NORTHAMPTON — Roughly 30 people marched 8 miles through a snowstorm and freezing temperatures Friday from Amherst to Northampton to commemorate the 58th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising.
The Tibetan Community of Western Massachusetts and their supporters gathered at Amherst Town Common and marched down Route 9 to Northampton City Hall. Mayor David Narkewicz spoke at City Hall, reading aloud Northampton’s proclamation for the recognition of “Tibet Day.”
Amherst and Northampton recently issued proclamations declaring March 10 “Tibet Day” to recognize those who gave their lives to protect the Dalai Lama in 1959. Amherst proclaimed that it will also raise a Tibetan flag from March 10 until March 17 every year.
“As a citizen of the planet, the human rights abuse that took place 58 years ago and continues to take place with China’s oppression of Tibetan people and the destruction of Tibetan culture, it’s just something that we can’t forget” said Narkewicz. “We have to keep calling for the Chinese government to reverse that policy.”
Congressman Jim McGovern wrote a statement that was read by Regional Manager Keith Barnicle, expressing similar sentiments in calling for the Chinese government to “end their efforts to undermine the Tibetan language, religion and culture, and allow the Tibetan people to move freely within and outside of China.”
On that day in 1959, more than 100,000 Tibetans gathered around the summer palace of the Dalai Lama in Lhasa, Tibet, to prevent his abduction by the Chinese army. The Dalai Lama fled his palace to seek refuge in India. When the Chinese learned of his escape, they launched a full-scale attack on Lhasa.
During the invasion on March 17, 1959, more than 1.2 million Tibetans died and more than 98 percent of Buddhist monasteries were destroyed.
Tibetans around the world show solidarity each year on the anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising with marches, rallies and demonstrations to raise awareness of the human rights issues and loss of life during the Chinese occupation of Tibet.
Tenzin Damdul, 29, a student at Hampshire College, said that he marched to stand with those who lost their lives.
“As a Tibetan, this is my responsibility to come here and show solidarity,” Dandul said. “This one is just once a year, so it’s the least I can do.”
Despite the snowfall around 10 a.m. Friday morning, Tibetan men, women and children and their supporters marched on to show solidarity with the “commitment and determination” of those in Tibet under the Chinese occupation, said march organizer Thondup Tsering.
“I think [the people who marched] get that commitment and determination from Tibetans inside Tibet, who in spite of the very difficult situation and harsh Chinese policies, don’t give up,” said Tsering.
“When they can do things like that, for us to walk through a snow storm was nothing,” he added.
Morgan Hughes can be reached at mahughes@umass.edu.