Taipei: An annual march commemorating the 1959 Tibetan uprising, themed around religious reincarnation, autonomy, and resistance to transnational repression, will take place in Taipei on Saturday, organizers said Wednesday.
According to Focus Taiwan, "Autonomy over reincarnation is not merely a religious matter, but lies at the core of Tibetans' freedom of belief and national dignity," stated Kelsang Gyaltsen, chairman of the Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, during a news conference outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. He emphasized that Chinese authorities are attempting to control the recognition of the Dalai Lama's reincarnation not out of respect for Tibetan Buddhism or the Dalai Lama himself, but because they are unable to control the faith and spiritual strength of the Tibetan people.
The Dalai Lama's followers view him as the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people and the most prominent figure in Tibetan Buddhism, which holds that high-ranking lamas are reborn after death, with successors traditionally identified through religious procedures. Kelsang Gyaltsen insisted that the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama, who is now 90 and has been exiled from Tibet since 1959, must be decided independently by the Gaden Phodrang Trust designated by the Dalai Lama himself, declaring that any political interference lacks legitimacy.
Kelsang Gyaltsen further commented that transnational repression by Chinese authorities is spreading globally and has also infiltrated Taiwanese society through united front work, intimidation, and manipulation of public opinion. He noted, "We commemorate March 10 each year not to reopen the wounds of history, but to remind the world that the expansion of authoritarianism will not stop on its own," expressing hope that Taiwanese society would recognize the persistence of Tibetans' 67-year struggle and see the warning signs in it.
On March 10, 1959, an estimated 10,000 Tibetans gathered in Lhasa to protest Beijing's tightening control, leading to a brutal suppression of the uprising. This resulted in the Dalai Lama's exile to India and approximately 150,000 Tibetans fleeing into exile overseas, according to the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan. Since 2004, Tibetans in Taiwan and local NGOs have organized an annual march in Taipei in early March to commemorate Tibetan Uprising Day. This year's march is scheduled to gather at MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station at 1 p.m. Saturday, pass by the Taipei branch of the Bank of China, and conclude at Taipei 101. A candlelight vigil will also be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Liberty Square.