'China should leave Tibet:' Tibetans march near Parliament House to mark 65th uprising

NEW DELHI: Hundreds of Tibetans in exile took to the streets of New Delhi on Sunday to mark the 65th Tibetan National Uprising Day against China.

More than 300 protesters gathered near the Parliament House raising slogans such as "Tibet was never a part of China" and "China should leave Tibet."

The demonstrators waved Tibetan flags and carried photographs of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

Seeking refuge in the town of Dharmsala since his escape from Tibet, the 88-year-old Dalai Lama advocates for substantial autonomy and the preservation of Tibet's native Buddhist culture, refusing China's claim that he is a separatist.

While India considers Tibet as part of China, it continues to host Tibetan exiles.

The Tibetan government-in-exile accuses China of trampling on the basic human rights of Tibetans and systematically eradicating their identity.

The New Delhi protest march, organised by the Tibetan Youth Congress, said that in 1959, the Chinese Communist regime occupied Tibet, leading to a Tibetan uprising.

"Since then, the Chinese regime has resorted to brutal tactics, resulting in the deaths of over a million Tibetans who peacefully protested against oppressive Chinese rule," the Tibetan Youth Congress said in a statement.


( with input from agency)