Taipei, March 10 (CNA) Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama's first autobiography has finally been published in Chinese, 48 years after it was first released in English, the book's publisher said Wednesday.
The Dalai Lama's first autobiography, titled "My Land and My People, " was published in English in 1962, three years after his flight into exile, but it was never published in Chinese due to the sensitivity of the issue, said Chou Mei-li, president of Taiwan Friends of Tibet, an organization supporting Tibetan democracy and also the book's publisher.
The publication date of the Chinese edition was selected to coincide with the 51st anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day, Chou said, adding that the publication "is long overdue for the Mandarin-speaking community." On March 10, 1959, Tibetans took to the streets to demand that the China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) pull out from the Himalayan region, nine years after the Chinese invasion. Weeks later, the PLA launched a brutal suppression that the Dalai Lama claims killed more than 80,000 Tibetans.
In order to raise the awareness for Tibet's struggle for democracy and freedom, Taiwan Friends of Tibet was scheduled to hold a candlelight vigil Wednesday evening, as well as a March 14 rally, to commemorate the anniversary, Chou said at a book-launching press conference.
"There are only six million Tibetans. We need your help, " said Dawa Tsering, representative to Taiwan of the exiled Tibetan government.
Helping Tibetans is helping the Taiwanese, because the two countries have both been fighting for their future under the threat from China, Chou said, noting that March 14 will also mark the fifth anniversary of China's passage of an anti-secession law targeting Taiwan.
The torch of Tibet's fight for freedom will be passed down from generation to generation forever, said Tashi Tsering, chairman of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress in Taiwan, in a pre-recorded video.
"We will never forget what China has done to Tibet, " he added.
Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama said in a statement to mark the anniversary that "despite the great hardships Tibetans have faced for many decades, they have been able to keep up their courage and determination, preserve their compassionate culture and maintain their unique identity. It is inspiring that today a new generation of Tibetans continues to keep Tibet's just cause alive. I salute the courage of those Tibetans who are still enduring fear and oppression."