1998, Tibetan Freedom Struggle in exile achieved a major milestone when Pawo Thupten Ngodup self immolated in a vent of frustration and protest against the lack of international attention and support for the suffering of Tibetan people and for the freedom of Tibet. Today, Tibetans all over the world commemorate this day as the 9th Anniversary of the Martyrdom, in the memory and honor of late Pawo Thupten Ngodup and thousands of other brave Tibetan martyrs.

On this Sacred and Historic day, TYC pays profound homage and tribute to all the selfless Tibetan martyrs who have made supreme sacrifice of their lives for the cause of the Tibetan nation and the people. TYC also expresses solidarity with those martyrs and the patriots who are presently suffering gross repression and imprisonment inside Tibet under the autocratic Chinese regime.

This day further reminds us that our struggle is not over and that we the Tibetans have a huge responsibility to shoulder for our country which continues to reel under the autocratic and oppressive regime. And the worst matter is that China is waging an all-out campaign to destroy Tibet and the Tibetans through illegal arrests, detention, executions, discrimination, marginalization, political repression and indoctrination and total assimilation policy by mass demographic resettlement in Tibet.

In the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic, China has intensified its crackdown on the Tibetans leading to more arrests, detention, torture and executions. The recent intensified prosecution of Tibetans, series of arrests, killing of innocent refugees fleeing through Nangpala Pass, intensive attack and denunciation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama as ‘splittist’ despite the ongoing dialogue process, religious prosecution in the name of “Patriotic-Re-education” campaign etc, are all the “ fight till death” campaign against Tibetans waged by the Chinese Communists regime. According to TCHRD records, there are currently 116 known Tibetan political prisoners out of which 51 are serving a sentence of ten years or more. The actual number of Tibetan political prisoners is likely to be higher than the above-cited figure. Prominent among the imprisoned being Panchen Lama, Tulku Tenzin Delek, Bangri Rinpoche, Lobsang Tenzin, Chatrel Rinpoche, Gyaltsen Namdak, Nyima Dakpa, Yiwang, Lobsang Palden, Dolma Kyab, Tenzin Dhargey etc.

On this day, we also reassess the course of our freedom struggle and re-vitalize and re-strategize our movement, efforts and resources to realize the sacred goal of Liberation of Tibet and pledge to rededicate ourselves to the struggle with a steadfast resolution. Towards that end we must maintain a rock-solid unity and consolidated efforts for history is a stark reminder that a half-hearted and unorganized freedom struggle has never yielded any result.

On this occasion, we take this opportunity to once again call upon the international community to take concrete actions in resolving the issue of Tibet before it is too late. We believe that the prime responsibility to resolve the issue of Tibet lies on the shoulder of all the Tibetans. Therefore, we must earn our freedom. Nobody will give it to us. Our stand on Independence is known, now we have to consolidate the movement.

Issued by:
The Office of Central Executive Committee, Tibetan Youth Congress