Tibetans Debate Future on Milestone Anniversary

Tibetans Debate Future on Milestone Anniversary
The Dalai Lama at Syracuse University, Oct. 8, 2012 (Voice of America photo).

Fifty years after their failed uprising against Chinese rule, Tibetans, from Lhasa to London, are seething.

As a show of resolve, monks, merchants, and expats vowed not to celebrate Losar -- the joyous Tibetan New Year festival -- this year, choosing instead to mourn those who died in violent clashes in Tibet last March. Protests in China, meanwhile, continue to be marred by self-immolations, with a monk setting himself ablaze in protest last month.

In a statement issued Feb. 25, Tibetans' spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, acknowledged their frustration, but urged patience and restraint. "It is difficult to achieve a meaningful outcome by sacrificing lives," His Holiness said.

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