Tibetans and Tibet supporters around the world are marking the 58th anniversary of the 10 March 1959 uprising in Tibet - a time when hundreds of thousands of Tibetans protested China's illegal invasion and occupation of their country.
China's rule has been characterised by tight surveillance and grave human rights abuses and since coming to power in 2012, Xi Jinping has overseen a sweeping crackdown on civil society. Tibet is now ranked second only to Syria in terms of its lack of freedoms.
These events have been jointly organised by the four largest Tibet organisations in the UK: Tibet Society, Tibetan Community in Britain, Free Tibet and Students for a Free Tibet.
Tibetans and Tibet supporters gathered opposite the Downing Street at 2pm with colourful flags and banners calling for an end to the Chinese occupation of Tibet and for their human rights to be respected.
Organisers say they have then submitted a letter to Prime Minister Theresa May at Downing Street at around 2:30pm. The letter calls on the Prime Minister to commit to meeting the Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and the elected leader of the Tibetan people, Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay, when they next visit the United Kingdom. The letter also calls for an end to the ongoing forced removals and demolitions that are being taking place at Larung Gar Buddhist Institute in Tibet.
At around 3pm Tibetans sung their national anthem and begin to march towards the Chinese Embassy at Portland place. From 4pm until 5pm the group held a demonstration opposite the Chinese embassy. A one minute's silence was observed for those who have lost their lives under the Chinese occupation. They then conduct a Buddhist prayer to pray for the victims of those Tibetans who died under Chinese occupation of Tibet.
British MP pays tribute to 'brave' Tibetans and Dalai Lama; "Snuffing out liberty for Tibetans does not help the cause of Chinese people"
Earlier this week on 7 March, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet held a ceremony at Westminster Abbey to commemorate the anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising. The MPs laid a wreath to remember all Tibetan casualties of China's occupation of Tibet. [7]
Addressing at the remembrance ceremony, Tim Loughton, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet said, "We have a strong and cross-party support group within parliament who do as much as we can to remember those in Tibet, who have lost their lives in their struggle for liberty and recognition of their own culture over the last 58 years.
"And we think tirelessly of those who continue to live under oppression, unable to practice freely their own religions and their own culture in their own country.
"And we pay tribute to those brave members of Tibet, both within and outside the geographical confinement of Tibet who never tire of promoting the cause of freedom for the Tibetans living under the Chinese.
"We pay tribute to the Dalai Lama and to the Tibetan Parliament in exile, who do so much in such difficult circumstances to keep the flame of freedom and liberty burning for Tibet, just as for those Tibetans in Tibet and those living elsewhere around the world for the cause of freedom and liberty for the people to able to practice their faith and their own cultures which is denied to the people of Tibet.
"We look forward to happier days when the Chinese will come to realise that by snuffing out liberty for Tibetans it does not help the cause of Chinese people as a whole.
"So, we are here today to make a common cause together with our friends and supporters of Tibet, both in UK and around the world, to make sure that the Tibetan people and the fight for their freedom is never forgotten."
