Dharamshala — Thousands of Tibetan exiles, and Tibet supporters flooded the streets of Dharamshala in a massive peace march organised by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile and the Kashag. They gathered to fiercely condemn Beijing’s cultral genocidal law and honor the profound sacrifice of Tibetan independent activist Lobga Rangzen. The demonstrations transformed into a powerful unified front against China's relentless cultural assimilation polices. Protesters explicitly targeted Beijing’s controversial new "Ethnic Unity and Progress Law"—a policy widely denounced by Tibetan leadership as an authoritarian mechanism engineered to systematically erase Tibetan language, identity, and Buddhist heritage.
Global wave of defiance across major international capitals in more than 20 countries. From mass rallies in Delhi—where emotional protesters shaved their heads at Jantar Mantar—to large-scale marches through Geneva, Paris, Toronto, Minnesota,Dharamshala, Darjeeling, Kolkata and New York, the diaspora unified to reject China's new "Ethnic Unity and Progress Law". Tibetan leadership explicitly slammed the policy as an authoritarian weapon engineered to systematically erase Tibetan language, identity, and Buddhist heritage, vowing that the global demand for a free Tibet will not be silenced.
The 17th Kashag and the 18th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile jointly organised a mass prayer service in honor of the Tibetan martyr Lobga Rangzen and all Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibet, at the main Tibetan temple (Thekchen Choeling Tsuglakhang) on August 20, 2026. The prayer service joined by Top officials and all staff of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and thousands of Tibetans around the Dharamshala.
The prayer ceremony, which took place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the temple, was followed by a peace march that began at the temple site. All shops and hotels in McLeod Ganj closed for the whole day as a sign of solidarity with our brothers and sisters who sacrificed themselves for a common cause: a free and independent Tibet.
They then organised a peaceful march from the temple to the Dharamsala police ground to honor the sacrifice of the Tibetan martyr Lobga Rangzen and pay tribute to all Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives for the justice cause of Tibet, and to denounce the repressive laws that China continues to enact in order to eradicate Tibet’s unique identity, culture, and way of life, including the recently enacted “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress".
Peace protesters marched through the streets waving vibrant Tibetan national flags and holding signs that read: "United Nations, Break Your Silence", Lobga died for free Tibet -Justice for Lobga Rangzen", "No More Silence", "People of the World, Stand for Tibet", Tibet is belongs to Tibetans, China out of Tibet now", "Save Tibetan culture", "Rise Up Tibetans", "Unity is our Strength", and chanted slogans such as “Free Tibet,” “Save Tibet,” “Lobga Rangzen died for a free Tibet,” “Justice for Lobga Rangzen,” “Tibet’s independence is India’s security.”
"Upon reaching the Police Ground in Dharamshala, the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) organized a concluding event, where Sikyong Penpa Tsering, Speaker Dolma Tsering, Shri Ajit Nehria (President of the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Association), and Shamsher Singh Nehria (Mayor of Dharamshala) addressed the gathering.
Sikyong read out the Statement of the Kashag on the 49th-day of the Passing of the Late Martyr Lobga Rangzen,"Today marks the Seventh Week (49th-day) of the self-immolation and passing of the martyr Lobsang Palden, popularly known as Lobga Rangzen. He sacrificed his life on July 2, 2026, in front of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, United States, leaving behind a final testament stating that his action was undertaken in protest against the Chinese Communist Party’s policies and its systematic eradication of the Tibetan identity in Tibet, while calling on all Tibetans to unite and campaign for Tibet’s independence.
"In observance of the 49th-Day, the Kashag and the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile today, are jointly organising this official solidarity prayer service and peace march to express our deep condolences and respect to the late Lobga Rangzen and all those Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibet. We express our strong opposition to the Chinese Communist Party’s implementation of repressive policies in Tibet, particularly the so-called “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress”.
"To draw international attention to the Chinese government’s ongoing policy of eradicating the Tibetan identity, 157 Tibetans inside Tibet have been known to have self-immolated since 2009, out of which 136 died, 9 have survived, and the status of 12 remains unknown. In exile, including the late Lobga Rangzen, 11 Tibetans have self-immolated, of which 9 died and 2 survived.
"Not a single brave Tibetan who self-immolated—whether inside Tibet or in exile—ever harmed the lives or property of others. Rather, they sacrificed their own precious lives with the sole motivation of drawing the attention of the Chinese government and the international community to the plight of the Tibetan people.
"We appeal to Governments and Parliaments of free nations around the world to confront the Chinese government’s implementation of genocidal policies in Tibet through its blatant violation of international law and global order. We urge the international community to recognise the Sino-Tibetan conflict as an unresolved international legal issue and not an internal matter of China. And we seek your support in the resumption of Sino-Tibetan dialogue based on the mutually beneficial Middle-Way Approach policy without preconditions. We also request the think tanks and media organisations to conduct fair, objective analyses and accurate reporting.
"We also urge the authorities of the Chinese government to stop acting against the progress of human society, cease clinging solely to the perpetuation of their power, and immediately halt policies aimed at eradicating the identities of other non-Chinese nationalities."
Speaker of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile read out its statement, " The sacrifice of patriotic hero Lobga Rangzen through his act of self-immolation highlighted the suffering of Tibetans to the United Nations, governments, and people around the world. By directly confronting and protesting Chinese policies, his action has opened a new chapter in the history of the Tibetan struggle for truth.
"We express our deep appreciation to Tibetans and Tibet supporters worldwide who have continuously organized diverse and large-scale campaigns following the sacrifice of patriotic hero Rangzen Lobga—especially the Tibetans and non-governmental organizations in New York. We urge everyone, both publicly and individually, to maintain strong resolve in their hearts and intensify efforts for the common Tibetan cause until truth prevails.
"During this critical and urgent time, we strongly appeal the international community to take a moral and just responsibility through the following actions:
- Closely monitor the implementation and human rights implications of the Ethnic Unity and Progress Law and ensure sustained international scrutiny.
- Support independent investigations through United Nations human rights mechanisms, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Special Rapporteurs, Treaty Bodies, and the Universal Periodic Review process.
- Publicly express concern regarding the implementation and consequences of the Ethnic Unity and Progress Law.
- Raise the issue in bilateral engagements and multilateral forums, including the United Nations and other international institutions.
- Support the protection of the cultural, linguistic, religious, and human rights of Tibetans and other affected nationalities.
- Strengthen measures to counter transnational repression and protect Tibetan communities, human rights defenders, and advocates living within your country. Oppose all forms of transnational repression that threaten democratic freedoms in the world.
- Recognize that Tibet was historically an independent nation, prior to the forceful invasion and occupation of Tibet.
- Impress upon the leadership of PRC to engage in peaceful dialogue to resolve the conflict between Tibet and China supporting the peaceful, non-violent aspirations of the Tibetan people in accordance with the vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
