“This anniversary will be a point of reflection for the Tibetan community, and also a way of looking forward,” the 56-year-old said.
March 10 will mark the 50th anniversary of the uprising in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, which resulted in 86,000 deaths, according to figures from the Tibetan government in exile.
Many Tibetans insist Tibet was an independent nation before communist troops invaded in 1950, while Beijing claims the Himalayan region has been part of its territory for centuries. According to the settlement officer, there are an estimated 3,000 Tibetans in Pokhara alone.
Tsering added that the anniversary was a somber yet positive moment for Tibetan refugees. The mood is evident in the muted celebrations of Losar, the Tibetan New Year, recently from the violence and deaths that occurred in March last year.
However, the anniversary is viewed in a positive light as it marks 50 years of living safely and peacefully in Nepal while in exile.
He added that plans are underway for a program to be held in Kathmandu on March 31 to thank the Nepalese government on behalf of the Tibetan community for their support in providing refuge and similar freedoms with its citizens.
“The Nepalese government has given us the opportunity to live and enjoy the same freedoms as their own people,” said Yeshi Choeton, member of the Tashiling Tibetan Settlement office.
Peaceful and non-violent activities
Though there is concern over possible protests in various parts of Nepal, refugees insist on holding activities that highlight the non-violent and peaceful ways of the Tibetan community, based on the teachings of the Dalai Lama.
Those interviewed said that on March 10, there will be prayer sessions to remember those who died for the Tibetan cause. “This is in remembrance of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibet,” 27-year old Yeshi said, adding that the community will also pray for a better future.
Some, like tourist guide Tenzin Wangdak, will make their way to the tourist area of Lakeside and distribute pamphlets to educate foreigners and locals about the situation in Tibet.
“We used to shout and join protests, but we’d rather now close our shops, distribute pamphlets and offer prayers to those that have died for the Tibetan cause,” the 29-year-old said.
Some of the refugees interviewed, yet wished to remain anonymous, highlighted that protests will be difficult this year as the Nepal government is under pressure from the Chinese government to adopt strong measures to control anti-China activities. The police recently visited their settlements and warned against holding protests. Last month, police hinted at tough measures by arresting some Tibetans in Kathmandu.
Meanwhile, 29-year-old Wang Chen Tsetan feels resigned that as the second generation of Tibetans living in Nepal, he cannot do anything to struggle for the rightful ownership of Tibet.
Wang Chen, who helps out at his aunt’s restaurant, makes it clear their hate is directed at the Chinese government and not the Chinese people. He often meets with Chinese tourists and explains the history of Tibet to them.
Returning home to Tibet
Fifty years on, memories of the Tibetan countryside and crossing the border through Mount Kailash still remain vivid for Tenzin’s 59-year-old father Nima Tsetan. He was only nine when he left Tibet.
The handicraft shopkeeper remembers the nomadic days spent looking after small sheep and goats grazing the hills of Tibet. “We lived in a tented shelter and shifted every three months for better grazing area for our livestock,” he said.
Though he would like to go back to Tibet, as expressed by many others in the Tibetan community, he would rather not as the situation is tense.
However, Wang Chen is keen to return to the country he has never been into or seen before.
“Though I was born in Nepal, I want to die in Tibet,” he said.
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