Join us on December 10 - International Human Rights Day

On December 10, Tibet Support Groep Nederland is organizing a special gathering on Dam Square in Amsterdam. Together we celebrate three important milestones:

• 75 years of International Human Rights
• 36 years since the Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize
• The 90th birthday of His Holiness – the Year of Compassion

This day is not only a celebration, but also a moment of solidarity, awareness, and connection with the Tibetan people.

Event Details

• Date: December 10, 2025
• Time: 14:00 – 17:00
• Location: Dam Square, Amsterdam
• Organization: Tibet Support Groep Nederland

Why participation matters

Tibet under Chinese control: 70 years of human rights violations

Since the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 and the brutally suppressed uprising of 1959, the Tibetan people have lived under a harsh and repressive regime in which fundamental freedoms are structurally violated.

This includes:

• Bans on freedom of expression, religion, and culture
• Political imprisonment, torture, and enforced disappearances
• Far-reaching cultural assimilation, including Chinese boarding schools where more than 1 million Tibetan children are separated from their families, language, and religion
• Destruction of nature and ecosystems through mining, dams, and the forced resettlement of nomads
• Strict restrictions on journalists, researchers, diplomats, and even UN human rights mechanisms

According to Freedom House, Tibet is the least free region in the world.

The Dalai Lama: 90 years of compassion and nonviolence

Despite decades of oppression, the Dalai Lama continues to uphold nonviolence, dialogue, and compassion — precisely the values for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. This year, on his 90th birthday, we honor his lifelong dedication to peace, humanity, and hope.

Tibet: why it matters

Tibet represents more than political oppression:

• Cultural survival — Tibetan identity is being systematically suppressed
• Children in boarding schools — families are structurally separated; language and culture are disappearing from daily life
• Religious freedom — monasteries and spiritual traditions are under severe pressure
• Climate and ecosystems — the Tibetan Plateau is the source of Asia’s largest rivers and essential for 2 billion people

Join us – show that Tibet is not forgotten

By participating:

• You show that the Tibetan people are not forgotten
• You contribute to international attention for human rights in Tibet and China
• You help build pressure on policymakers in the Netherlands and the EU
• You celebrate the values of compassion, truth, and nonviolence

Public support is essential — especially now that China is hermetically sealing off Tibet and its policies are aimed at the permanent erasure of Tibet’s religion, culture, and identity.

Nonviolence does not mean passively standing by, but actively and constructively taking responsibility. If peace matters to us, we cannot remain indifferent to a people who are themselves nonviolently standing up for their freedom.

If Tibetans lose this struggle, we as a world also lose something essential: the proof that nonviolence can prevail.