7th October: TYC Founding Day
In 1970, Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) was established in Dharamsala with the blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 315 delegates from 16 different Tibetan communities in India and Nepal attended. The founding of TYC in 1970 came at a time when the first group of young Tibetans who had received a balanced modern and traditional education were graduating from schools and colleges. TYC's constitution, aim and objectives and organisational structure were decided and the first Central Executive Committee (CENTREX) elected to lead it. The movement gathers momentum with set up of regional chapters, called Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC).
10th December: Universal Human Rights Day
In 1948, the United Nations has adopted and declared this day as Universal Human Rights Day in order to respect the human value. We observed this day to protest against the Chinese continued gross violation of human rights in Tibet and China. It is also the day to urge the United Nations and its bodies to take an immediate measures to prevent the China's violation of human rights and to implement the passed resolutions on Tibet. The day also coincides the commemoration of the conferment of 1989 Nobel Peace Prize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama,
10th March: Tibetan National Uprising Day
In 1959, thousands of Tibetan marched out in Lhasa to strongly protest against the Chinese illegal occupation of Tibet, which breaks the Tibetan National Uprising. China crushes the uprising "wiping out" 87,000 Tibetans within seven months. The Dalai Lama and some 80,000 Tibetans escape Tibet to India. Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai announces the dissolution of the Tibetan Government. Tibetan from all walks of life observed this day as Tibetan National Uprising Day to reiterate that Tibet was an independent nation.
25th April: Birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was born on April 25, 1989 in Lhari district of Nagchu, Tibet. At the age of six he was proclaimed as the true reincarnation of the late 10th Panchen Lama, the second highest spiritual leader of Tibet. Soon after he was recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1995, he was also become the victim of China's brutality. He was kidnapped and held in the captivity of Chinese government and remains today the world's youngest political prisoner of conscience. To this day the whereabouts and well being of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is unknown. As a matter of great concerns to the Tibetans, we observed this day to pressure the Chinese government for an immediate unconditional release of the Panchen Lama.
29th April: Death anniversary of Pawo Thupten Ngodup
Tibetan Youth Congress organised Hunger Strike unto Death in Delhi in 1998 to pressure the United Nations to implement the International Commission of Jurist recommendation of 1997 report on Tibet. The first batch of hunger strike consists of six members of TYC, which was disrupted and breaks up by the Indian police on their forty-ninth days of fast. Mr. Thupten Ngodup, who was in the second batch of hunger strike dies of self-immolation on 29th April, 1998 at Ram Monohar Lohia Hospital in New Delhi. TYC remembered this day to mourn the selfless sacrifices and pay our profound homage to all the martyrs of Tibet.
23rd May: 17th Point Agreement of 1951
After the occupation of eastern Tibet's provincial capital, Chamdo, the People's Republic of China (PRC), on May 23, 1951, threatening further military invasion, forced Tibet to sign the "17 Point Agreement on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet". Tibetans opposed this "agreement" as nothing less than a death warrant of their centuries-old history of independence and thus Tibetan people did not accept the agreement. The 17 Point Agreement has no validity in the international law, because it was imposed by the threat and use of force. Tibetans observed this black day to refute the so-called infamous 17-point Agreement and reminds the Chinese government that Tibet was an independent country historically.
6th July: Birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
A young boy Lhamo Dhondup was born to a farming family in a small village called Taktser, in the northeast of Tibet on 6th July 1935. At the age of two, he was recognised as the incarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thupten Gyatso who passes away in 1933. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso is the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet. Tibetan celebrates the birthday of His Holiness for the betterment of his health and longer life.
2nd September: Tibetan Democracy Day
From the time His Holiness the Dalai Lama sought refuge in India in 1959, he has concerned himself with the secular education of his people and with establishing representative, democratic institutions which would faster the pride and self-confidence required by his people to survive in today's world without losing their heritage. This has meant making them less dependent on him; a unique exercise in self-effacement that was initiated soon after the start of the exile. Thus the first elected representative body in Tibet's history-the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile is established under the name of the Commission of the Tibetan People's Deputies, which met on September 2, 1960. Since then, the day is observed by the Tibetan as Democracy Day. Its name is later changed to the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies.
27th September: Commemoration of 1987 Uprising in Lhasa.
On this day in 1987, about 150-200 lay people and 26 monks demonstrated in the street of Lhasa shouting "Tibet is independent" and asking the Chinese to quit Tibet. Chinese security forces arrested 36 demonstrators, including monks. Then after a series of demonstrations took place with an estimated crowd of 2000 Tibetan people gathered in front of Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. Chinese police brutally beat Tibetan monks and many Tibetans were killed mercilessly. One monk was beaten to death inside the police station that aroused more demonstrators where they snatch and burn the guns of Chinese instead of using against them. TYC commemorate this day to voice against the China's continued colonial rule in Tibet.
3rd Day of Losar: Fund Raising Day
A third day of Losar-Tibetan New Year is specially organised by all the regional chapters of Tibetan Youth Congress to raise the fund to maintain the TYC head office. This helps TYC to organise various activities such as the preservation and promotion of Tibet's rich cultural heritage, rendering social services and in restoration of the independence of Tibet. Nevertheless, the main source of income continues to be the voluntary contribution made by its members and public.
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