TIBETAN UPRISING DAY 2023: Tibet, or the Tibet Autonomous Region, was annexed by China in 1950. On March 10, 1959, the Tibetan people led an uprising in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet, which came under Chinese control in 1951. The strife became violent and led to huge loss of lives. Tibetan Uprising Day is observed on March 10 every year to commemorate the historic day and honour the sacrifices of the Tibetan people for independence from Chinese oppression.

1. China occupied Tibet on October 24, 1950, after the Battle of Chamdo (October 6-24, 1950).
2. Tibet was annexed to China as its government signed the Seventeen Point Agreement with the People’s Republic of China on October 24, 1951.
3. Tibet became an autonomous region, but under the sovereignty of China.
4. The Tibetan government wanted to become a modern state and wanted independence from the Chinese occupation. Anti-Chinese sentiments began to grow.
5. In April 1958, a group of the Tibetan and the Salar people killed a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) task force team leader in protest against the Chinese occupation. As a consequence, about 435 Tibetans, mostly unarmed citizens, were killed on April 25 by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
6. Fearing abduction of the 14th and current Dalai Lama by the Chinese forces, a large crowd surrounded his palace in Lhasa on March 10, 1959. This marked the start of the Tibetan Uprising.
7. The uprising began as peaceful protests, but eventually escalated into violent confrontations between protesters and the Chinese military.
8. The uprising led to the deaths of thousands of Tibetans. Most of the Buddhist monasteries were destroyed by Chinese troops.
9. On March 17, 1959, the Dalai Lama fled Tibet disguising himself as a Chinese soldier. He slipped out of Potala Palace at night with some trusted aides, and reached India on March 31.
10. The Central Tibetan Administration, commonly known as Tibetan Government in Exile, was formed in May 2011 after the Dalai Lama relinquished his political and administrative powers. The Central Tibetan Administration, based in Dharamshala, is the apex body of Tibetans in India and other parts of the world.

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