(TibetanReview.net, Feb17’26) – On the eve of ushering in the Tibetan Fire-Horse Year 2153 of the 17th Sexagenary on Feb 18, 2026, the executive head of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Sikyong Penpa Tsering, called for unity of the Tibetan people in the face of the great adversity that is China. The Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) as well as the Chief Justice Commissioner of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission also made similar appeals in their Losar greetings.
“When we unite and pool our collective strength, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. History has shown that through unity we can overcome great challenges,” he said in his message.
And he continued, “Our adversary, the People’s Republic of China, is a powerful nation; without unity among ourselves, we risk internal divisions that weaken our common cause. Divided, we achieve nothing. United, we move forward with strength and purpose.”
He expressed comfort in the fact that His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday was being marked with a year long series of events globally under the theme of the Year of Compassion.
He bemoaned “the oppressive policies of the Chinese government” in “systematically attempting to erase Tibet’s unique identity, language, religion, culture, and environment, with the ultimate goal of Sinicising the Tibetan people,” and expressed deep admiration for the Tibetan people for “their resilience and unwavering spirit” in the face of such adversity.
In his message for the occasion, the Speaker of the TPiE, Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, expressed “heartfelt gratitude to all those who have supported and assisted the efforts of the Central Tibetan Administration and the Tibetan Parliament in Exile in advancing the Tibetan struggle over the past year.”
He said the year ahead will be of utmost importance for dedicating “our efforts to preserving and promoting our religious, cultural, and linguistic heritage, thereby strengthening our ongoing struggle.” He called for “sincere efforts, at every scale, to realise the noble aspirations of His Holiness” the Dalai Lama.
And in her message for the occasion, the Chief Justice Commissioner Ms Yeshi Wangmo of the CTA’s Supreme Justice Commission also called for unity “to protect our religion, culture, and traditions—the lifeline of our identity and cause.”
She called on every Tibetan to “renew and strengthen our efforts in pursuing the resolution of the Tibetan cause.”