Raise Our Flag
Statement for Immediate Release
Contact: Tenzin Choeying, Dharamsala, India +91 981 636 8335
Tenzin Choedon, Dharamsala, India +91 981 647 9812
Tibetans observe Losar by raising the Tibetan National Flag
14 February 2010, Dharamshala: On the auspicious first day of Losar 2137, Students For a Free Tibet (SFT) will launch a new campaign ‘Raise Our Flag’ by distributing 500 Tibetan national flags. Tibetans and supporters will be urged to raise the flags to mark the beginning of the year of the Iron Tiger; a time for change, hope, renewal and an action to express a renewed commitment and solidarity towards the Tibetan movement.
“The National Flag is a symbol of freedom and resistance. Hundreds of national flags were defiantly flown throughout Tibet in the 2008 uprising to amplify the people’s call for freedom. The flag unifies all the Tibetans in our desire to help bring change on the ground inside Tibet.” Tenzin Choeying, National Director of Students for a Free Tibet, India, said.
‘Raise Our Flag’ campaign is supported by a number of local Tibetan businessmen including Chodak from Middleway Tours and Travels. Chodak explained, “As a Tibetan, I find it very inspiring hoisting our national flag on the very first day of Losar. It’s my responsibility to contribute to our cause through such campaigns.”
The modern Tibetan national flag was adopted in 1916. Its first appearance before the world was in National Geographic Magazine’s “Flags of the World” issue of 1934.
According to an eminent vexillologist, Professor Lux-Worm, the national flag of Tibet was based on an older 7th century snow lion standard of the Tibetan Emperor, Songtsen Gampo. It should be borne in mind that over 90% of the flags of the nations in the UNO were created after WWII, including the present national flag of China.
Over the years the Tibetan flag has become a symbol of resistance. In each and every historic Tibetan uprising, the flag has been raised numerous times often in simple hand-drawn form to express the continued resistance to China’s occupation of Tibet. The recent 2008 uprising in Tibet is a clear testimony to this fact. Displaying the old mountain and snow-lion flag in Tibet is a “splittist” offence for which anyone could be shot on sight. In March 2009, a young monk Tabe, from Kirti Monastery, was shot by Chinese armed forces after walking down the main street in Aba town carrying a hand-drawn Tibetan flag and a picture of the Dalai Lama.
Today the Tibetan national flag has become the most striking symbol of freedom and resistance and on the 1st day of Iron Tiger year 2137, SFT appealed all to raise the flag.
—–ENDS——
