Instead of celebrating Losar- Tibetan New Year- with fervor and celebrations, Tibetan Community in exile observed the occasion silently by offering prayers for those who died in Chinese police firing or self immolations in Tibet.
Losar begins with Tsedhor- the official religious
ceremony attended by the officials of the Central Tibetan Administration and presided over by Tibetan Spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama on the rooftop of Tsuglha khang, Main Cathedral in Dharamshala.
After the religious ceremony, Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile started a day-long solidarity hunger strike for the victims of Chinese police firing and self immolations in Tibet at Tsuglha Khang courtyard.
Parliamentarian, officials of Central Tibetan Administration, and hundreds of people gathered to observe the hunger strike.
Delivering his message on the occasion, speaker of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE), Penpa Tsering urged the Chinese authorities to stop the policies and programs aimed at destroying the identity of the Tibetan people, provide religious freedom and undertake reconciliation measures to assuage the hurt sentiments of the Tibetan people.
"We also urge China to resume dialogue with the Tibetans with the commitment and conviction to seek a lasting solution to the issue of Tibet, and peace and stability in the whole geo-strategic," Tsering said.
Appealing the leaders of free world to not only express their concern but intervene in de-escalating the tense situation in Tibet, Tsering said, Tibetans in exile were confident that world leaders will not refrain from voicing their concern for the values of democracy, equality, justice and basic human rights that the international community cherishes.
Making an appeal for peaceful solution to the Tibetan issue, Tsering urged the communist China to withdraw the military enforcement from Tibet, give consideration to the aspirations of Tibetan people and allow independent, non-partisan fact finding delegations to ascertain the ground realities.
"If you have issues with that, allow a Tibetan fact finding delegation to visit Tibet," Tsering said to China.
Raising the demand of releasing political prisoners, including Panchen Rinpoche, Gedun Choekyi Nyima, Tsering also urged the Chinese government to stop sedentarisation of Tibetan nomads and give due consideration to Tibets's fragile environment and accrue due benefit to the native Tibetans in developmental activities.